Convocation kicks off Latino Awareness Month by Ari Zito Assistant News A frosh, a senior and a recent alumnus presented three different perspectives on the strengths, weaknesses and responsibilities of the University’s Latino community at a formal convocation at Russell House on Sunday evening. All three of the keynote speakers emphasized the importance of celebrating Latino culture while, at the same time, sharing their culture with those outside of the Latino community. “At Wes, individually, we’re doing great,” said Francisco Carreño ’06, the freshman convocation speaker. “But as a community, we’re not. It’s our task to be role models for those around us and to care for each other. Don’t just look out for the welfare of Latinos, look out for everyone. We need to integrate ourselves into this community.” The senior speaker, Dania Cordova ’03, also discussed this integration of Latino culture when she spoke about her experience living in La Casa, the Latino program house, with a group of students from disparate backgrounds. “My sophomore year, La Casa was not what it was supposed to be,” Cordova said. “But I had some great friendships by the end of the year. Sophomore year was representative of what college is. We have a community where can learn together without the insensitivity of the real world.” Miguel Guadalupe ’98 discussed one of his experiences at the University where he included non-Latinos in the Latin music dance group ¡Caliente! of which he was an original member. After ¡Caliente! had its first performance, the student response was overwhelming. “Wesleyan had never seen students put an effort into anything like this before,” Guadalupe said. When non-Latino students asked if they could join the group, Guadalupe and others were forced to examine whether ¡Caliente! should be open to everyone. According to Guadalupe, the group answered that question with a resounding “yes.” “Caliente extended itself and invited others to join in,” he said. “We came together to celebrate our culture and in our celebration we learned about ourselves.” Another theme of the evening was Latino students’ ability to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of knowledge and excellence. Carreño talked about his journey to the University from a poverty-stricken childhood in Colombia. “When I was younger, I never pictured myself here,” said Carreño. “In Colombia, I associated money with happiness, and I thought the only way to make money was through illegal activity.” “I know each of you could write a book of your own,” Carreño said, addressing the Latino students in attendance. They would all say the same thing: ‘We are hungry. We have fire in our eyes.’” Carreño concluded his speech with a strong statement to the members of the Latino community. “I ask you not to change your character,” he said. “We need to be aggressive, to fight for what we want and make things happen. If we do that, we will not be disappointed. Keep that fire burning in your eyes.” Cordova referred to certain obstacles as “glass ceilings,” which can prevent Latino students from achieving. “We are more than capable of breaking through these glass ceilings,” she said. “We should never stop building our inner-strength.” As her Wesleyan education draws to a close, Cordova is looking ahead to law school. “My experiences at Wesleyan have prepared me with power to stand on my own. I’m a proud Latino woman who is not afraid to overstep boundaries,” she said. Miguel Guadalupe spoke about life after college, in particular about the competitive nature of the present job market and the obstacles with which Latinos are faced. “You have to work harder than others to achieve just as much,” he said. “Never do just what you’re told to do. The way to survive is to make sure you’re doing more.” Ajua Campos, the University’s student Latino organization, has a variety of events planned for the month of November. Events for the coming week include a lecture on Tuesday by Professor of English Julie Ruiz about the Chicano experience; Expresiones de Latinos, the annual Latino student talent show on Saturday, and a general meeting on Sunday about the portrayal of Latinos in the media.

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