Tuesday, May 5, 2009
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, Latino campus groups will entertain and educate about 80 students at Cordley Elementary school, 1837 Vermont St., about the holiday celebrating the Mexican army’s defeat of the French in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The event, held today, will feature sombrero making, basic Spanish lessons, “loteria,” or Mexican bingo and other games.
Chris Munoz, Topeka senior and vice president of Sigma Lambda Beta Mu, the only Latino-based fraternity on campus, said the event aimed to reverse cultural stereotypes, as well as educate the community.
“We’re trying to make sure our younger generations grow up more tolerant and open minded than in the past,” Munoz said.
Latino- and Latina-based groups Sigma Lambda Beta Mu, Sigma Lambda Gamma National sorority and the Hispanic American Leadership Organization worked together to host the event.
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Bailas Populares
Stepping
Fusion of Latin and international dance styles. The rhythm and beats created by clapping and other dancer’s steps drive dance moves.
Strolling
Group of people do the same dance in a line movement. Strolling dates back to colonial times when indigenous people were chained together in a line.
Samba
Began in Brazil in the late 1800’s. Since then, samba has evolved into a set of dances, including ballroom and club samba.
Ben Fuentes, Satanta sophomore and HALO president, said this was the first year the organization was involved with the event. He said HALO membership was higher than ever, and the organization wanted to get involved.
“We wanted to do more on campus and do more for the community,” Fuentes said. “We’re filling in incorrect errors and promoting cultural education.”
Munoz said the fraternity and sorority were preparing traditional Latino dances to perform for the elementary school students. This is the third year they’ve put on the Cinco de Mayo celebration.
“The parents of kids would come in and be happy that we’re showing them what we’re doing,” Munoz said. “Even the principal was really supportive and said if we needed anything he’d help us out.”
Munoz said the community showed more support than he expected, and they were trying to give back.
“In the past we’ve had support from the community,” Munoz said. “Now, we’re having a positive impact on the community.”
Besides working with school children, Munoz said the groups were involved with Harvest of Hope, a three-week program that invites 50 to 60 high school-aged students of migrant farmers from Kansas to the University for a chance to experience college life.
Eric Martinez, Garden City senior and member of the fraternity, said their performances usually required hours of preparation. Martinez said practicing the dances could sometimes be frustrating, but he enjoyed working with the kids.
“When we teach kids, we take a completely different attitude, and it’s usually a lot of fun,” Martinez said.
— — Edited by Susan Melgren
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