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As a Venezuelan immigrant in one of Syracuse University’s most prominent student leadership roles, Student Association President German Nolivos said he hopes to use his platform to empower the on-campus Hispanic and Latine community this Latine Heritage Month.

Drawing from his experience directing SU’s inaugural Calentón Music Fest last year, Nolivos said he wants to showcase the vastness of the university’s Hispanic-Latine community — a group that represents around 10% of the total student population.

“It’s really important for us to understand the power that we have as Latinos,” Nolivos said. “We were just looking to have a community that is here with ideas to keep growing and keep welcoming people.”

SU is a predominately-white institution, according to the Fall 2023 student enrollment census. Hispanic and Latine students make up 11.4% of the undergraduate student population, 6.9% of graduate students and 8.8% of law students at SU.

During their campaign for SA’s executive office, Nolivos and SA Vice President Reed Granger placed a significant emphasis on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion principles through supporting historically marginalized students, according to their Instagram page.

This year, Nolivos is also serving as co-chair of LHM alongside Cydavia Patterson, a program coordinator at the Barner-McDuffie House, formerly 119 Euclid. The two are involved with planning and promotion of the month, he said.

LHM began Monday afternoon with an opening ceremony in Schine Student Center and will continue through Oct. 26. Its theme, “Fronteras Sin Limites: Embracing our Borderless Cultures,” focuses on exploring the experiences of Latine communities who live along and across borders, according to an SU News release.

SA is working with the Office of Multicultural Affairs to organize most of the LHM initiatives, said Janese Fayson, SA’s vice president of diversity and inclusion.

Monday night’s opening ceremony showcased multiple Hispanic and Latine registered student organizations. Nolivos spoke at the opening ceremony, where he said he hopes to create a stronger network of resources for these groups on campus.

Fayson, who is also the president of SU’s Caribbean Students Association, said she helped to plan LHM events by arranging the month’s social calendar. She said she spoke with RSO leaders and faculty advisors of other Latine student groups about what events they wanted to see during the month.

“I just feel like I understand the vision. I understand the culture. I understand the impact that an event of this magnitude can have on people of color, specifically Latines, during this month,” Fayson said.

María Quiñones, SA’s communications director, said she hopes that students, specifically Latine students, are aware of all the organizations and the events that are involved with LHM. Quiñones previously collaborated with Nolivos on last year’s Calentón festival as Las Naranjas’s Vice President.

This year, SA and Las Naranjas will partner with University Union to host Calentón. The collaboration will bring UU’s infrastructure, expertise and budget to the festival, Nolivos said.

Fayson said she encourages students to attend upcoming LHM events, such as the annual Torneo de Fútbol RSO soccer tournament this Saturday, a Café con Leche election discussion on Sept. 24 and a Latines in Media panel with journalists and media professionals on Oct. 3.

SA and UU will also host a comedy show on Oct. 26.

“I would love for people to also feel included. (Including) other students, people with different backgrounds,” Quiñones said. “It’s really important that we emphasize that type of exchange on this campus.”

Published on September 17, 2024 at 11:28 pm

Contact Madeline: mmgoodhe@syr.edu