December 2021
The Halal food cart on South Pugh Street may appear to be tucked away if one is not looking hard enough, but nearly every Penn State student has experienced it at least once. The cart previously stood on the corner of South Pugh Street and East Beaver Avenue, but recently moved farther down Pugh.
Once passing Pugh Street, the cart is hard to miss, with its fluorescent blue menu boards, booming music, and the sounds of cooking. On Thursdays to Saturdays, the line is sure to stretch from the front of the cart to the middle of the Pugh parking garage anytime between the hours of 11 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.
Sher Halal Gyro & Grill
“Don’t forget to take a drink!” Mido, one of the Halal cart employees reminds customers before they hurry away with their food. He is determined to not let anyone leave without their complimentary soft drink.
Mido is originally from Egypt and moved to the U.S. a little over a year ago. He says he loves working at the cart and getting to meet more people in the State College area. He is currently studying to be a pharmacist.
The cart’s owner, Namat Rahman, is not at the cart for as long as his employees throughout the day. When he is, however, he socializes with every person that passes by. Whether they are buying food or just passing, Namat will offer a drink to just about anyone.
Namat is often seen wearing a long-sleeve navy-colored shirt, a black winter hat, utility pants that look very worn in, and a utility belt. He has a gray beard, deep olive skin, and wears rectangle wire-frame glasses. He will turn 63 years old this January.
Originally from Pakistan, Namat moved to Philadelphia in 1985 mainly for job opportunities. After some time in the city he landed in the food service industry, eventually starting his own hot dog stand. In the beginning of 2018, he opened the Halal cart in downtown State College.
Namat feels he has personal bonds with his regular customers. When he sees a regular after a while of not seeing them, he asks them if everything is OK.
“My customers’ happiness is my success,” Namat stated. He gushed about the support of the people in State College, saying there is no other place like it. Namat refers to the people of State College as some of the most special people he knows.
He was on the cusp of opening his own restaurant downtown, but as he was finalizing everything, the pandemic hit. The worker shortage State College is facing also impacted his hopes of a grand opening. Despite this, he is openly grateful and content with the Halal Cart’s current success and is happy with where things have been.
December 2021
Ronald Ferko, better known as Josh, has been collecting and selling vinyl records for over 40 years. He wanted a new start, and landed on the name Josh once he got to Penn State. After graduating in 1971, he got into selling and buying records throughout town, managing a few stores before owning his own, Stax of Trax in Webster’s Bookstore Cafe.
Ferko’s father had died when he was only one-years-old, leaving his mother to raise him and his older brother by herself. Ferko grew up in the south side of Pittsburgh, stating that he grew up poor and could not afford certain things, such as vinyl records. Because of this, he did not really immerse himself in music and the world of vinyl until he got to college.
Ferko cites growing in relationship with the members of the State College community as one of his joys in life. He loves to take people who have a passion for music and a hunger for knowledge under his wing, posing as a mentor of sorts.
Josh Ferko’s “Stax of Trax”
Chloe Jean
December 2021
Chloe Jean is an artist currently based in Pennsylvania. She moved to State College with her husband, Diego, as he pursues his law degree at Penn State. When she is not creating art, she works at Crust & Crumb Cafe on Beaver Avenue. While art has always been present in her life, she has not grown the courage to explore her creativity and talent until three years ago.
“So it was kind of like a straight and narrow path, go to college, and you had to do a nursing job or be a doctor. I would draw things on my ketchup on a plate, and would doodle on anything,” Chloe says. After some time pursuing her degree, she left college to allow herself to dive into art. She attributes creating her husband a pastel-based piece of a picture of a lion as her artistic beginning.
Chloe largely takes her inspiration from what she sees in nature. One of her favorite larger pieces is inspired by a sunset, titled “Sháńdíín,” which translates to the word sunset in Navajo. Using alcohol, watercolor inks, and 24-karat gold, Chloe creates pieces that are reminiscent of ocean waves.