Nutter Center | Photo by Erin Pence | Wright State University
As Hispanic Heritage Month draws to a close, the Amigos Latinos Student Organization hosted its ninth annual Amigos Latinos Gala. The spectacular night brought gala goers together in the Nutter Center, where people were able to embrace Hispanic culture and enjoy themselves.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month goes from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 every year. President Ronald Reagan
established the national month in 1988.
For those wondering why Hispanic Heritage Month occurs halfway through September, The National Museum of the American Latino explains this.
“The timeframe of this month is significant because many Central American countries celebrate their independence days within these dates, beginning on September 15 with Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. By aligning with these independence dates, Hispanic Heritage Month honors the resilience and determination of the Hispanic community,” the website states.
This timeframe is dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the dedication and achievements of the Hispanic community.
Planning the Gala
Compared to previous years, the committee behind planning the Gala found that the planning this year was much easier. Felipe Perez, the President of the Amigos Latinos Student Organization, spoke on this.
“Planning the [Gala] went much smoother on our end this year. We sold out the Gala this year much earlier compared to previous years, which gave us more opportunities to make the event even bigger. [Also, by] meeting with the Gala committee biweekly, we were able to successfully organize our roles, the logistics behind the scenes, and the overall execution,” Perez said.
Thanks to selling out the event, the organizers were able to provide even more for the attendees, and the Gala turned out even more spectacularly than one could imagine.
Jesús Jacobo, an international business major, revealed some more information on the planning process.
“... this [Gala] was planned even before this Fall 2024 semester started. Sponsorships, reserving the spaces, food, speeches, permits etc. goes into this planning,” Jacobo said.
The detailed and meticulous planning helped ALSA provide a high-quality event for students to attend.
Hosting the Gala
The Gala offered a variety of exciting opportunities, including a live band, cultural food and a silent auction. The auction offered items ranging from food, coupons, art, sports team merch and even more.
Music was provided by the group Dayton Salsa Project, as well as the Ramon Perez Trio. Of course, students made their way to the dancefloor to truly appreciate the music, leading to a lively and loud night of fun for all attendees.
Saturday night ended with a heartwarming ceremony as 22 scholarships were awarded to Wright State University students.
The practical reason for hosting the Gala is to raise money for these scholarships, as well as provide financial support to the Latino Center and offer networking opportunities to attendees.
Ultimately, however, the Gala is here to honor Latino students, and the Latino community in and around Dayton.
“[We] honor and award students who strive to serve our latino communities and those who try to make a difference in their families or those around them in general,” Jacobo said.
He continued with, “WSU has the ability to host a community of students with similar backgrounds and make an impact in [the] Latino Dayton community. I hope that we become an example that we can follow and make an impact bigger than we ever expected.”
A night of fun
Sadly, this will be the final Gala that Perez will attend as a student; despite this– or perhaps because of it– Perez has nothing but fond memories of the event.
“... this year’s Gala was in my opinion the biggest and most memorable event we have hosted. Seeing the growth of our center and the impact we are making on people’s lives is what sticks out to me as the most memorable,” Perez said.
Overall, the Gala was an opportunity for students– whether of Latino background or not– to come together and celebrate Latino culture and each other.
