By Giselle Lee | Staff Writer, Tierra Varela | LTVN Broadcast Reporter
Despite the rainy weather, students managed to find sunshine during Fiesta Friday in the SUB Barfield Drawing Room. Students gathered to celebrate the legacy of Hispanic culture in a celebration that included food, music, dancing, balloons and face painting.
LTVN’s Tierra Varela has more from Fiesta.
Fiesta, hosted annually by the Hispanic Student Association and Baylor Activities Council, is held in commemoration of Hispanic Heritage Month. It is considered one of the largest multicultural events on campus.
Dallas junior Tristin Cruz, a member of the Hispanic Student Association, said it was “quite a big process” to get multiple student organizations and vendors to prepare for Fiesta but applauded how collaboration “takes the stress off” the daunting task of making a large-scale event possible.
“It takes a lot of communication and really dedication to make this happen,” Cruz said. “Being able to bring a bunch of students like this together, it’s a good feeling. I know that my team worked hard to make this happen, so it’s nice to see them out there dancing and having fun.”
For some students, Fiesta continues to be a yearly staple throughout their Baylor experience. Quito, Ecuador, sophomore Josue Mena, who attended Fiesta last year, said he didn’t mind the last-minute switch indoors from Fountain Mall.
“It seemed pretty well put together,” Mena said. “I’m glad they’re supporting local restaurants, and there’s a really cool atmosphere out here. I feel like the events still turned out great, even though it was moved inside.”
Mena said events such as Fiesta are important as they “invite you into” different cultures, even within different cities across the U.S., that could be brought up on a day-to-day basis.
“It’s completely different experiences you’re going to get, and I feel like it’s very important to bring those people together, because there are a lot of people here at Baylor,” Mena said.
Cyprus sophomore Julian Ford said she has always been surrounded by Hispanic culture, so attending Fiesta seemed like a no-brainer. She urged students, especially in the U.S., to attend more cultural events.
“I think it’s just the time for us to celebrate,” Ford said. “I feel like this is a good time to be culturally aware because we do live in the U.S. and there’s a whole bunch of diversity around us. Being as exposed to this, it helps you in the real world or outside of school to learn about people’s culture.”
Cruz encouraged students to look beyond the major events when engaging with different cultures and that all students are welcome if they are “willing to listen and learn.”
“With the [Hispanic Student Association] we have meetings every week, and we don’t have a set up for who’s allowed to come and who’s not allowed,” Cruz said. “You don’t have to be Hispanic; you don’t have to be any specific race. Anyone’s allowed to come. I think that’s what really bridges the gap, per se, by introducing people to all different types of cultures.”
