Diadeloso Blog: Fiesta! event continues amid downpours

Fiesta! hosted by the Hispanic Student Association celebrated various Latin American countries with food, artifacts and a mariachi band. Courtesy Photo

By Erianne Lewis | Staff Writer

Although many events were canceled Friday due to the excessive amount of rain, Fiesta! overcame the storm. The event found a new home on the second floor of the Student Union Building. Tucked away in the side room of the second floor, there were decorated areas paying homage to various Latin America countries including Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and Columbia. In the Barfield Drawing room, there were food, drinks and a mariachi band performing.

The first thing I noticed when walking into the event was the huge “Fiesta” sign covered with handmade flowers, near the entrance to Barfield. I instantly knew that this was going to be an exciting event. There were many volunteers helping out at the event, assisting attendees with anything they needed and answering their questions.

Personally, my favorite part of the event was being able to take a tour of each country’s booth, where I was able to learn some interesting facts about them. For instance, I was not aware that there were penguins in Chile, nor was I aware of the impact of Asian influences in Peru, more specifically in their cuisine. The booths had a member of the Hispanic Student Association giving a quick speech about their country while having pictures and other symbolic artifacts displayed in front of them. I also liked the fact that when each person presented, they seemed to genuinely enjoy what they were talking about, making the overall experience more enjoyable.

All in all, I really enjoyed the event, more than I expected to. Even though I assume a lot of things were modified to fit COVID-19 guidelines, the Baylor Hispanic Student Association went above and beyond to put on an amazing event.