HLA: You don’t need to speak Spanish to be a member

The HLA poses during a group meeting and would love to see more new faces come out and join.

The HLA poses during a group meeting and would love to see more new faces come out and join.

HLA would love to see new faces at their meetings.

 

“We accept any one that is interested in the Hispanic-Latino culture,” said Mileyni Alvarenga, president of HLA.

 

HLA is the Hispano-Latino Alliance here at McDaniel College and they welcome students to join and learn about Hispano-Latino culture.

 

The club was founded seven years ago by Dr. Amy McNichols, chief of the Foreign Language Department, to promote the Hispano-Latino culture on campus.
Most of the members are Hispano-Latinos, but there are also members who come to meetings to learn about the culture. Meetings are in English and they are held every Wednesday from 9-10 p.m. in the Leidy room.

 

HLA’s main purpose is “to promote our [Hispano-Latino] culture,” according to Adriana Mendoza, HLA vice-president.

 

The group offers many activities on campus, including club rooms with Spanish music, and celebrating Cinco de Mayo to promote Mexican independence. They also participate with Palabras to Words, a program that helps people from the community learn English. The classes are taught by McDaniel students and faculty.

 

According to Alvarenga, their upcoming activity is the dinner “Taste of Latin America.” This year’s theme is Caribbean. HLA started this activity six years ago and it has been a success. At  this year’s “Taste of Latin America,” people will enjoy dancing , poetry, singing, and the taste of Caribbean dishes.

 

“This is a diverse country, and the Hispanic-Latino community impacts the most because people are trying to learn Spanish and learn about our culture,” said Alvarenga.  “We are hardworking people, and we deserve to be known.”

 

The president and vice-president of HLA invite everyone to attend the “Taste of Latin America.” The tickets will be on sale from October 4  until October 19.

 

“It is nice to bring people from other cultures together so that we can learn from each other,” said Mendoza. “You will have a lot of fun.”

 

Check out the Hispano-Latino Facebook page, “Hispano-Latino Alliance.”