HALO Week celebrates Hispanic culture at MU

By Jamie Scott, news editor

Published April 25, 2006

The Hispanic American Leadership Organization began its third annual HALO Week on Friday with a dance at the Student Recreation Complex.

HALO Week was founded to organize a celebration of Hispanic culture and to introduce the culture to non-Hispanic students.

"The purpose of HALO Week is to get the university and other campus organizations involved with our organization," HALO member Marco Arras said. "We want our voices to be

heard."

In February, members of HALO presented Chancellor Brady Deaton with several improvements they would like to see on campus, including the creation of a Hispanic studies major, the translation of more campus services into Spanish and an increase in Hispanic enrollment.

Arras said he hopes HALO Week gets more Hispanic students to join the group and educates non-Hispanic students about Hispanic culture.

"We have some members of the group who are not Hispanic," he said, "but most of all, we're trying to get more Hispanics to join not only HALO but to come to the university."

HALO will sponsor several other events this week, including discussions about topics such as immigration and minorities, a showing of the documentary "New Faces on Main Street" and a Hispanic culture art display set up outside the Multicultural Center all week.

Arras said he hopes the events help project HALO's goals to the community.

"We just want to get HALO's name out there," he said.