By Sophie Acebo | Reporter
Baylor’s Hispanic Student Association (HSA) is hosting its 32nd annual banquet as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of culture through various on-campus activities and events.
The banquet will be held at 6 p.m. today in the fifth floor of Cashion Academic Center. The event is held alongside Baylor’s Department of Multicultural Affairs and will include a meal, keynote speaker and live entertainment.
The banquet has been a part of HSA since the organization was founded.
Pearland senior and HSA secretary Dennise Garza said the banquet is meant to honor Hispanic heritage and allow people to be in community with one another.
“The purpose of the banquet is to have a celebration of Hispanic heritage where we can just come together,” Garza said.
Houston senior and HSA president Adolfo Prieto said the association reaches out to a variety of communities to attend the banquet, even organizations in the Waco area.
“We as an organization target our members, students on campus, outside organizations like the City of Waco and Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and HSA at both MCC and TSTC,” Prieto said. “So anybody that wants to attend and see the keynote speaker is more than welcome.”
The keynote speaker, whose identity will be revealed at the banquet, is a highly anticipated part of the event, and is one of the reasons why Prieto loves the banquet and views it as an important event for the Baylor community.
“It gives you a chance to enjoy the night and be in the presence of a keynote speaker that has done so much in the community and sometimes in the world,” Prieto said. “It really does leave a lasting mark on people when they leave, and so to have that on our campus and for us to host it and put so much effort into it is definitely my favorite part about it.”
For Houston junior and HSA philanthropy chair Abraham Balderas, the banquet gives people of Hispanic culture the opportunity to be truly seen, recognized and celebrated.
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“It gives you a space and a time to highlight the important impacts made by people of different cultures, people you may not know or interact with on a daily basis,” Balderas said. “It gives you a chance to acknowledge where they’re coming from and how your cultures interconnect.”
Attire is business or business casual and tickets are $10 for students and $20 for general admission. Tickets are available for purchase at the Baylor Ticket Office in the Bill Daniel Student Center. Students, faculty and staff are all welcome to attend. For more information on the banquet, contact Madelynn Lee, graduate apprentice for Multicultural Affairs.
