Students enjoy food, films, and fun during Hispanic Heritage Month

"We want to reach as many students as possible and educate them about culture and traditions," said Miguel Trevino, Associate Director of Student Activities about Hispanic Heritage Month.Hispanic Heritage Month started on Sept. 15 and continues through Oct. 15. This year, Student Activities, Student Government, and the Campus Activities Board (CAB) came together in order to provide events throughout the month that best represent the Hispanic community."During the second week of classes, we decided we needed to celebrate Hispanic Month, and we have been brainstorming ever since," Trevino said.Kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month was Semana de Independencias, which was hosted at the Western Hemispheric Trade Center on Sept. 16.The event featured food from Chile, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Its name comes from the fact that all these nations celebrate their independence in the second week of September.Following the food showcase was Lotería night on Sept. 24 at the Residential Learning Community (RLC).Lotería "is an engaging activity that helps strengthen the pride our students have in their heritage," said Luis Stagg, President of CAB.The night started with everyone receiving a raffle ticket; extra raffle tickets were given whenever a person won. These tickets were placed in a box, and the students were told a drawing would be made at the Carnival, and the lucky winner would receive an iPod touch."Corre y se va," said Beatrice Arina, a CAB member, and the Lotería night got started.There were many winners, including Carolyn Alonzo, Maxine Caballero, Ashley Garcia, Daryl Vincent, Wang Kun, and Albert Escovar.Prizes ranged from a TAMIU bumper sticker to a school sweatshirt. Escovar, a senior Physical Fitness major, won the surprise gift: a TAMIU wind jacket, t-shirt, mesh bag, and book bag."I love the prizes; I will use the jacket for the upcoming winter, the bag for my cleats, and the mesh bag for laundry,"said Escovar, a soccer player."This was really fun; I look forward to attending the next event: Pan's Labyrinth," added Caballero.Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, winner of three Oscars, Pan's Labyrinth was shown at the Student Center Theater on Sept. 25.Forty students came out to enjoy the free popcorn and the film. "It was a good movie, and I like the fact that it was in Spanish," said David Alcacio, a Computer Science major.Other students who are not Hispanic thought the movie was a great way of introducing them to the Hispanic culture."I thought the movie was very artistic and involved the great aspects of nature; this movie, perhaps, represents the love of myth in the Hispanic culture," said Brynne Carlisle, a freshman majoring in Special Education.Overall, the first three events of the Hispanic Heritage Month were a great success. Other events included the visit of Hispanic author Zonia Garcia on Oct. 16 and the Hispanic Heritage Film Festival, which began on Oct 13. with the showing of Love in the Time of Cholera.