ARIEL, Drew University’s Latinx cultural society, hosted its annual Café Con Leche event on Sept. 16 to welcome students back to school and to start off Hispanic Heritage Month on a positive note.
As students and professors filled Crawford Hall, they were welcomed by ARIEL’s members, who ensured the night was filled with joy and community. The group also provided coffee, hot chocolate, cookies and pan dulce to make sure no person left hungry.
The event consisted of bingo, where participants could win prizes like ARIEL merch, coffee supplies, a tiger blanket and more. In between bingo rounds, the board members presented a slideshow informing the audience about topics such as Latinx music styles and popular artists, the history and origin of café and ARIEL as a group.
“We come as a group to talk about what we want to represent… we make sure that we are all collaborating with one another,” said Kiare Abreu (‘26), the President of ARIEL. “We also have open meetings for outsiders to give their input on what they want in their community, so we can be a family here.”
ARIEL strives to create inclusive and welcoming environments for all Drew students, and this event was no exception. “This event was an amazing opportunity to showcase and empower Hispanic cultures,” said Ariana Moreno (‘29).
Students can be on the lookout for more exciting, community-based events from ARIEL to further celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and to keep the group’s traditions alive.
Casey Bush is a sophomore majoring in Pscychology.
