By Shriya Sinha | Contributor

Music, food and live entertainment will be the highlight of Fiesta, a celebration of Latin American culture at Baylor on April 16.

Fiesta will be one of the first live events that students can attend on campus and is sponsored by the Hispanic Student Association (HSA).

“There’s free food, it’s something to do and you don’t even have to leave campus,” Dennise Garza, program coordinator of HSA, said.

A variety of Latin American cultures will be showcased at Fiesta. People who attend can learn about the food, music and traditions of each area.

“Fiesta is a celebration meant to highlight the vast number of different cultures and to defy the preconceived thoughts that the majority of Latin America consists of their tourist destinations,” Abraham Balderas, president of HSA, said.

Fiesta is not only for Hispanic students, Garza said all cultures are welcome and everybody should attend the event.

The demographic of Hispanic students at Baylor is 14.2%, which is the second-largest student ethnic population, next to white.

“Because Baylor is becoming an emerging Hispanic institution, I think to [Hispanic students, Fiesta is] a home away from home,” Balderas said. “We have free food and drinks that provide a new experience and perspective.”

Balderas said Fiesta plays a big role in Hispanic tradition and is meant to be shared with others.

“Typically, this event is meant for all of the Waco community and people invite their families, but with COVID, they can’t,” said Balderas.

Those attending Fiesta are required to wear face masks and asked to take a COVID-19 symptom “self-check” before arriving.