Students on Bradley’s campus showcased their immense pride and celebration for the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month.
On Sept. 13, the Association of Latin America Students (ALAS) hosted its annual event, Levanta Tu Bandera at the Circle of Pride. The celebration, which translates to Raise Your Flag in Spanish, honors the multiple Latin American countries represented by the many students here at Bradley.
“[This weekend] is the start of Latinx Heritage Month. Every year we do a group vote to see what flags [we use] to represent each student on campus,” Gigi Prado, ALAS president and a senior middle school mathematics education major, said. “We raise 12 flags to represent everyone’s culture for Latinx Heritage Month.”
This year’s Levanta Tu Bandera served as a testament to many ALAS members and Latinx students of their growing presence here on campus. The flags raised were for countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Venezuela and more.
“It just shows that we are represented on campus, it gives us a chance to embrace our culture. A lot of us are away from home and [Levanta Tu Bandera] makes us feel even more comfortable,” Christian Garcia, ALAS social chair and senior cybersecurity major, said.
With Family Weekend coinciding with Levanta Tu Bandera, ALAS promoted not only to the students here on campus but also to their families. Attendance was reportedly higher than in the previous years because of the overlapping schedules.
In addition to the flag-raising ceremony, ALAS members curated a display of Latin American culture. Two tables were filled with traditional Hispanic candies, stickers and unique memorabilia for attendees to take while witnessing the ceremony. Different types of Latin music were played from the start to capture the livelihood essence that ALAS hoped to create.
“To me [Levanta Tu Bandera] is good because my high school didn’t do anything like this for Hispanic Heritage Month,” Victoria Silva, a freshman animation major said. “I think this is a great way to make Latino students feel connected and a part of our community.”
