Hispanic Student Association hosts event to celebrate the flags of the Latinx community at Mason
BY: NAYOMI SANTOS, STAFF WRITER
Fourth Estate / Nayomi Santos
Throughout the year, the Hispanic Student Association (HSA) hosts a variety of events to engage and bring visibility to the Latinx community. One such event is a celebration of the many flags that represent the global Latinx community.
On Friday, Nov. 18, HSA hosted Que Bonita Bandera (What a Beautiful Flag) in the Johnson Center Bistro to celebrate the Latinx community at Mason. Eventgoers had the opportunity to don their flags and dance to a DJ all night. Throughout the night, people packed onto the dance floor to celebrate Latin and Latin-American pop hits.
HSA is a community on campus dedicated to representing Latinx students at Mason. Along with Que Bonita Bandera, one of the biggest events is Bienvenida Latina held at the beginning of the year in which all the Latinx organizations on campus, including the Aguilas Mentoring Program (AMP) and the Mariposas Mentoring Program (MMP), are represented.
Members of other student organizations dedicated to serving the Latinx community at Mason were present as well, including the AMP. This leadership program pairs freshmen, sophomores and transfer students with upperclassmen. Attending events like Que Bonita Bandera is important because many members of this program are members of HSA as well.
“It’s a great way to express Latino culture,” said Daniel Logrono, vice president of AMP. Que Bonita Bandera is more than just an opportunity for students of the Latinx community at Mason to show off their flags. It’s also a chance for the community to get together and celebrate their culture.
“I’m a freshman. I’m from Florida, and my biggest fear coming to Mason was not finding a community,” said Catalina Correa, a global affairs major. “But I found HSA. I found a community here, family here.”
Correa is also a student senator representing the Latinx community at Mason.
Events such as Que Bonita Bandera bring more visibility to bring more visibility to the Latinx community at Mason, which some students, like environmental sustainability studies major Victor Vidal Verastegui, feel is lacking.
“I think it could definitely improve,” said Vidal Verastegui. “A lot of people need to be familiar with Latin culture, and the best way is to come to these events.”
Continuing their celebration of Latinx culture, on Monday, Nov. 25, HSA, AMP and MMP will host Dia de Gracias to celebrate each other and share great food.
