By Abby Rathburn | Staff Writer
The Hispanic Student Association held a fundraiser selling pan dulce and tote bags, blending cultural celebration and community engagement on Monday in the BSB.
Dallas senior and HSA President Berkley Ponce led the group in selling pan dulce for $3 each and tote bags sold for $10 each.
“We had [tote bags] left over from last semester and everyone really likes them, so we’re gonna sell them at a discounted price so that if anyone missed the opportunity, they can still pick one up,” Ponce said.
With about 70 active members total, HSA has remained relatively small. To afford hosting bigger events such as Fiesta, they must first run some smaller fundraisers.
“We rely on student government funding and everything to support that endeavor, but we have to start raising funds really early so that we can make the event possible,” Ponce said.
Seagoville freshman Giana Villarreal was recently appointed HSA’s treasurer. She has been working to decrease HSA’s reliance on student government in order to host events more often.
“I’m currently hoping to come up with even more ideas for fundraisers in the future to help manage our finances more and be able to distribute that to an even grander and bigger events someday,” Villarreal said.
Katy sophomore Pranitha Pakalapati was working in her research lab when she decided to head down to the lobby for a quick snack. In order to save money, she decided that supporting an HSA would be a better option.
“It looked really tempting [because] I was gonna get a croissant from Starbucks anyway,” Pakalapati said. “So I stopped by, and it was only $3.”
Hosting fundraisers like these is just one aspect of HSA. Primarily, the Hispanic Student Association serves to be a place that uplifts and celebrates Hispanic and Latino culture.
“We’re a social organization, so we provide a space for Hispanic students at Baylor to get to know each other, get to spend time together with people who feel like family because we’re not a super huge population at Baylor,” Ponce said.
HSA consistently meets each week and strives to balance general and social meetings. For those interested in finding a community within HSA, the next meeting, a Valentine’s Day social, will take place Feb. 11 in Morrison 100.
“What really put me in HSA was just the instant connection I had with the people who were in charge of it,” Villarreal said. “They’re so incredibly welcoming. They put a lot of effort into making sure that no matter what your background is, you feel welcome.”
