Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 and Community Life is celebrating throughout the month.
For the cultural celebrations at California Baptist University, Community Life typically plans events during which students can experience culture through food, music and games. However, with the current guidelines in place, the celebration has to be changed.
In past years, Community Life has held a one-night celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month, but this year it will be a month long celebration. Each Tuesday during the celebration there will be a trivia night via Instagram. The trivia can be found on Community Life’s Instagram, @cbu_life.
Trivia Tuesdays will allow students to learn why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, who are important figures in history who have helped shape the United States and what are different initiatives from Hispanic individuals that have led to social change. In addition to the Trivia Tuesdays, there will be other events for students to learn about and experience Hispanic culture.
Natalie Espinoza, senior liberal studies major, said she believes a month dedicated to celebrating Hispanic heritage through these activities is an important part of showcasing different cultures.
“It is important they are doing this because it is giving students an understanding of the culture and why it is important to celebrate it,” Espinoza said. “Trivia Tuesday is a perfect way to educate everyone on the culture.”
For students who are on campus, Community Life will be hosting an event on Oct. 1 in Lancer Plaza. There will be music playing that honors Hispanic heritage and students will have the opportunity to walk through a display with educational information in it. There will also be snacks and crafts available. Community Life will also be ending the month with a movie night that will have limited seating.
“Whether or not you can participate in the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at CBU, there is a wealth of knowledge out there in the form of movies, books and articles that students can seek out to learn about Hispanic culture,” said Taylor Alitzer, assistant director of Campus Activities. “We are going to do our best to get that information out there but encourage students to use this time to become informed and gain a greater appreciation for this month.”
Megan Vanbattum, junior film production major, is living on campus this semester and said she is excited there will be an in-person event.
“Amazingly, they are doing in-person events for Hispanic Heritage Month,” Vanbattum said. “It not only is going to teach more people about the Hispanic heritage, but it is also going to make this semester feel a little more normal since we will have an in-person event.”
Whether on campus or online, students will still have opportunities to celebrate Hispanic heritage this month.
