Craft, culture and celebration
The flags of 22 Spanish-speaking countries stand outside Liberty Hall in celebration of Latinx Heritage Month. Recognized in the U.S. from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, Latinx Heritage Month has been an opportunity for the University of Dayton to honor the culture and heritage of campus's Latinx community members.
UD’s Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center (MEC), along with Campus Ministry, hosted several celebratory events, including activities with arts and crafts, food, music and dance.
The president of Alpha Psi Lambda, UD’s co-ed Latino fraternity, Fernando Predoz-Cortes, said that celebrating Latinx Heritage Month is important because it lets student who are not Latinx experience a new culture and allows Latinx students to get back in touch with their own culture.
“It helps those students who are Latinx that may be drifting from their culture ...”
“It helps those students who are Latinx that may be drifting from their culture — since they are at a PWI (predominantly white institution) — to embrace it a little bit more like they would back at home,” Predoz-Cortes said.
To celebrate Latino music, Alpha Psi Lambda collaborated with UD’s fraternal music organizations Sigma Alpha Iota and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and the three organizations bonded over a night of snacks, karaoke and dance.
MEC hosted Arts and Crafts Tuesdays each week where students could make a variety of crafts from Latin America, including painting sugar skulls. At another Tuesday event, students made aguas frescas, a traditional Latin American beverage usually made from fruits like strawberry, cucumber, watermelon and cantaloupe.
Food is an important aspect of Latinx Heritage Month celebration, Predroz-Cortes said. He emphasized that food connects people back to their own culture, especially when one is away from their family.
“Something people take for granted is food; that your meals that you get cooked from home are from your parents,” he said. “You don’t get that anymore since you’re at school, away from them, so you don’t get that diverse food.”
Predroz-Cortes’ favorite event of the month was a potluck during Family Weekend. Student organizations brought foods and beverages, and he said he was happy to see the parents enjoy the food. Alpha Psi Lambda provided aguas frescas. Predroz-Cortes grew up drinking aguas frescas like horchata and jamaica at home, so he said having those beverages was a way for him to remember his family’s traditions.
Salsa lessons were held at Humanities Plaza for an event called Salsa Under the Stars. There was also a Spanish Mass at the chapel, a Make Your Own Churro event and more throughout the month. MEC and Campus Ministry hosted a lunch for all faculty, staff and students Sept. 21 featuring Hispanic and Latinx dishes.
Predroz-Cortes said it was a great way to bring the community together.
Throughout the year, MEC hosts several cultural events. They provide a place for students on campus to make new connections and interact with cultures other than their own.
This was part of the reason Predroz-Cortes became involved with MEC, in addition to it providing a safe space for him to relax and meet other students from different backgrounds.
“I felt like it was a welcoming place where I could meet new people and also a space where I could study instead of just always being in my room,” he said. “It definitely helped me find myself a bit more and open up to others.”