February 15, 2005
Purdue's Latino Cultural Center to celebrate 'Week of the People'
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's Latino Cultural Center will share aspects of the Latin culture between Feb. 28 and March 4 with events that feature the talents of Latinos as well as films and speakers that educate and entertain.
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"Semana de la Raza: Con Drama, Humor, Historia, y Fuerza" (Week of the People: With Drama, Humor, History and Strength), which is typically celebrated in the first week of March, will be observed for the first time at Purdue, said LCC director Maricela Alvarado.
"Over time, the week has been used primarily on the West Coast and in the Southwest to educate the greater community about issues with Latino in their communities, cities and state," Alvarado said. "We have decided to present these events as a way to promote social justice within Latino communities and also to share the beautiful aspects of our cultures."
The celebration, which is free and open to the public, will feature a theater presentation in collaboration with the Patty and Rusty Rueff Department of Visual and Performing Arts. The department's theater division and the LCC will present "Teatro de Colores: Fuerza de la Raza," or "Theater of Many Colors: The Strength of the People," at 7:30 p.m. March 4 in Stewart Center's Experimental Theatre.
The performance will feature students and alumni in song, dance and acting. Participating alumni include: Raul Gonzalez, who earned a master's degree in sound design and works in Southern California, will talk about his career; DeAnna Gonzales-Ramirez, who earned a master's degree in acting and works in New York, will be doing an excerpt from her one-woman show about Mexican heritage; and Eileen Garcia, who received her master's degree in scenic design and works for Purdue as a scenic artist for visual and performing arts, designed the sets.
Students performing in the program include: actress Laura Feliciano, a freshman in liberal arts from Chardon, Ohio; actress Adriana Hernandez, a junior studying liberal arts from East Chicago, Ill.; actress Gia Martinez, a sophomore studying liberal arts from South Pasadena, Calif.; pianist Luis Miguel Mendez, a student in graduate studies from Lima, Peru; and choreographer/dancer Laura Ramirez, a junior in chemical engineering from San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Faculty dancer/choreographer Marisol Ortiz, continuing lecturer in visual and performing arts, will present a work she choreographed that addresses the process of cultural adjustment..
Other events during the week include:
• Feb. 28, 5 p.m., Latino Cultural Center – Faculty/staff/student appreciation night. The LCC will have food and refreshments in honor of contributions to the LCC and to recognize the work of student organizations.
• March 1, 6-7:30 p.m., Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 129 – John Clark, senior fellow at the Sagamore Institute of Public Policy in Indianapolis, will speak on "Culture and Economics of Latino Consumption in the United States." Representatives from the National Society of Hispanic MBAs also will give a presentation on opportunities for Latino students in the business world and in graduate programs.
• March 2, 6:30 p.m., Stewart Center, Room 320 – Showing of the documentary "Adelante Mujeres," which focuses on the history, lives and cultures of Mexican-American/Chicana women. Kimber Nicoletti, minority outreach coordinator for Communities Against Rape initiatives in Purdue's Center for Families, will facilitate a discussion after the film.
• March 3, 7 p.m., Lynn Hall of Veterinary Medicine, Room 1136 – Showing of "A Day Without a Mexican," a satirical film about the Mexican-American work force in California. Sonia Gonzalez, assistant professor in foreign languages and literatures, will facilitate a discussion after the film.
The Latino Cultural Center, established in 2003, serves as the home base for Latino students, faculty and staff members, as well as student organizations at Purdue. The center sponsors a variety of educational and social events that enrich understanding of Latino cultures.
Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu
Sources: Maricela Alvarado, (765) 494-2530, alvaradm@purdue.edu
Richard Rand, visual and performing arts, (765) 494-3077
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
GRAPHIC CAPTION:
Purdue's Latino Cultural Center will celebrate "Semana de la Raza" between Feb. 28 and March 4 with several events. This poster was designed by Purdue alumnae Eileen Garcia, who works for Purdue as a scenic artist for the visual and performing arts department. Garcia also designed the sets for the March 4 theater performance of "Teatro de Colores: Fuerza de la Raza," or "Theater of Many Colors: The Strength of the People," which is a collaboration of the LCC with the Patty and Rusty Rueff Department of Visual and Performing Arts. The program starts at 7:30 p.m. in Stewart Center's Experimental Theatre.
A publication-quality graphic is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2005/LCC-semana.jpg
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