Hispanic Heritage Month is always one to look forward to in Loomis Chaffee. Organised by Pa’Lante, a LatinX affinity group, LatineFest is held in mid-October, otherwise known as the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. This year, Latine Fest was held on October 17th, where the entire student population was encouraged to attend and celebrate different Hispanic cultures regardless of how they identify. 

One of Pa’Lante’s goals was to spread awareness about their heritage. They achieved this by providing food, bringing in games, and playing music to introduce subjects that play a huge role in their lives.

“This year, my fellow leaders and I wanted to make the experience more inviting because we noticed that a lot of our community thought that this festival was just for Hispanic-identifying students,” shared Sam Acevedo ’28.

The main challenge was getting publicity for LatineFest, and ensuring that the student body realised that this event was not just for LatinX identifying students. Pa’Lante presidents also strived to choose which activities to focus on so that each culture could be represented equally. “We wanted each background to have its moment in the spotlight, but also wanted to have interactive games, which is where the challenge presented itself,” commented Luna Gonzalez ’27.

There were a variety of activities offered at Latine Fest, the most popular being the salsa dancing workshop, where salsa experts came and taught the group. “The dancing was the highlight of my night,” Luna remarked, “Specifically because it was a moment where the whole community was together having fun, which was our original goal.”

Aside from the dancing, many members of the student body showed up to support LatineFest in many different ways. From food sampling to games, students were engaged and proactive in their efforts to support this event. 

“The outcome was spectacular! We had tons of people show up throughout our event. People came to get some food and then often stayed to listen to some music and play some games with their friends,” noted Sam. “Everyone was very supportive, and it was great to see how many people came to celebrate our culture.”

Inspired by their successful event, the Pa’Lante leaders were excited to plan future events allowing students to celebrate and be aware of their heritage. As a closing note, Sam reflected, “Overall, we had a great time, and it was truly amazing to share our culture with our classmates here at Loomis.”