By Grace Potts
Hispanic Heritage month, also known by many as Latinx, is being celebrated through dance classes, authentic cuisine and student outreach at Bellarmine.
According to Areli Nogales, vice president of the Bellarmine Latinx Union, everyone has a different Latinx experience. She said, “It’s an opportunity for everyone who identifies, to celebrate that they are Latinx, that they’re proud to be who they are and proud of their culture.”
The Office of Identity and Inclusion will hold events during September to celebrate Latinx and Hispanic heritage. Events include: Fiesta Dance Knight on Sept. 14, ¡Loteria! Bingo Knight on Sept. 23 and Blu Futbol Tournament on Oct. 4.
In the University Dining Hall, students can try various foods including Brazilian cuisine on Sept. 17 and Dominican cuisine on Sept. 24.
According to Nogales, members of the Bellarmine Latinx Union are trying to reach out and share their culture with other students. “I feel like this is the first Bellarmine is really seeing of the Latinx community. We want to celebrate and be educated,” she said.
According to Arlet Morejon Melian, public relations chair for Bellarmine Latinx Union, Bellarmine has made progress on the inclusion of the Hispanic community. She said, “I’m a senior now, and I look back to freshman year and what I had versus what I have now.”
Bellarmine students who are Hispanic were looking for a place of inclusion at the involvement fair, according to Melian. She said: “They were like, ‘Oh, they’re my people.’ I’m so glad they found someone on campus that they can relate to because I didn’t have that.”
One of the most popular events with students is Dancing with Dawn, where Dr. Dawn Hall-Bibb teaches students various dances of Hispanic heritage. Two classes are left: Sept. 17 and Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m. the Private Dining Room of University Dining Hall.
Melian said: “I’m trying to get everyone to go to the Dance with Dawn classes because they’re so fun and they’re a whole workout! You get free food afterward, too.”
Nigel Ouslan, graduate student at Bellarmine, attended Dancing with Dawn. He said: “We learned the salsa, the merengue and the bachata. These are all dances of Hispanic heritage, and it was pretty fun.”