By Andrés Vinueza and Natalia Arbelaez
Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month Committee
Taking place from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, National Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to recognize the contributions and the rich culture brought by Hispanic and Latino Americans to the United States.
But to celebrate, you have to understand. The Hispanic and Latino community at Clemson University, which encompasses about three percent of the total student body, wants to educate and share their culture with the Clemson community.
Toward that end, five Hispanic and Latino student organizations at Clemson came together to form the Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month committee (H&L) and to form the theme of “Ayer, Hoy, Y Mañana” (Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow). The H&L committee has partnered with multiple offices at Clemson to host six impactful events to reflect on the achievements made by their ancestors, the present-day impact on the community, and the aspirations yet to be realized.
The first event is the Hispanic & Latino Heritage Month Kick-Off that will take place on Sept. 16 under Library Bridge starting at 5 p.m.
Other events include:
– A lecture featuring keynote speaker Victor B. Sáenz, Ph.D. , associate professor in the Department of Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin. The event begins at 7 p.m. Sept. 29 in the Hendrix Ballrooms
– Campus Tours lead by Fall Blitz on Oct. 7,
– a Charlotte Day trip on Oct. 8, and
– a “Café con Leche” event beginning at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Palmetto Ballrooms.
The grand finale to the month long celebration will be the “Noche de Gala” beginning at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Madren Center.
For more details and descriptions of these events please reference the Clemson University calendar or click here.
The H&L committee invites students, faculty, staff, and community members to join us during our month long celebration. The committee hopes that these events will add to an environment of inclusivity and diversity throughout the Clemson Family. This will mark the beginning of multiple efforts by Clemson to attract and retain more Hispanic or Latino students that are pursuing a higher education.
For questions or more info about Hispanic Heritage month, contact Andrés Vinueza at avinuez@g.clemson.edu.
