ALC Dances into Hispanic Heritage Month With Film, Food

Author: Caroline Stauffer

The Alianza Latinoamericana y CaribeÒa (ALC) kicked off its celebration of national Hispanic Heritage Month last Saturday with a screening of "Like Water For Chocolate." The film proved to be so popular that it was moved to a different room to accommodate the crowd.

ALC originally planned to show "Real Women Have Curves," but didn't think the film would be available soon enough. "Like Water For Chocolate" was chosen because it provides insight into Hispanic culture, is educational but not too serious and because of the story's familiarity due to the renowned novel. "We chose it because it offered a combination of different things that we believed were important for the College campus to experience, such as our culture, traditions and history," ALC President Aracelis Lucero '04 said.

Recognizing Hispanic culture is only part of what ALC hopes to accomplish with the activities planned for national Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15. The organization chose the theme "Honoring Our Past, Surpassing our Present and Leading Our Future" to tie the schedule of events together. "The theme relates to our celebration of who we were, who we are today, and where we are heading," Lucero said. "This year, we want to become a more prominent organization and voice at Middlebury College and project the amount of pride we have in being Latinos."

The goals of ALC for Hispanic Heritage Month, and for the year as a whole, reflect the U.S. census' claim that Hispanics will outnumber all other minority groups in the United States by 2005, making them the second largest ethnic group in the country. Lucero believes that the trend is manifested at Middlebury as well, and is pleased with the College's progress in bringing more Hispanics and minorities in general to campus.

The increasing role of Hispanics in the United States will be the topic of the organization's spring symposium. Additional lectures, discussions and presentations are also planned for throughout the year.

This is the third year Hispanic Heritage Month has been celebrated at Middlebury College, but the organization is taking a slightly different approach this time around. "There are many more events that will take place throughout the year, more variety. We want to do things we never have done before," Lucero said. While weekly films helped celebrate last year's Hispanic Heritage Month, a dinner, dance party and dance classes highlight this year's agenda.

"When I think about what it means for me to be Latino, the vibrant and colorful culture, especially the dancing comes to mind first, and of course, the food," Lucero said.

On Saturday, Sept. 27 the ALC will host a dinner in the Gamut room. Fifty tickets will be issued for the event, which will feature the cooking of ALC members and even a few professors. Examples of items on the menu include rice and beans, fried chicken, marinated pork chops and guacamole. "There is a certain way we cook our food ... and we wanted to give the college campus an opportunity to experience the greatness in that," Lucero said.

Another event will take place in the Gamut Room a week later, when ALC hosts a DJ dance party on the evening of Oct. 3.

"Dance and rhythm is a very integral part of our culture," Lucero said.

In addition to the open dance party, ALC will offer two Latin dance lessons. The first is scheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, Oct. 4 in Coltrane Lounge. Cynthia Hernendaz '06 will instruct participants in the tango, while Nelsie Castillo '04, Luz Brito '04, Marilyn UreÒa '06 and Sully Diaz '06 will teach salsa and merengue technique.

A second dance class will be offered the following Saturday afternoon, on Oct. 11. This class was scheduled intentionally during Fall Family Weekend in order to extend the opportunity to learn Latin dancing to the parents of Middlebury students. If these two classes are succesful, the ALC will continue to offer dance classes to students throughout the semester.

To prepare for Hispanic Heritage Month and other events, the ALC holds biweekly meetings. Lucero serves as president, Diaz as vice president, Anna Rita Pergolizzi '04 as treasurer and Michael Jou '06 as the organization's secretary. In addition, UreÒa is in charge of organizing the spring symposium.

ALC also holds "CafÈ ALC" at end of each month, where members can discuss about issues pertaining to Latinos in a relaxed atmosphere. Professors, such as Writer-in-Residence Julia Alvarez '71 also speak at these events.

"Alianza is a wonderful organization - a small community within the increasingly larger Middlebury community which is inclusive and warm and offers both roots to the Latino students as well as welcome y bienvenida to those interested in making mi casa su casa!" said Alvarez, who is known for her shade-grown coffee plantation in the Dominican Republic and for her acclaimed novels.

"I wish Alianza had been there when I was a student in the late 60s. I am so proud of these students. It is amazing what they do even with a heavy academic load. They add so much to the Middlebury community."