Students around campus celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month at LSU’s chalk coloring event on Sept. 15. Photo by Alison Skowronek. 

ERIKA KOVACH | STAFF REPORTER | ekovach@butler.edu 

Sept. 15 marked the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated through Oct. 15 as an annual recognition of the influence and contributions of Hispanic culture across the country. 

On campus, events recognizing the observance will take place throughout the month, organized by various groups, including the Latino Student Union (LSU) and the Efroymson Diversity Center (DC).

Adrian Montes, a senior health science major and co-president of LSU, said that Hispanic Heritage Month is important to the organization as an opportunity to represent their culture, traditions and community at Butler.

“We don’t want to see our minority status at Butler as a hindrance but as an opportunity to invite and show all students how special the Hispanic and Latino community can be,” Montes said. “Despite the recent political turmoil shown against the Latino community and DEI programs across the country, we will show that we aren’t afraid and that we aren’t going anywhere this month.”

LSU kicked off festivities with a chalking event at Star Fountain on Sept. 15, where students colored around the area and enjoyed popsicles with one another. 

Popular events like Carne Asada Night on Sept. 19 and Baile Night on Oct. 3 will also return, as Montes said the organization’s main focus this year is to create a welcoming environment for all students who choose to participate. 

Ailym Sequeda, a junior healthcare and business major, said that she often incorporates Hispanic foods and music when celebrating with family, aspects ingrained in many different cultures around the world. 

“Hispanic Heritage celebrates not only a few Latin American countries’ Independence Day, but also their rich history and culture,” Sequeda said. “It’s significant to me because I get to hear about other countries, not just where my family is from. It recognizes identities that aren’t always seen day to day, and within the LSU club, we share about other cultures and have a chance to celebrate them.”

Butler’s club also plans to venture beyond campus for a collaborative event, Puentes Culturales, with Gamma Phi Omega, a Latina–oriented sorority founded at IU Indianapolis. 

“We’re very fortunate that many of the Latino–based sororities and fraternities from IU Indianapolis are able to extend their memberships to the surrounding colleges, such as Butler, Marian and the University of Indianapolis,” Montes said. “In the past, Gamma Phi Omega has been supportive of our events and members, and we are lucky to work alongside them to provide our members a new environment and social opportunity through this collab. It’s great to unite as Latino students across Indianapolis to form a better bond and community throughout the city.”

Brayan Sanchez, a senior health science major and co-president of LSU, said that the collaborative events with Gamma Phi Omega will include a discussion on immigration and experiences of Hispanic and Latino college students, followed by a cultural Jeopardy game. 

“This year, we’ve [also] added General Body Meetings, where members can engage in open discussions about culture and share feedback on our events,” Sanchez said. 

LSU also works in collaboration with the DC this month. Giavanna Yowell, a biochemistry and neuroscience double major and President of the Diversity Program Council, said that the culture within the DC hinges on uplifting and supporting one another, as all organizations plan to work together to show up to LSU’s events and further promote them to campus. 

“Every event is created with the intention of immersing and introducing students from all of campus to various cultures and identities,” Yowell said. 

For a full list of Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations, visit @ButlerLSU on Instagram.