Students attend last year’s TASA night market at Curl Viewpoint. This year’s event will take place Saturday and feature 8 student organizations. Credit: Courtesy of Emily Yu
Curl Viewpoint, located above Curl Marketplace, will transform into a traditional Taiwanese night market Saturday night.
Hosted by the Taiwanese American Student Association, or TASA, the free event aims to reach members of the Ohio State community who may not be aware of Asian American identities and traditions, Emily Yu, the president of TASA, said. Traditional night markets feature individual stalls that sell clothing, food and goods, and are a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike.
“It is particularly important because a lot of people confuse Taiwan with other locations like Thailand and really don’t know the difference, which makes it even more important to spread the word about what we do,” Yu said.
This year’s night market will feature a theme for the first time since its inception nine years ago. The theme will be based on Studio Ghibli, a famous Japanese animation studio known for its famous film “Spirited Away” set in Taiwan and featuring its nature-esque landscape.
TASA won’t be alone at the market, though. Ohio State student organizations, including the Hong Kong Student Association, Chinese American Student Association, Indonesian Student Association, East Asian Student Union, Asian Business Student Association, Filipino Student Association, Mexican Student Association and Pi Delta Psi Fraternity will have booths.
Performances from the Dragon Phoenix Wushu Team, Daebak, Dance of the Soul from China and Next Crew will also take place.
Yu said having all of these different organizations come together along with several performers allows for a unique experience for students to immerse themselves in.
“Most people will probably not travel to Taiwan, so it is a good way to bring this experience to Ohio State as a hub of different cultures for students to experience,” Yu said.
Elisabeth Burns, the Vice President of the Chinese American Student Association, or CASA, said CASA and TASA have worked closely together to make the night market one of their biggest cultural events of the year.
“CASA’s goal here on campus is to provide a sense of community and identity for Chinese American and broadly Asian American students as well as to connect with their heritage by meeting new people,” Burns said.
Each year, CASA brings a different cultural recipe to the night market for people to try as a way to engage with their cultural traditions. According to Burns, students are making mango pudding this year, a popular dim sum dessert.
“Our goal this year in participating is to see new faces, see familiar faces and bring a dessert that you really can’t find around campus besides in dim sum restaurants,” Burns said.
While admission is free, students interested in participating in games or eating food will need to purchase tickets, according to the Student Life website. It will cost $6 for 5 tickets and $3 for 2 tickets.
A portion of the revenue from food purchases will go towards TASA’s philanthropy, Asian American Community Services, a group determined to improve the quality of life for the Asian American community and immigrant families by providing social services and motivating others through training, education and leadership, Burns said.
“It is a great opportunity for people to participate in since you can enjoy good cultural food while knowing your money is going to a good cause,” Burns said.
