Purdue Latino Cultural Center plans several fall events

August 27, 2014  


WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Latino Heritage Month and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) are among the fall-semester events scheduled for Purdue University's Latino Cultural Center.

Latinos and the Constitution is the theme for this fall's activities.

"I would like to encourage all Purdue students to visit the Latino Cultural Center and participate in our diverse leadership programs," said Aurelio Curbelo, LCC director. "We provide the best professional advice to promote the advancement and potential of all Purdue students. Feel free to visit us and become part of our 'familia' at the Purdue University Latino Cultural Center."

Sonia Manzano, who plays Maria on "Sesame Street," will be the Latino Heritage Month keynote speaker at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 in Fowler Hall. The topic of Manzano's talk, which is co-sponsored by the LCC and Purdue's Black Cultural Center, is "Black Latinos and the Civil Rights Movement." The Hispanic actress and activist has been honored by many organizations, including the Association of Hispanic Arts, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, National Hispanic Media Coalition and Committee for Hispanic Children and Families. She has received the Hispanic Heritage Award for Education and in 2013 was named one of the "25 greatest Latino role models ever" by Latina Magazine.

A film about civil rights leader and labor organizer Cesar Chavez, at 6 p.m. Oct. 9 in Room 1010 of the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering, is another highlight of Latino Heritage Month.

The LCC's annual Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, will be from 4-7 p.m. Oct. 30 in Black & Gold Gym, Courts 1-3, in the France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center. Often misconceived as a celebration of death, Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life. The event will include traditional cuisine and pan de muerto (dead bread); arts and craft stations such as decorating sugar skulls and paper masks; traditional and contemporary altar displays, which are created to celebrate the lives of lost loved ones; and music. Anyone interested in creating an altar for the celebration can contact the LCC at latinocc@lists.edu. The event is a collaboration between LCC and the Purdue Student Union Board.

 Other fall semester activities include:

* Latino Leadership Retreat. All day, Saturday (Aug. 30). France A. Córdova Recreational Sports Center. The retreat aims to provide leadership skills while promoting collaboration and unity among Latino-based organizations. Students also will be able to meet campus and corporate leaders. There is a $5 fee. Interested students should RSVP to Marisol Uribe at muribe@purdue.edu.

* Sabrina Lastman Trio Concert. 7 p.m. Sept. 6. Haan Mansion Museum of Indiana Art, 920 E. State St., Lafayette. The LCC and the Haan Mansion museum are presenting the concert, which will feature vocalist and songwriter Sabrina Lastman with Jamie Newman (keyboard and electronic drum) and Lynn Colwell (double bass). The trio will play original compositions by Lastman, jazz standards and Latin American jazz. Tickets are $15 and available at http://haanmuseum.3dcartstores.com/Special-Events_c_8.html; the Tippecanoe Arts Federation office, 638 North St., Lafayette; or by calling 765-423-2787.

* LCC Open House. 4-6 p.m. Sept. 12. Latino Cultural Center, 600 N. Russell St. The LCC welcomes new and returning students and faculty/staff to campus. Students can meet with Latino-based student organizations and campus departments. Refreshments will be served. Carolyn Curiel, clinical professor of communication and executive director of the Purdue Institute for Civic Communication, will be the guest speaker. Curiel also is a former U.S. ambassador and White House speechwriter.

* "The End of Don't Ask, Don't Tell," a talk by Eric Alva, retried U.S. Army staff sergeant. 7 p.m. Sept. 15. Fowler Hall in Stewart Center. Alva, an Iraq War veteran and gay rights activist, will discuss his role in the repeal of the U.S. military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy and what it meant  being there when President Barack Obama signed the legislation. Alva will talk about the difficulties faced by gays and lesbians serving in the military. He also will discuss his battle to overcome his war injuries and the difficulties he encountered after leaving military life. Alva's talk is sponsored by the LGBTQ Center at Purdue, Veterans Service Center at Purdue, Purdue 360 and the LCC.

* Delta Phi Mu Latino Heritage Show. 7 p.m. Sept. 19. Fowler Hall, with a reception following in Newman Hall at St. Thomas Aquinas Center. This is the 16th annual show by Purdue's first Latina-based sorority, promoting the essence of Latino/a culture.

* Orgullo de Purdue. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sept. 20. LCC and Ross-Ade Stadium. Tailgate activities before the Southern Illinois-Purdue football game, hosted by the LCC. Cost is $25 and includes a game ticket, T-shirt and tailgating activities at the LCC. Presented in collaboration with Purdue Intercollegiate Athletics. To order your ticket, go to http://ev9.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/EVExecMacro?linkID=purdue&evm=prmo&RSRC=&RDAT=&caller=PR and type in promotion code: "orgullo."

* "The Threat to America's Traditional Identity: HISPANIC," a dialogue with Cristóbal Salinas Jr. Salinas will lead a discussion about taking conversations from private to public spaces, and how to question the traditional understanding of social identities and challenge those understandings in order to make space for a more intersectional approach to the identity development of Latino/a students. Salinas is a doctoral candidate in education at Iowa State University and has served as multicultural liaison officer in the university's College of Design. The talk is sponsored by the LGBTQ Center at Purdue and the LCC. 

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu 

Sources: Aurelio Curbelo, LCC director, 765-494-2530, acurbelo@purdue.edu

Marisol Uribe, LCC program coordinator, 765-494-2530, muribe@purdue.edu 

Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, (765) 494-4600

© 2014-18 Purdue University | An equal access/equal opportunity university | Integrity Statement | Copyright Complaints | Brand Toolkit | Maintained by Marketing and Media

Trouble with this page? Disability-related accessibility issue? Please contact us at online@purdue.edu so we can help.