By Pablo Gonzales | Assistant News Editor
New students were welcomed to Baylor Tuesday evening at Latinx Night in the Barfield Drawing Room in the Bill Daniel Student Center.
For many new students, transitioning to life at Baylor can be intimidating and difficult. However, student organizations offer a great opportunity for students to plug-in and find community at Baylor. Latinx Night provided an opportunity for students to learn about some of the Latino-oriented organizations at Baylor.
Latinx Coalition President and Garland senior Denise Lopez said that Latinx Night offers Latino students at Baylor the opportunity to connect with people like them. Latino Night exists to highlight Latino culture and raise awareness of Latino organizations to both Latino and non-Latino students.
“Latinx Night exists so that students can get involved in the Baylor community,” Lopez said. “We want to provide resources to Latino students, but also let other students know that these organizations exist to promote unity and diversity among students.”
The night consisted of an organization fair, a live DJ, a performance from the Latin Dance Society, and talks from Macarena Hernandez, professor of journalism, Dr. Elizabeth Palacios, dean for student development, Dr. Kevin Jackson, vice-president of student life and Dr. Pearl Beverly, director of multicultural affairs. Representatives from each organization present were invited to speak and personally invite students to their organization meetings.
“I think this event is so important because it shows all of the diversity that Baylor has to offer,” said Ferris senior Jazmine Ibarra and member of Gamma Alpha Omega sorority. “Latinx Night gives students a chance to talk about the community that these organizations bring and make new students feel at home.”
According to the Baylor Diversity and Inclusion website, a variety of initiatives have been established to foster diversity on campus. Affinity community groups like the Latinx Coalition were established as part of the campus-wide initiatives to increase diversity and inclusion.
Latinx Night is sponsored by the department of multicultural affairs and the Latinx Coalition. The Latinx Coalition is a consortium of student leaders dedicated to uniting the Latino community on campus and acting as the voice of the Latino community at Baylor.
