The University of Arkansas – Fort Smith has organized a month-long slate of virtual and on-campus events celebrating Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month, Sept. 15 – Oct. 15. The events, which range from traditional food tastings and salsa dancing lessons to open forum discussions and author talks, are hosted by the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programming subcommittee, the Hispanic Heritage Month Planning Committee, and the Student Activities Office (SAO).
“This is a way to ensure our Hispanic and Latinx students, faculty, and staff know they are seen and valued and that their heritage is celebrated at UAFS,” explained Katie Cochran, Coordinator for Student Activities.
Throughout the month, UAFS campus displays will celebrate Hispanic Heritage, including flags lining the Smith Pendergraft Campus Center, and book and artifact displays in the Boreham Library. Each Tuesday, the Student Activities Office will highlight local restaurants with authentic Spanish or Latin American cuisine on their social media pages to encourage support of River Valley restaurateurs. The university will also highlight students, faculty, staff, and alumni on its social media pages.
The full slate of events includes:
Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Office of International Relations will partner with the SAO to host a Milo drink meet at greet at the UAFS Bell Tower, from 10 a.m. to noon. The chocolate malt energy drink is a popular beverage in South America.
Monday, Sept. 28, at 3:30 p.m. Dr. Manuel Flores, professor of journalism and communications at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and member of the advisory board of the Tejano Civil Rights Museum, will present a virtual discussion on the Tejano Civil Rights Movement.
· Students should register for this event on NumaLink
Wednesday, Sept. 30, at 6:45 p.m., the UAFS Campus Recreation and Wellness Center will host Salsa dancing lessons at the RAWC to celebrate the Latin American music and dance, which dates back to the merging of diverse rhythms and styles in 1900s Cuba.
Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 6 p.m., the English Department and the Applause Student Literary Journal will host author and television writer Eugene Garcia-Cross. Beginning his career as a novelist and short-story writer, Garcia-Cross authored Fires of Our Choosing and taught creative writing at Penn State, Northwestern, and The University of Chicago. He got his start in the television industry through the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s 2015 television writers program, and currently serves as a writers’ production assistant on the CBS comedy Me, Myself & I, and previously worked on the ABC comedy Downward Dog.
· Guests should register in advance for this virtual event.
Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 4 p.m., the Office of International Relations and Student Activities Office will co-host a virtual Open Forum on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within The Hispanic Community.
· Guests should register in advance for this virtual event.
