Members of the six Latinx organizations on campus would normally be gathering around this time to educate themselves and celebrate their culture. This year, they’re still honoring Latinx Heritage Month, which started on Sept. 15, but have taken the celebration to Zoom.
“Levante tus Banderas,” an event that normally kicks off Latinx Heritage Month festivities, is currently postponed. This event is put on every year to celebrate the flags of the Latino students at Bradley and typically features a variety of food and games.
An upcoming event on Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. hosted by the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) is the “Monarcas de Michoacán.” At this event, participants will receive a canvas and paint supplies, and are encouraged to paint a picture of a butterfly, a symbol adopted by immigration activists, while members of ALAS educate them on what immigrants are going through at this time. Participants will also be writing letters to immigrants in detention centers.
“For this … you could add whatever you’d like,” Wendi Romero, community service chair of ALAS and sophomore English major, said. “Whatever you’d think would comfort them and give them hope.”
ALAS executive members believe that students should be educated on immigrant affairs while encouraging participants to express themselves.
“We wanted to do something aside from just informational,” Romero said. “Something kind of unique and creative, and a butterfly should be fairly easy for anyone to paint.”
Before students received word that there would be no in-person student activities for the rest of the semester earlier this week, ALAS planned Monarcas de Michoacán on the Olin Quad. Now, Romero believes students will be delivered the needed supplies and will log onto a Zoom call for the presentation.
Ariana Galves, a Latinx Caucus Ambassador and junior political science and international studies double major, said she is disappointed freshmen won’t get to experience the full community and energy of in-person events this month.
“I know when I was a freshman, this month was really helpful,” Galves said. “Especially just, like, transitioning to Bradley and seeing how united we are as a community, and knowing that there’s other people here to support you.”
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Latinx Organizations of Bradley are putting on several virtual events in the coming weeks, including “Leading Through a Pandemic” hosted by Alpha Psi Lambda via Zoom on Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., “Monarcas de Michoacán” on Sept. 28 at 5 p.m. and “Minorities Negotiating Salaries” on Sept. 29 at 7 p.m.
A full list of events, as well as meeting times for all Latinx organizations, can be found in Hilltop Happenings and Bradley Presence.
