MU celebrates HALO Week
The week's events included movies, speakers and KU piñatas.
Published March 19, 2010
The Hispanic American Leadership Organization hosted HALO Week to celebrate Hispanic and Latino culture on the MU campus.
"There are a lot of misconceptions," HALO Vice President Liz Reed said. "There are people who think that we're all illegal immigrants or that we only speak Spanish, and a lot of people with animosity because they don't understand our culture."
The week offered free events for the student body, from free concerts to free food.
"Everything is paid for by the diversity fee," Carolina Astrain, HALO president and former Maneater staff member. "The money comes from all the students enrolled, so we try to make something that everyone can take part in."
To begin the week, HALO invited the band Making Movies to Stotler Lounge.
"The band shows that we're just as modern as other Americans," Reed said. "It's important to educate the campus on what it means to be Hispanic or Latino in 2010 and appreciate the fact that here in America you can celebrate your culture and it's OK."
The Tuesday HALO event took place in Lowry Mall and offered free food catered by La Siesta. Reed said the volunteers had to go through training to pass out food to the public. Also at this event will be the University of Kansas mascot piñatas for students passing by to try and break with a bat.
The organization has 15 to 20 active members, Reed said.
"We got a letter during the summer about Hispanic orientation on Aug. 30," freshman HALO member Ana Gutierrez-Gamez said.
According to the MU Registrar Web site, the number of Hispanic or Latino students at MU increased 33.7 percent since 2007. The HALO faculty adviser, Pablo Mendoza, gives HALO the list of incoming students who identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino for recruitment in the beginning of the school year. The group is saving its last unbroken KU piñata for next year's orientation.
HALO represents a diverse group of students on campus. Astrain said there are students with roots in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Spain and Mexico. There is diversity by country, and also by economic standing.
"There are people who have grown up struggling and people who have never been hungry in their life," Astrain said. "It's good to become more aware of the issues affecting our peers."
Astrain said it was important to her to have Hispanic role models, something she learned at a Hispanic journalist conference.
"I didn't really understand why I needed to be a part of this or hang out with people who have the same background as me," Astrain said. "At NAHJ I was surrounded by Hispanic editors, and it was really inspiring. All my life I had only had white role models, but that experience taught me we can be good role models."
Wednesday evening, HALO showed "The Motorcycle Diaries" in Memorial Union with complimentary Shakespeare's pizza and snacks. Thursday evening, the National Hispanic Journalists Association hosted an event with speaker Cecilia Alvear, a Hispanic journalist and former president of NAHJ. Saturday is International Night, where members of HALO will be performing a dance.
"We want to make campus more aware of the Hispanic presence," Astrain said. "It's just a week of celebrating our heritage."