Source: Uriel Estrada, estrada@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Sheila Ellis, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH AT K-STATE A CHALLENGE TO LEARN
MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month, through Oct. 15, with a variety of events, including cultural performances, speakers and presentations.
A special event of the month will be the first Midwestern Hispanic American Leadership Organization Encuentro, or reunion, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 27, in the Ballroom at the K-State Student Union. Guest speaker will be Rodolfo Arevalo, president of Eastern Washington University, who will present "Education is the Way" at 10 a.m. The band Mariachi Campanas de America will perform at noon, followed by a dance performance by K-State Hispanic American Leadership Organization students and a raffle of a 5-foot-5-inch pinata. Frank Martin, K-State basketball coach, also is scheduled to speak in the afternoon.
"The Encuentro's main goal is to empower young minds with the tools needed for making good choices and appropriate decisions when faced with adverse situations or unexpected challenges, both during their collegiate years and in the future," said Uriel Estrada, senior in secondary education, Liberal, and president of K-State's Hispanic American Leadership Organization.
Students from 20 Kansas colleges and high schools also will be attending the reunion, he said.
Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates anniversaries of the independence of seven Latin American countries: Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.
During the month, K-State's Hispanic American Leadership Organization will host several events, including a Loteria Night and a showing of the movie "Walkout," about the 1968 Chicano student protests in Los Angeles.
"When students come out to the events, they will be able to interact and familiarize themselves with a little piece of our culture," Estrada said.
Some of the events scheduled during the month include:
Through Friday, Sept. 28, "Dia de los Muertos" display at the Union.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, Hispanic American Leadership informational table, noon to 1 p.m., Union.
Thursday, Oct. 4, Bailable, or traditional Mexican dance, noon, Union courtyard.
Wednesday, Oct. 10, "Art and Activism in Latino Studies," a lecture by Tanya Gonzalez, assistant professor of English at K-State, 6 p.m. 213 Union.
Thursday, Oct. 11, Loteria Night, 6:30 p.m., International Student Center, featuring a traditional bingo-like game and Mexican food.
Monday, Oct. 15, "Walkout," an HBO movie about the Chicano civil rights movement and student protests during the late 1960s in Los Angeles schools, 6:30 p.m., Little Theatre, Union.