Hispanic Heritage Month features indoor Marimba Picnic
(Photo by T. Papova)
Michelle Keenan, English instructor, mapping her connections.
By Tatsiana Papova
Delaware Technical Community College, Owens Campus, hosted a Marimba Picnic in the Student Services Center on Sept. 30.
The picnic was one of the Hispanic Heritage Month events hosted by Hispanic Heritage Committee and Hispanic Heritage Club.
Lyra Marquense, a popular local Marimba musical band, played live while students and staff enjoyed a lunch that complemented the picnic with authentic Hispanic food.
Free meal vouchers were presented to visitors to try the Mexican meal Pozole Rojo provided by Lighthouse Cove cafeteria. Approximately 150 vouchers were handed out.
Jennifer Farrely, a nursing student, came to the dining hall with her classmates Kayla Bergstrazer and Alison Woodell for their routine lunch break. They didn’t expect the atmosphere of the picnic, and enjoyed the food and the music.
“I liked the healthy aspect of the lunch special,” Farrely said.
Language Department Chair Dr. Cindy Mitchell, co-chair of the Hispanic Heritage Committee, was one of the college staff members actively helping in the event.
Mitchell said the aim of the Hispanic Heritage events is to illustrate the culture, values, and meanings of Hispanics all over the world, and to raise awareness and teach students about Hispanic history, language, and culture.
“Hispanics are a significant part of the United States’ population, and, as a result, their culture has in many ways mixed with ours,” Dr. Mitchell said. “The purpose of these events is to really show the Hispanic Culture’s individualities separate and combined within the United States and Latin America.”
An interactive application “Map your Connections” available during the celebration was a success. By the end of the event, the map was dappled with marks of Hispanic-speaking countries where students are from and/or their families have traveled: Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, Cuba, Puerto Rico and others.
Hispanic Heritage Club President Itzel Hernandez took an active part in preparing and hosting the picnic.
She said Hispanic Heritage events are a great opportunity to enlighten people about Hispanics from different countries and regions, to emphasize their distinct backgrounds and heritage.
“I hope people become more educated, open-minded and ready for the conversation between different cultures,“ Hernandez said.
For more information on upcoming events or questions about Hispanic Heritage Club, contact Itzel Hernandez at ihernan3@dtcc.edu.
(Photo by T. Papova)
Nursing students, Alison Woodell, left, Jennifer Farrely, middle, and Kayla Bergstrazer on the right, getting ready to enjoy lunch special Pozole Rojo.
(Photo by T. Papova)
Students and college staff participating in the Interaction “Map your Connections.”
(Photo by T. Papova)
Jean Steevenson Georges, Exercise Science student from Haiti, participating in the interaction “Map your Connections.”