Last month, Sept. 15 marked the beginning of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month. Originally acknowledged by the US as a week-long period, the celebration was expanded to a month in 1988. The national theme for the month this year was titled as “Todos Somos, Somos Uno: We Are All, We Are One.”
Many Bucknell students who are a part of the Latinx and Hispanic communities are involved with the Latin Alliance for Community and Opportunity for Students better known on campus as LACOS. While the organization hosts various events and activities throughout the year, this month features some of their biggest annual celebrations.
LACOS has over a hundred students who celebrate their nationalities and ethnicities through the organization. The group has an executive board with seven positions that work to coordinate all meetings and events. Gabby Diaz ’25, an Education and Political Science double major, is the President for the 2023-24 year. Vice President for this year is Dani Perdomo-Chaves ’25. Perdomo-Chaves is a Latin American Studies and Spanish double major. Krystin Ipina ’26 serves as secretary, Lissandro Alvarado ’25 as Treasurer, Ally Cruz-Flores ’26 as Chair of Programming and Kacy Alejo-Rios ’26 as the Outreach Liaison. International student Cindy Cortez Cu ’24 from Cobán, Guatemala also serves this year as the senior year representative. Valeria Diaz ’27 and Yerissel Tavarez ’27 were also selected this semester as first year representatives. More highlights and information about the LACOS exec board and their members can be found on their instagram @bucknell_lacos.
Throughout the past few weeks, the LACOS team and its members have successfully put together many events at Bucknell
Feria Latina
The first event to kickoff the month-long celebration was the annual Feria Latina that took place on the night of Saturday, Sept. 23. Hosted at the Macdonald Commons, the event featured music, dancing, face painting, games and free food. Students were encouraged to bring friends and even family members. Being one of the organization’s biggest events of the year, students came together to prepare and arrange the various stations. Although having to adjust the event to move indoors, LACOS was still able to give students the opportunity to celebrate their cultures with an eventful night.
Baila Con Lacos
On Thursday, Oct. 12, the second event was hosted, Baila Con LACOS. Giving students the chance to learn dances to Spanish music. Students could attend to learn and also just practice their Spanish dance skills. Some dances that were taught during the event were also choreographed by students who are members of LACOS. Students of all dancing skill levels were encouraged to attend.
Noche Latina
Following the dance practice that members had from Baila Con LACOS, on Oct. 14 was the Noche Latina celebration. Hosted at Uptown from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m., the event continued the culture and heritage celebration with food and dancing. Alcohol was provided for those 21 and over. Featuring popular and classic Spanish music, students had the opportunity to take part in traditional and beloved Spanish dancing. All were welcome to the event including Bucknell students outside of LACOS, and members were encouraged to bring friends to join the celebrations.
Drag Loteria
On the final day of Latinx and Hispanic Heritage month, there was a final event to celebrate. GSA is Bucknell’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance. With LGBTQ+ History Month taking place during the month of October, the organization came together with LACOS to host a combined event. On Sunday, Oct. 15, Drag Loteria took place at Uptown from 1-3pm. Loteria is a Latine game that gained its popularity in Mexico from Don Clemente Jacques. Similar to Bingo, it is a game of chance that features pictures and names rather than numbers. The event had free food and prizes and was hosted by Alonya Chest and Alizee Ladiamond, who have participated in GSA Drag events in the past as well.
While Sept. 15 – Oct. 15 is a designated time to celebrate Cultures from Spain and many Latin countries, outside of this month and throughout the entire year there are events to continue the celebration of these cultures on campus. LACOS is a space where students from these cultures can join for a community at Bucknell. The organization’s goals state that it is
“…a resource for students to create community, explore identity and develop cultural awareness of culture within the Latin diaspora…” To read more about the group’s goals and join students can visit the Get Involved page. Students looking to support LACOS events in the future can also keep up to date on the LACOS instagram (@bucknell_lacos) and Brent Papson’s weekly emails.
