In a collaborative effort to end Hispanic Heritage Month with a bang, ARIEL and La Casa Latina hosted Carnaval de la Latinidad, closing out Hispanic Heritage Month on Drew’s campus in one final burst of cultural song, dance, games and food. The event took place on Oct. 14 in Crawford Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., where student organization DrewFIRST also highlighted first-generation student successes.
The evening began with a presentation on the origins of Hispanic Heritage Month, conducted by members of the executive board of ARIEL, alongside select Hispanic cuisine. The dinner table included croquettes, beef and cheese empanadas, maduros (fried overripe sweet plantains) and tostones (fried unripe savory plantains). There was also a large assortment of snacks, drinks and candy, the most popular options being Jarritos soda, plátano chips and Bon Bon Bum lollipops.
The food was catered from Delikositas in Madison and El Portal Restaurante in Morristown, with both establishments well-known for their Colombian dishes. Various ARIEL and HHM merchandise colored the table, free for students to represent their ethnicities with pride while learning about the foundations of this annual celebration.
The observance dates back to Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency, where he established the recognition initially as one week in 1968. Twenty years later, under President Ronald Reagan, the week was expanded to a month-long acknowledgement of the culture and contributions of Hispanic Americans to the United States.
The slideshow also covered other topics about the holiday, like the exclusivity of the term “Hispanic” in correlation with “Latin,” as well as the several different independence days of Latin American countries that fall within the month, such as Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Mexico, Chile and Belize.
Afterwards, a Kahoot! game was launched, testing the attendees’ newfound knowledge of Hispanic Heritage Month. Nearly the entire room was filled with tables engaging in the competition, and the first-place winner received a gift basket.
Shortly after, a piñata full of Latin American treats was positioned by the podium. Each string was held tight, and on the count of three, everyone pulled, and candy poured out onto the floor. Students were encouraged to gather as much as they could hold into their complimentary ARIEL mini tote bags, which they were handed upon signing in to the event, before karaoke began, where hit artists such as Jeanette, Don Omar and Rauw Alejandro soundtracked the carnaval’s closing.
Jadelyn Villa is a junior majoring in English Creative Writing and minoring in Teaching.
