Hispanic groups gather at MU
Representatives from seven universities met in Memorial Union on Saturday.
Published Oct. 25, 2005
Representatives from seven Hispanic American Leadership Organization chapters met in Memorial Union on Saturday morning for the third annual HALO Regional Conference.
Students from Missouri State University, University of Kansas, Benedictine University, Newman University, Fort Hayes State University and Washburn University of Topeka attended the conference. Throughout the day, HALO representatives attended workshop sessions, executive meetings for HALO officers and speeches from members of the Hispanic community.
David Combs, president of the MU chapter of HALO, said the conference had been in the planning stages since April.
"This conference is to unite Hispanic college organizations and serves to educate their members in further becoming active leaders in the community," he said.
Combs said that several MU schools and colleges, the Cambio Center and the Multicultural Center helped finance the event.
Professor of journalism Anna Romero led a workshop that focused on the portrayal of Hispanics in the news media.
"You guys are participating in a historic event," she said.
During her lecture, she said news organizations focus on immigration and crime as the sole issues relevant to Hispanic culture. She also discussed ways companies target the growing Hispanic population.
Domingo Martinez Castilla, the coordinator of MU's Cambio Center, presented a workshop entitled "New Opportunities for Latino and Latin American Students in a Global World." Castilla's workshop focused on the growing Hispanic influence on the local economy.
"Most Hispanics are coming to the interior of this country fully employed," he said.
The keynote speaker for the conference was Leo Pietro, a KU alumnus and the former regional director for the Central States Office of the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute.
"This is a huge step, right here," said Pietro, who attended a similar convention that MU held in 1996.
Pietro said he lived in America illegally for eight years and dealt with discrimination in high school sports because he was Hispanic.
Daniel Botello, a spokesman for the Chancellor's Diversity Initiative, said more people are continuing to get involved with HALO.
"It has been my privilege to have such distinguished students share their culture and experiences with me, MU and the city of Columbia," he said.
Although the meeting was only intended for HALO members, MU's director of Multicultural Affairs, Pablo Mendoza, said plans are being developed to include all university-related Hispanic organizations.
