​Williston’s campus came alive with flavor as students served pulled off another successful Asian Night Market.

On Monday, Apr. 14, the Asian Alliance hosted its annual Asian Night Market on the Main Quad. Students and faculty came together over a wide range of student-prepared Asian dishes.

First launched in 2022, Asian Night Market has quickly become a beloved tradition, and this year marked its fourth appearance on campus. With more than 80 students involved, the event featured a wide range of dishes such as Japanese Yakisoba, Korean Bulgogi, Chinese Bobo Chicken, Singaporean Pandan Cake, and Thai Milk Tea, all prepared and served by students themselves.

For many, the Asian Night Market is one of their favorite traditions at Williston.

“I always see the Asian night market as the peak of my year, and I always look forward to it, even as we finished the last one,” said Brandon Gou, a junior from Taiwan. “I get to engage fully and pour myself into the dishes. Sometimes I get help randomly, and it’s awesome. It’s really an opportunity for connections with friends, staff, and the school. I’m really excited to see what dishes will pop up next year. Personally, I’ll probably do the same dishes, and try to improve them as much as possible.”

For Brandon, the highlight was not just the food.

“Honestly, just putting in the work, getting to be part of such a great event [is my favorite part of the Asian Night Market],” he said. “Most of all, working with people and especially the SAGE kitchen staff, who were very helpful, friendly, and always hardworking.”

Brandon was not the only one who found the meaning in the Asian Night Market.

“Watching [the Vietnamese] community connect and work together was really meaningful,” Kaylee Le, a sophomore from Hanoi, Vietnam, said. “I also really enjoyed seeing Williston’s Asian community join in to share our culture. I felt like we were building something special.”

“I think I could get closer to the Korean community and my affinity group through the event,” added Gavin Kim, a senior from Seoul, South Korea. “Cooking and eating foods with them was really fun.”

Cici Cao, a senior from Beijing, China, said this year’s event felt especially fulfilling.

“When I was preparing for it, I had fun because I was working with my friends,” she said. “When I was serving I could see people lining up. Last year, I didn’t have as many people lined up, and this year I actually had people lined up. So seeing that and seeing people come back to get more was very nice. And we ran out of food pretty quickly so I went around, hang out with other Chinese students, and just embrace my culture in another way to be with people of my own culture, was just really fun.”

Kaylee and few other Vietnamese students prepared popular spring rolls and Chè Khúc Bach, a Vietnamese dessert made with almond jelly and lychee.

“We wanted to do spring rolls, because I think it is already popular in the U.S., so a lot of people at Williston would know about it and try it out,” she said. “But we also wanted to have something that a lot of people don’t know about, so we made Chè Khúc Bach, so that they can try it out. [Spring rolls and Chè Khúc Bac] are both foods I had a lot of back home.”

While the process of preparation was enjoyable for a lot of students, it wasn’t without its challenges.

“Not everyone knew how to cook, so I had to help them learn how to do it,” Kaylee said. “I cook a lot at home too, but not everyone does, so I had to teach them each step. Also, not everyone was responsible, so keeping up with all the tasks was challenging.”

Brandon, who made Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken and Taiwanese Shaved Ice, faced his own challenges.

“I did shave ice last year, so I thought I could handle both this time, but there were definitely some slips,” he said. “We had to sacrifice some of the chewy toppings, like glutinous rice balls, to instead use the flour for coating the chicken when we ran out. It’s completely different when you have two dishes, you really have to choose what to prioritize.”

Despite the obstacles, this unique experience left a lasting impact on the students involved.

“You realize your limitations, but also realize how much you are able to do,” Brandon said.

Some students, especially seniors, hope to see similar celebration in college as well.

“I really hope I can see something like this at college too,” Gavin said. “I want to cook and share my culture to the community if I have any opportunity. I feel like [Asian Night Market] really brings the community together, not only your affinity group, but throughout the school, and makes me feel more connected and included.”

“Next year, if [the college] doesn’t have something like [Asian Night Market], I would like to start it,” Cici said. “I saw that schools like Emory University and Brown University have similar events, and I would really want that in my college.”

Ken Choo, the faculty advisor for Asian Alliance, was thrilled by the success of this year’s Asian Night Market.

“I thought that Asian Night Market turned out great this year,” he said. “We lucked out on the weather, and the kitchen prep was the smoothest it’s ever been. We’ve created a positive culture here at the school that feels sustainable.”

Choo believes in the importance of student involvement.

“Student participation was amazing,” he said. “When I sent out emails to communicate to the group of students working on Asian Night Market, the list topped eighty students. This did not include the adults of the community who played an integral role in making the event successful- a truly whole school effort.”

Choo is especially proud of how the event fosters connection across the school community.

“My favorite part of Asian Night Market was the collaboration of the different Asian cultures with each other as well as with non-Asian students and Williston staff,” he said. “The energy in the kitchen was incredible- it seemed as if everyone was focused, yet happy.”

As Choo said, the event drew people from across the Williston community. Vivian Quesada Gama, a sophomore from Mexico City, enjoyed the event as an attendee.

“I just liked going around and trying different foods, and just seeing what there was,” she said. “There were just good vibes out there. Everyone was happy, and it was really nice outside.”

Vivian’s favorite dish was Takoyaki and Scallion Noodles.

The Asian Night Market not only celebrated culinary diversity. It also served as an educational and cultural experience for the wider Williston community.

“I think Asian Night Market helps us learn more about different Asian cultures by showcasing how each one prepares their food,” said Ava Medaugh, a senior from Northampton, Mass. “What they eat with it, the way it is presented, the way it is cooked, it’s all very different, and that was really interesting.”

Choo sees Asian Night Market as just one piece of a larger movement.

“I’ve felt like Asian Night Market is one peak (a large one) in a wave of assemblies of Asian and non-Asian students throughout the year,” Choo said. “My hope is that our gatherings created a place where students felt a touch of home- the smells, tastes, sounds, language, and bustle of their home half-way around the world. From this haven, the goal has been for students to extend themselves a bit further than they have so far in their Williston journey; to share themselves with those around them and, thus, deepen intercultural relationships.”