The Indian Students’ Association hosted an event featuring Indian food and a DJ on Sunday night to welcome freshmen and returning students.

The event organizers brought in the DJ and equipment as several students began to fill the room.

Arun Imayakumar, Indian Students’ Association treasurer, said the focus of the event was to help students who might be homesick and provide an atmosphere where they can connect with other students.

Gurleen Gill, junior business and accounting major, said she attended this event because she wanted to find a support system with the same background as her. She said this is her first time attending the welcome party event.

“For me, it was a demographic change because I’m from the west side of Washington where I’m not the minority the way I am here right now,” Gill said. “So, when I came here it was such a change for me. I didn’t have my people around me all the time.”

Gill said she still felt homesick at times.

“I was still searching for people that have the same background, language, who would get little cultural things that you just don’t have to bother translating to someone else,” Gill said.

Charles Varghese, junior marketing major, said it was his first time attending the event and looked forward to meeting new people.

“Identity is really important, and you can be a person of color, but if you don’t know where you come from, then there is no point in diversity,” Varghese said.

Varghese, who has been in Pullman for about two years, said he wasn’t aware that there were other Indian students in Pullman.