Student Diversity Board (SDB) held their “Despierta El Ritmo: Wake Up The Rhythm” event on Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Dalloway’s Clubhouse. This workshop provided an opportunity for students to celebrate and learn about a variety of Latin dance through video tutorials and enjoy Latin treats such as conchas.
Latin dances, such as salsa, bachata and merengue were enjoyed by students through an open-floor setting, allowing peers to interact and connect with each other through a diverse amount of group, individual and pair-dancing activities.
The title of the event, “Despierta El Ritmo,” was inspired by junior Anastacia Galicia, SDB treasurer, who saw it as a way for students to feel excited and lively about Latino culture.
“It’s just a way of celebrating the roots within Hispanic culture. For me, dance is a main focus in the culture. For ‘Despierta El Ritmo’, basically, I just thought of it as waking up and dance, like let's wake up and dance today,” Galicia said.
The title reinforces a way for students to directly engage with the culture as well as be perceptive to how events such as this should be seen and celebrated.
Senior Angelina Wright, SDB vice president, mentioned this was the club's first event celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month.
“We always like to do something that uplifts people. So I feel like dancing is one thing that will definitely get you there. I feel like a lot more people need to be more aware and introduced to topics in spanish if we’re talking about the culture and everything of the sort.”
This workshop was not only a way for students to interact with Latino traditions outside of a typical lecture or classroom environment, but also a form of being aware of the complexity and diversity of the cultures itself. Junior Giselle Martinez, SDB’s secretary, emphasized how the purpose of these events creates a spotlight on often underrepresented cultures with important overlooked aspects and how it enriches people's understanding of it through education.
“This is kind of an educational and fun event. We get to show people the different music and dance styles, and it allows for people to come in and try the foods we're having, like conchas. So, by highlighting and empowering these cultures, it's a way to diversify the voices that we have on campus, even the smaller voices and the bigger voices,” Martinez said.
SDB works towards making the College's campus and student experience inclusive and open for all students, including those from different backgrounds, especially for commuter students.
“I wanted to make a change, and make it more inclusive for commuters, making sure that some events are maintainable for commuters to stay on campus and attend these events," Galicia said. "I also just want to see more cultural events happening here at Saint Mary's since now there is more diversity with students."
For Martinez, she wanted to get involved with SDB as a first-generation Latina student to highlight voices from different identities and experiences. She believes it’s important to ensure “future prospective students understand that Saint Mary's is committed to making your voice heard here, making sure you feel [like you] belong.”
This sense of belonging was felt through SDB’s latin dance workshop, with attendees being entertained while being taught new moves.
“It was so fun. I danced, and I learned new stuff I haven't even tried to do before. It was a great event to come and just have fun with people that you know, and I love the songs,” junior Ariane Urayeneza-Akimana said.
Junior Alyson Aguilar Morales has been attending SDB events since her freshman year and has always found new things to look forward to.
“I really like the different music they played, and I actually learned salsa today. Once more people started coming, I feel like it just started to become even more fun than it was,” Aguilar said.
For the remainder of Hispanic Heritage Month, SDB will be hosting Hispanic trivia night “¿Sabes o Nah?” from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 10, for students to have fun in testing their knowledge on Hispanic cultures and communities.
President Chinaza Ezechikamnayo emphasized for anyone that feels a lack of belonging in the community, “know that SDB is a space that they can be, and they don't have to be anything. They don't have to be any type of person to belong here, as they already belong.”
