Upsilon Chapter in the News
September 20, 2002

http://www.inform.umd.edu/
News/Diamondback/archives/2002/09/20/news5.html

La comunidad Latina de la universidad celebra
By Jana Jones
Staff writer

Gisela Paredes, far left, participates in a workshop sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha . NAHIL SHARKASI -THE DIAMONDBACK

This month, as it celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the university's Latino community has a message: "We are here."

Those three words reflect both the purpose of this year's Hispanic Heritage Month and the sentiment of the university's Latino community.

"This whole month we just want to educate. Latinos are a part of the U.S. and a part of the campus," said Gerardo Najera, community liaison for the Hispanic Heritage Coalition.

Although they constitute only 5 percent of the university's undergraduate student population, Hispanics are the largest minority group in the country.

Hispanic Heritage Month is designed to inform the community of the social issues that affect this growing community. The month began on Sept. 15, a date that commemorates the independence of six Latin American countries, and is observed nationwide.

Yesterday, Latino students from area high schools participated in the Cruzando El Puente [Crossing the Bridge] workshop, also sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha sorority. University staff and students spoke to the high school students on topics such as financial aid and the college application process.

"I came to this event when I was in high school," said Melissa Laureano, a junior communications major and Lambda Theta Alpha member. "We want the students to get a student's perspective."

On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity and the Senoritas Latina Unidas sorority will hold a viewing with a question-and-answer segment on the documentary Blow, a film detailing the effects of cocaine production and trade in Colombia.

The highlight of the month's events will be a lecture by U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin on Oct. 8. The highest appointed Latina official in the country, Marin will speak about the challenges of being both a Hispanic and a woman in a government position.

"I'm excited that she's coming," said LSU president Rikah Grijalva. "I'm glad that we could bring someone of her stature here on campus."

Another feature of the month-long series of events includes a program highlighting Latin American countries recently in the media spotlight. The program, sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha, will focus specifically on the drug problems and economic conditions in Venezuela and Colombia. Despite the small percentage of Latinos at the university, many s hope to increase the visibility of the Latino student nada.

"It's really hard because there are not a lot of Latinos on campus, but the people that are here - we do the best that we can," Najera said.