The Equity and Services Council (ESC) hosted a night market on Friday, April 17, in the SURC Corridor, where seven ESC organizations set up booths and sold food, beverages and other goods. Attendees received a “passport” to be signed by the organizations, and if they visited every booth, they received either a sticker or a pin of their choice. 

Gabriel Carillo Valdez, a first-year Aviation Management student, had a nostalgic reason to visit the night market. “I saw various foods that reminded me of the markets I would visit back in Texas and decided they were worth getting as a reminder of home,” Valdez said. “I got two things, a pupusa and a horchata. I specifically wanted to support [LatinX Student Organization, or LSO] since it was the food I was most craving for. If I weren’t broke, I would have loved to get something from each organization.”

Of the seven organizations tabling at the night market, five of them sold food and beverages, often coming from the culture that the organization represents. LSO sold pupusas and agua fresa, FASA (Filipino American Student Association) sold lumpia and ube rice krispies and MEChA (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicane de Aztlán) sold horchata and jamaica. Similarly, FGSO (First Generation Student Organization) sold churros and the BSU (Black Student Union) held a cake sale. 

Not every booth sold food, however. PISA (Pacific Islanders Student Association) didn’t sell anything, but rather gave out candy and stickers for free while advertising for an info session they were hosting. EQuAL (Equality through Queers & Allies) sold beaded bracelets and keychains representing the colors of various LGBTQ+ pride flags.