Colorado State University Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month

Colorado State University is celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month starting Sept. 17 with many on-campus activities from salsa dancing lessons, luncheon discussion panels and Latino stories.

El Centro Student Services will have an open house from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, in Room 178 of the Lory Student Center for the public to visit the organization. Other festivities for this month-long celebration include the following.

– Sept. 23: "Hola Amigos! Latino Stories, Puppets and Music" will take place from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Fort Collins Library. Ages four and older are encouraged to attend and listen to children’s stories reflective of Hispanic Heritage Month.

– Sept. 25: "7th Annual Evening of Music, Dance and Fashion" will take place at the Lory Student Center from 7-9 p.m. This event is sponsored by El Centro, Friends of the Library and CIRA LTD. of Fort Collins.

– Oct. 4, 5, 18 and 19: "Successfully Engaging Culturally Diverse Students" workshops will be held in the Lory Student Center from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. The workshops will focus on intercultural competency skills.

– Oct. 8: "Faces of America," sponsored by El Centro and Campus activities, will be held in the Lory Student Center from 7-9 p.m.

– Oct. 8: "Women at Noon Brown Bag Luncheon" will be held in Room 214-216 Lory Student Center. A Latina panel will discuss "Success and Challenges at CSU."

– Oct. 14: "Salsa Magic Night" will be held in the Lory Student Center north ballroom from 7-10 p.m. providing salsa lessons, open dance and performances.

– Oct. 15: "17th Annual Math and Science Technology Day" will be held from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Main Ballroom of the Lory Student Center.

– Oct. 30: "El Dia de Los Muertos" will be held at the Front Range Community College Larimer Campus from noon-4 p.m. During "The Day of the Dead," community members will bring altars to commemorate their lost loved ones. "The Day of the Dead" dates back 500 years when conquistadors landed in the Americas. Today it is still practiced, especially in Mexico.

– Oct. 31 and Nov. 1: "El Dia de Los Muertos" will be celebrated at the Fort Collins Library. Nov. 1 is All Saints Day, and families and community members are invited to visit the altar exhibits displayed from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

– Nov. 3 to Nov. 6: "El Dia de Los Muertos Celebration and Educational Programming at CSU," sponsored by ASAP, Campus Activities, El Centro and Sigma Lambda Beta Inc.

Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 to commemorate the achievements of the Hispanic community. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan changed the celebration from a week-long event to a month. Sept. 15 was chosen because it is the day for independence of five Hispanic countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

For more information about the events and activities of Hispanic Heritage Month, visit www.elcentro.colostate.edu or call El Centro Student Services at (970) 491-5722.

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