By Gabrielle Martin, Staff Reporter.
Hispanic Heritage Month will be celebrated on campus from Sept. 15 until Oct. 15. John Neal, coordinator of the event, says that throughout the month students will be able to both learn and celebrate “the contributions, the hard work, and the leadership of Hispanics here and in other countries.”
All students are encouraged to attend the kickoff on Sept. 11. The Society of Hispanic Leaders (SOHL) will be on campus this day with free tacos from Rico’s in Saginaw from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. A public relations firm out of McDonald’s, Me Encanta, will be present to give out prizes such as shirts, food gift cards, and gift bags to students as well as samples of McDonald’s new coffee line to try. People will also be talking about job opportunities for students who are interested in building a relationship with the company.
There will also be an opportunity for one student to win a prize a few days after the kickoff by participating in a the “Your Opinions Matter” competition. Between Sept. 22 and Sept. 26, students can enter to win a $50 gas card, in one of two ways. Option one is to write, in 50 words or less, a response to the question, “What are your thoughts about undocumented immigrant children being housed in the Great Lakes Bay Region?” The second option is to take a photo that expresses how you, the photographer, celebrate Hispanic culture. Students will post their response or photo to the Campus Life at Delta College Facebook page. The winner will be announced the following week.
The festivities continue with 2 showings of the movie “Cesar Chavez.” The movie will be shown Oct. 8 from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the Delta College Planetarium, located at 100 Center Ave in downtown Bay City. A second showing will happen Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Delta College Lecture Theater, located at G160. There is no charge for admission on either day.
Hispanic Heritage Month wraps on Oct. 16 with an evening with Michael Reyes at the Ricker Center, 1925 South Outer Drive, Saginaw. Reyes is a multi-talented poet, actor and artist. He is a leading voice in progressive and radical music, combining cultural stories of resistance, hip hop and poetry to reach his audience. Local vendors will be at the Ricker Center with food.
For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month, contact John Neal at johnneal@delta.edu. To get involved with SOHL, email Monica Hernandez-Alaniz at monicahernandez@delta.edu.
