Hispanic Student Union Sets Up Month Long Celebration for Hispanic Heritage Month

Clarke University’s Hispanic Student Union, headed by President of the club, Isa Rivas, has packed students’ calendars with a slew of exciting and enjoyable events throughout the month-long celebration.

HSU hosting a dancing event.

Hispanic Heritage Month officially kicked off on September 15^th beginning the celebration of Hispanic and Latino cultures that are represented here at Clarke. The university has been intentionally decorated to mark the beginning of such festivities with papel picado being hung in the Atrium, a colorful traditional Mexican folk art that is made of tissue paper with intricate designs cut into it. Music by famous artists from different Hispanic countries is also being played throughout the building providing an upbeat energy to students as they pass through.

After having to cancel opening plans due to rain on September 13^th, the first official Hispanic Heritage Month celebration event was “Unidos en Baile” that took place on Thursday, September 24^th hosted by both the Multicultural Family Center, Dubuque Unidos, and the city of Dubuque. During this event, HSU invited students to the Multicultural Family Center for a fun night of dance lessons and free food. Here students were welcome to enjoy cultural music and take part in a big aspect of Hispanic culture.

The next big event the club has planned will be on Saturday, September 26^th during Clarke's Men’s and Women’s Soccer games on Burrows Field as they both take on Benedictine. The event will open with the women’s game at 1pm. The theme for the game will be “soccer jerseys,” which will encourage students to showcase their own culture and love for the game. HSU will host a food truck from El Paisano as well as a special flag recognition ceremony between the two games. From 2:30-2:45 students will be encouraged to walk out onto the field holding a flag representing their Hispanic country with pride. Following the ceremony, students are invited to continue the celebration by supporting the men’s game at 3pm.

The following weekend, on Saturday, October 3^rd, a local Dubuque organization, Dubuque Unidos, will host a Latinx Fiesta in the Millwork District. From 1pm-7pm, the downtown area will be filled with cultural foods and music along with colorful art and goods being sold from local vendors. The event will also include performances by Mariachi Sol de Madison, Fuerzas Culturales Ballet Folklórico, Edi Rey y su Salsera, among many more. Additionally, there will be activities including face painting, Loteria games, and “Entre Tonos: Living Between Cultures” art exhibition. This daylong event will be filled with entertaining and educational pieces coming together to celebrate the world of Hispanic culture.

On Monday, October 5^th there will be a “Subele! Noche de Karaoke” night in the Lion’s Den from 7pm-9pm. Students are encouraged to grab a friend and head down to the den to take part in a fun night of music, singing, and laughter celebrating the sounds of Latin America.  

The month-long events are thoughtfully planned by the Hispanic Student Union with the intention to celebrate Clarke’s diversity and bring a piece of each Hispanic student’s home to campus, helping them demonstrate their pride in their culture.

Although Hispanic Heritage Month officially ends on October 15^th, HSU’s hard work does not stop there. They have events planned that run through the middle of November. These events include commemorating Dia de los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead,” from October 28^th to November 3^rd. During this time the club will set up an ofrenda, an altar made to remember loved ones who have passed away. This ofrenda will be in the Atrium and students are welcome to bring in pictures or mementoes of their deceased loved ones to place on the ofrenda as the Clarke community joins in honoring their memory and celebrating this tradition.

To closeout HSU planned events for the first semester, on Wednesday, November 11^th, there will be a “Loteria After Dark” game in the SAC from 7pm-9pm. In partnership with the Clarke Activities Board (CAB), HSU will run a series of Loteria games, a traditional Mexican game similar to bingo. Students are welcome to bring a game and test their luck in competing to win a series of prizes the clubs have planned for the event.