The Latin American Student Union held its 55th-anniversary banquet “Cuento Divino” this Saturday in the Mandela Room.

The banquet brought together students, faculty and community members for a night filled with cultural pride and celebration. Set against a fairytale-inspired backdrop, the banquet featured delicious food and electrifying energy, highlighting the richness of Latin American culture. Organized by LASU to honor Latin heritage and foster solidarity among attendees, the banquet had performances, activities and awards that recognized community members.

Donna Villa, LASU’s president and a senior double-majoring in history and political science, shared her goals for the banquet.

“The alumni that paved the way for us have always told us that this is for the people here on campus,” Villa said. “It was really just to bring the community together and to show that there is solidarity among different groups.”

As a community-based organization that has served the campus community for 55 years, Villa added that the banquet aimed to honor the tradition started by the 10 Puerto Rican students who founded LASU in 1969. After acknowledging the student organizations present, LASU presented several awards, including one recognizing a general-body member for their extensive contributions.

The awards session led to a Bachata contest. The lively contest, which featured the genre of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic, brought up six couples for the opportunity to win a rice cooker and set the mood with popular hits like “Corazón Culpable” by Antony Santos and “Obsesión” by Aventura and Judy Santos. After, the Quimbamba Latin dance team captivated the audience with their performances to songs “El Malo” and “Un Beso” by Aventura. Each song brought out a unique aspect of the group’s talent.

After a group “Cha Cha Slide” on the dance floor, the audience watched a dance performance by Tropical Ecstasy, a Caribbean dance team that brought an infectious energy to the stage. Their dances to songs including “HAY LUPITA” by Lomiiel and “First Time” by Krept & Konan, Spice and Tory Lanez mixed hype beats with a dynamic choreography that had the audience cheering. The dancers embodied the jovial spirit of the evening, showing off a powerful display of Caribbean culture. After the group finished its performance, more awards were presented, including the Pillars of Community and the Eric M. Colon Award.

Then, keynote speaker Giovanna Montenegro, the director of Latin American and Caribbean Area studies and an associate professor of comparative literature and romance languages, was introduced. Montenegro began by thanking LASU for their continued dedication to preserving and promoting Latin American culture on campus.

Montenegro explained that the Latin American and Caribbean Area program was created in response to student activism, particularly from Puerto Rican students associated with LASU. She emphasized the significant role student voices played in the department’s development over time.

“It was thanks to the efforts of students like you, who demanded a curriculum that reflected our history, that the program was actually started,” Montenegro said. “I see no better time to learn about our histories, cultures, societies, politics and literatures than during an election year when real harm has been made against Haitians, Puerto Ricans and African Americans.”

Montenegro said the struggles for equitable resources and recognition for Latine studies continue today, with many programs underfunded and understaffed, according to a study done by professors at the University of California, Berkeley. She mentioned how the Latin American and Caribbean Studies program exists as a supportive community, offering resources like internships, international programs and mentorship to help students achieve their academic and personal goals.

“Many of you are first-gen, and I couldn’t help but notice the other day, walking on campus, there was a student with her family, and I overheard her abuela, and she was getting the little kind of reprimand,” Montenegro said. “I’m going to say the sentence first in Spanish, then I’ll say it in English. ‘Niña, acuérdate de todos los sacrificios que tus padres han hecho para que estés aquí.’ ‘Remember, child, of the many sacrifices your parents made.’”

The speech was followed by a variety of activities, the first of which was the “Spellbound Search” scavenger hunt. Seven contestants scoured the venue for items like a high heel, key, lipstick, coin, pen and hand sanitizer. After the scavenger hunt, Villa introduced the rest of LASU’s Executive Board, thanking them all individually for their hard work leading up to the event. Next up was the Best Dressed Contest, a chance for attendees to showcase their outfits. The audience cheered for the volunteer they thought had the best outfit, leading to great crowd reactions.

After a short dance break from the event emcees, guest performer Silvio Mora ended the night with an assortment of songs, bringing the evening to a lively close.