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But he does miss home from time to time, and a video call with his family, who was at a night market thousands of miles away at the time, made him miss his home country of India even more.
So, Thakor, now president of the International Student Association and a graduate student in technology management, along with ISA officers and advisor Brenda Hawkins, set out to create a night market here on campus.
"We wanted it to include all the sounds, sights, and smells of one you would find internationally,” he said. “We want faculty, staff, students, and community to visit a different country and still be in Pittsburg. They don’t need a visa!”
From 6:30 to 8:30 on Sept. 30, their hard work will pay off: students from 21 countries will gather in Lindburg Plaza to hold the university’s first Global Fest, an international night market featuring food samples, crafts, games, and music, with a fun and interactive atmosphere.
It is open to the campus and community, and the ISA members hope to see people of all ages and backgrounds taking part.
ISA officers are playing a leadership role, including Yash Desai (India), Mina Sim (South Korea), Nikhil Bondili (India), Rodreen Ruda (Micronesia), Yeeun Han (South Korea), Rebekah Sheward (U.S.), Dagyeong Bae (South Korea), Delana Johnston (U.S.), Frida Herrera (Mexico), Cherin Kang (South Korea), and Nandini Rathla (India).
Countries represented will include:
ISA has engaged nearby local businesses, including Pueblo Mio and Kazoku Sushi & Hibachi (both across from campus) and Limos Tacos (at Chatters just east of campus), that will provide food samples alongside those prepared by students.
Guests may use Venmo or cash to pay for tickets at a booth run by ISA and can then make the rounds at the market to buy food samples for $1 to $3.
“I’m so excited that students from so many countries saw the vision of this and got excited themselves,” Thakor said.
Cultural style games, along with dancing, will be featured, as will henna tattoos.
“I think this will help with homesickness,” said Thakor, who came here at 17 and in 2020 graduated with a bachelor’s degree in automotive technology. “This way our international students will feel like they’re not missing family so much, because all countries do marketplaces — this is common to us all — and in this way we can come together and share and have fun.”
Details
Take cash or be prepared to use Venmo for food sample tickets.
Lindburg Plaza is located at the intersection of Lindburg and Elm Streets, between the Dining Hall and Nation Hall to the south, and Whitesitt Hall and McCray Hall to the north.
