The Latin American Student Union (LASU) kicked off Latin Weekend with their 11th Annual Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galán Latinx at the American Legion in Downtown Binghamton this Friday. The pageant took after the 2018 Heavenly Bodies Met Gala theme and was split into several parts including a cultural section and talent showcase.

Toward the front of the venue was an enlarged French Rococo painting and feathery white wings attached to a gold stand which served as a photo background for attendees to take pictures. Flowers lining the front stage, colorful lights projected in the shape of a heart and E-Board members dressed in highly accessorized, angelic outfits made for an ethereal ambiance that reflected the pageant’s theme. R&B and reggaeton music played as attendees filtered through and interns served food at a table off to the side.

Ashley Mera, an intern for LASU and a junior majoring in economics, discussed preparations for the event with the rest of the team.

“As somebody who was a contestant last year in our annual pageant, it is such a rewarding experience to be the one working behind the scenes alongside the E-Board,” Mera wrote in an email. “Pageant can be stressful to set up but at the end of the day, it is such a fun experience whether you are in it or when you’re helping out with the logistics of things. I’d have to say the best part is working with our contestants one-on-one and seeing their confidence grow throughout our weekly practices as well as getting creative all together to make sure every act is unique to each contestant.”

The event began with an introduction from hosts Brooke Barnett, a junior majoring in psychology, and Luis Hernandez, a senior majoring in biology, who presented candidates representing Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Haiti, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. A swimwear catwalk was first on the agenda, as candidates walked the runway and posed with flags from their represented country. Audience engagement was encouraged through a game of voluntary trivia and the hosts prepared guests for the upcoming culture section — a part of the event that Nicholas Bustamante, a guest judge and a senior majoring in computer engineering, had enjoyed since coming to the event for the past two years.

“My favorite part is always the cultural section,” Bustamante said. “Everyone gets a little creative with it. They can do a dance, they can do a special catering food like cook a specific meal from that culture or they explain some sort of rich history from that culture. Every contestant is representing a country that they are not a part of. So they’re all learning about that country, and they’re all teaching everyone in the crowd what they learned from that country.”

Avery Johnson, one of the contestants who represented Mr. Haiti and is a senior majoring in English, created a cooking video in which he made soup joumou — a pumpkin soup that he explained was symbolic of the Haitian Revolution.

Levi Ramirez, who represented Mr. México and a sophomore majoring in computer science, dressed in Mexican-Western clothing and performed a mashup of different Mexican dancing genres. Ramirez and his two partners danced “quebradita” or “little break,” which is a Mexican dance style that refers to the breaking of a wild horse. The “quebradita” dance style allowed for Ramirez and his partners to show off their ability to perform difficult jumping tricks used in the dance, which has recently gained attention within social media through popularity in a huapango song called “La Quebradora” — which Ramirez also danced to in his performance.

Other contestants performed traditional dances such as punta, joropo and bachata, and offered traditional desserts such as alfajores for the judges to try. Jaralize Martinez, a historian for LASU and an undecided sophomore, explained the purpose of the cultural section.

“Our pageant is all about giving the spotlight to countries and communities that often get overlooked,” Martinez wrote in an email. “We aim to highlight the unique cultures of each country, with a special focus on Latine culture. We want everyone to have fun while also gaining something valuable from the experience.”

After a short musical chairs contest with attendees, contestants each performed their talents. Sofia Figueroa, who represented Ms. Venezuela and is a junior majoring in integrative neuroscience, demonstrated how to do CPR and the heimlich maneuver through a silent skit to the song “Titi Me Pregunto,” which has 107 beats per minute and is the right tempo for hands-only CPR. Other contestants performed songs and skits, as well as traditional and contemporary dances.

Up next was the much-awaited evening gown looks which took inspiration from the pageant’s theme, Heavenly Bodies. Contestants had the creative freedom to create short skits during their catwalk and each played their preferred song to walk to. After this final segment, audience members and judges voted on who would be the next Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galán.

The audience’s choice was Mr. México and Ms. Colombia, represented by Alanna Chen, a junior double-majoring in philosophy, politics and law and political science. As for the judge’s choice, the contestants came down to four candidates who battled it out in a Q&A session that was designed to test their knowledge on the culture, art and politics of their represented country.

As the event came to a close, it was announced that Ms. Colombia and Mr. Costa Rica, represented by Julio De La Cruz, a freshman majoring in economics, won this year’s Nuestra Belleza y Nuestro Galán.

De La Cruz discussed his experience being a part of the pageant.

“The LASU pageant is a great representation of Latin culture,” De La Cruz wrote in an email. “I love that LASU also doesn’t make it Latin exclusive so we can have contestants that aren’t Latin but they can learn more about the country of their choice from Latin America, which I think is beautiful because being at a [primarily white institution] it’s nice to have people of other races and ethnicities learn about Latin culture even if they are not Latin. I loved being able to represent Costa Rica. and doing the cultural talent, where I was able to dance the traditional dance of the county Punto Guanacasteco, was my favorite part. Even though I’m Dominican, I learned more about the country from this experience, and it’s something I won’t forget about. I’m extremely proud to have gotten the title of Nuestro Galán Latinx 2024 as Mr. Costa Rica.”

Reflecting upon her involvement in LASU, Mera emphasized the sense of community and activism that LASU stands for.

“Joining LASU would have to be the best decision I’ve made throughout my college career,” Mera wrote. “As somebody who felt very disconnected from my culture, I never thought I’d find my home away from home where I could embrace my roots and have a voice on campus until joining the club. I think it’s also important to emphasize that we are a political and social organization where we welcome all people of color, not just Latine students. To be in a cultural organization like LASU is such a gratifying experience, and I’d recommend it if you are a student who feels lost on campus. LASU is here for you whether you want to engage in social activities or delve into global affairs and politics. Our general body meetings are for everybody, and you can find us almost every Thursday at 8 p.m. in [Binghamton University Union West] 310!”