By Charlie Wailes | Reporter
The Korean Student Association (KSA) teamed up with Neighbor Nights Tuesday to create an evening full of food, friendship and high spirits.
Plano junior and KSA president Lauren Tanghongs said this was the first time KSA has collaborated with Better Together for a Neighbor Night. Neighbor Nights are monthly dinners, often hosted by different multicultural student organizations in collaboration with Better Together. Last month’s dinner was hosted by the Coalition of Asian Students.
“Better Together actually reached out to us first, and I first heard about them through the Coalition of Asian Students,” Tanghongs said. “They encouraged our organization and other Asian ones to just go ahead and join the event.”
Tanghongs said KSA communicated with Neighbor Nights to create the Friendsgiving-themed event, which allowed KSA to expand its community.
“I think this is a really cool opportunity because not only is this an event where our members can really just relax and have time with each other, but to get to know the people that are a part of Better Together,” Tanghongs said.
Tanghongs said she hopes students had a unique experience with the collaboration.
“I hope that they can see there are different cultures, but they all still celebrate together with friends,” Tanghongs said. “I think hearing and seeing people that are involved with KSA is a great way for us to have exposure and for them to know more about that.”
Taichung, Taiwan, sophomore and KSA event chair Paul Yoon said via email that Thanksgiving is a special time of year.
“I think my favorite thing about Friendsgiving [is] being able to spend time with friends and to eat delicious food,” Yoon said.
Yoon said he loves being in KSA, as being around people of similar backgrounds gives him a “home away from home.” He also said the values of Friendsgiving include quality time and general fellowship, and he hopes students were able to develop a closer bond with their friends as a result of this event.
Rowlett junior Hunter Hennig attended and said he loved the community provided by the event.
“My favorite thing about it is the community and energy it provides,” Hennig said. “Being able to hang out with friends in a large gathering is awesome.”
Hennig said Friendsgiving provides a sense of belonging.
“Spending time with the people you care about and having a sense of belonging is really important,” Hennig said. “It’s just a good time to be able to relax with the people around you.”
