W&L Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month The Latin Student Organization planned and organized the events in collaboration with the Office of Inclusion and Engagement.

By Connie Okeke '23
November 9, 2021

 This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) celebration at Washington and Lee University was packed with activities for the entire campus. The Latin Student Organization (LSO) planned and organized the events in collaboration with the university’s Office of Inclusion and Engagement (OIE).

“LSO held various activities this year to make up for time lost due to the pandemic,” said Carolina Rubio Regalado ’22, LSO co-president. “Judging by attendance, our efforts were appreciated.”

The kickoff event for HHM was an outdoor fiesta on Sept. 15 on Cannan Green. The event was a collaboration between LSO, Student Activities, OIE, and the Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. The highlight of the event was food from Tres Veces Feliz taco truck and snow cones.

Later that week, LSO hosted a Latin-themed karaoke night in collaboration with Friday Underground (FUDG). Like every FUDG event, this one took place in the Arts, Recreation and Culture theme house. The event was filled with performances of hit Latinx songs.

LSO also hosted two off-campus events as part of HHM. The first was a dinner with LSO’s sponsor, Lorri Olan, and the other was the annual LSO picnic on the Blue Ridge Parkway. On Oct. 6, LSO had their bi-annual dinner with professors in which students were invited to meet and converse with Latinx-identifying professors over a meal. These events also provided an opportunity for LSO members to relax and get to know each other better.

“With these activities, LSO showed its members and others that the organization is here to support its members and help W&L feel like a place they can call their second home,” said Rubio Regalado ’22. “Although the population of Latin@ [Latinx] students on our campus is small, we want the incoming classes and others to know we are a strong and present community. There are many backgrounds and cultures represented among our members, and HHM gives us the chance to highlight that.”

LSO and OIE hosted a dance, the “Baile,” on Oct. 9 in Evans Hall to round up events for the month. The theme of the event was “Let Your Culture Shine Through.” Although it was LSO’s first-ever dance, the event was a huge success, with various students and staff members in attendance. There was an eight-foot-tall robot that danced and celebrated with the attendees, though the highlight of the dance was arguably the surprise dance put on by LSO members Valentina Lozano ’25 and Armando Mendez ’24.

Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the Tea House, located in the Kenneth P. Ruscio Center for Global Learning, sold Latinx drinks to show their support. In case you missed it, the Tea House continues to sell Jarritos soda. To keep up with other events LSO will be hosting the remainder of this academic year, follow the organization on their Instagram @wlulso.