The Latin American Student Union (LASU) held its 45th anniversary banquet, featuring dance performances, Hispanic food and discussion on how to keep culture as alive and thriving as it was on the dance floor.
The annual banquet was held Saturday night at Travel Hotel & Suites in Downtown Binghamton. The event, “Sueños de Suerte,” or “Dreams of Fortune,” led to poker chips and deck-of-cards inspired menus, which offered attendees traditional food like rice and beans, pernil and empanadas donated by local restaurants.
These “Dreams of Fortune” also referred to the organization’s support of the DREAM (Dominican Republic Education And Mentoring) Project, a charity supporting education for children in the Dominican Republic.
“We have been fundraising for the organization for two years now,” said Melissa Rodriguez, vice president of LASU and a junior majoring in human development. “Their philanthropic goals reflect some of the struggles that some Latin American students on this campus have experienced before. In the minority community, education is always strongly enforced in the household.”
Over 300 people attended the event, whose highlights included a dance by Quimbamba, a performance by Bronx-based bachata group Vena and a keynote speech by David Garcia, a scholar and BU alumnus.
“David Garcia is a LASU alumni, who during his time on the Executive Board, painted the LASU logo in our previous lounge in the Old Union,” said Rodriguez. “He exemplifies in all aspects the kind of organization that LASU is. His impact on the Binghamton University campus and Binghamton community, led us to believe he was an ideal speaker for our banquet.”
In his keynote, Garcia discussed the importance of tackling adversity head-on to progress the Latino community.
“We as Latinos posses a sea of courage,” Garcia said. “Intrepidly, we continue to travel, going against statistics and facing adversity, without any guarantee [of success], to go to places to find the utmost degree of opportunity to pursue our dreams.”
LASU President Marcol Rodriguez, a senior double-majoring in English and Spanish, said the planning process was arduous, but ultimately worth it.
“Preparing for this banquet took over four months,” he said. “We have been meeting to plan and discuss the details since early June. From contacting vendors, to deciding on an artist, and envisioning the space. It was a long and exhausting process but it was definitely worth every second of it.”
Attendees ranged from members of the Black Student Union to LASU members from SUNY Albany. Michelle Higuera, a junior majoring in psychology, came to support her friends in Quimbamba, and said she was inspired by the night’s events.
“I’m Colombian and Ecuadorian, and I love to come here and support the Latino community,” Higuera said. “Everything from Mr. Garcia’s speech to the vibes around us is supportive. It’s inspiring.”
Some students weren’t Hispanic, but said they enjoyed the atmosphere nonetheless.
“It’s a different culture, a different atmosphere,” said Dante Senior, a senior majoring in psychology. “And the food smells amazing.”