Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrations 2005
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas and the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee announce the 2005 Hispanic Heritage Month schedule of events on the university campus. Combining academic lectures, distinguished speakers and cultural events, Hispanic Heritage Month is an exciting opportunity to create greater awareness of the heritage and contemporary achievement of Hispanic and Latino cultures. Steven M. Bell, director of Latin American Studies at the university, said, "Latino culture belongs today to us all, and this celebration should bring us together in common celebration of what makes us different and what makes us one."
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on Sept. 15, the anniversary of independence for five Latin American countries - Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua, which declared independence from Spain in 1821. Mexico had earlier declared its independence on Sept. 16, 1810, and Chile on Sept. 18, 1810. More than 40 million people of Hispanic and Latino ancestry reside in the United States, making them the largest ethnic minority in the country and the fifth-largest population among the 19 Spanish-speaking countries of the world. According to the 2000 census, 67 percent of the Hispanic and Latino population of the United States trace their origins to Mexico, 14 percent to Central and South America, 9 percent to Puerto Rico, 4 percent to Cuba, and 7 percent to other Hispanic origins.
"The array of exciting, compelling, and entertaining events we have assembled on our calendar of activities effectively captures the breadth and depth, the vibrancy, historical complexity, and social and ethnic diversity of the peoples that gather under the Hispanic and Latino cultural labels," said Bell.
The Hispanic Heritage Month Committee invites the campus and general public to celebrate any of the activities listed below. For more information, please contact Hispanic Heritage Month Committee co-chairs, Chris Medrano of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership (cmedran@uark.edu or (479) 575-5255) or Andy Mauk of the Multicultural Center (amauk@uark.edu (479) 575-2064).
Thursday, Sept. 15
Latin American Studies Brown-Bag Lunch Series
Noon — Multicultural Center
“Confronting the Past in Contemporary Latin American Art”
By Prof. Luis Fernando Restrepo, FLAN/LAST faculty
Contact Dr. Steven Bell (sbell@uark.edu)
Friday, Sept. 16
Friday Night Live — Latin Soul
7 p.m. to 1 a.m. — Arkansas Union
Featuring Havana NRG, an eight-piece salsa band, comedic performances by Colombian Oscar Collazos and Puerto Rican Darren Riveria, Hip-Hop Activist Rosa Clemente, Latino Karaoke, Spanish Spelling Bee
Contact Chris Medrano, cmedran@uark.edu
Saturday, Sept. 17
Hispanic Women’s Organization Conference
Arkansas Union
Contact Diana Gonzales Worthen, dworthen@sdale.org
Wednesday, Sept. 21
Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) sponsors:
“Hispanic Engineering Experiences” featuring panelists Brian Sorensen, Jaime Barrenechea, Ruben Medina, from Tyson Foods
5:30 p.m. — Bell Engineering 273
Contact Lyda Zambrano, lzambra@uark.edu
Wednesday, Sept. 21
Joaquin Zihuatenejo — Latin American slam poet
Sponsored by University Programs
7 p.m. RZ’s Coffeehouse
Contact University Programs at upcoffee@uark.edu
Thursday, Sept. 22
Study Abroad Fair
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Arkansas Union Connections Lounge
Contact DeDe Long, dslong@uark.edu
Tuesday, Sept. 27
Latin American Studies Brown-Bag Lunch Series
12:30 p.m. — Multicultural Center
“Study Abroad Opportunities in Cuernavaca, Mexico: Slides and Info”
By Prof. Steven M. Bell, FLAN/LAST faculty
Contact Dr. Steven Bell, sbell@uark.edu
Thursday, Sept. 29
SHPE Sponsors:
“How to be a Leader” by Patricia Romero Cronin, Vice-President of Business Transformation, IBM Global Services
2 p.m. — Multicultural Center
Contact Lyda Zambrano, lzambra@uark.edu
Tuesday, Oct. 4
Plaza de las Americas
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Arkansas Union Connections Lounge
A half-day celebration of Hispanic Culture at the U of A
Sponsored by the Hispanic Heritage Month Committee and the Multicultural Center
Contact Andy Mauk, amauk@uark.edu, or Chris Medrano, cmedran@uark.edu
Thursday, Oct. 6
Latin American Studies Brown-Bag Lunch Series
Noon — Multicultural Center
“Rock Latino”
By Prof. Sergio Villalobos, FLAN/LAST faculty
Contact Dr. Steven Bell, sbell@uark.edu
Wednesday, Oct. 12
“Sabor Latino”
2 to 4 p.m.
Arkansas Mall
Sponsored by Latinos Unidos and Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
Contact Bernarda Del Villar, bdelvil@uark.edu
Wednesday, Oct. 12
A Latin American Studies Lecture Series Special Event
7 p.m. Reynolds Center Auditorium
“An Evening with Junot Diaz” — famed Dominican American author
Public reception and book signing to follow
Co-sponsored by LAST/FLAN, Hispanic Heritage Month Committee, Multicultural Center, Sam M. Walton College of Business Office of Minority Affairs, Student Involvement and Leadership.
Contact Dr. Steven Bell, sbell@uark.edu, or Andy Mauk, amauk@uark.edu
Thursday, Oct. 20
Cultural Music Festival
Featuring Latin Grammy Award Winner Jorge Moreno
9 p.m. — Alltel Ballroom (Arkansas Union)
Sponsored by University Programs Cultures and Concepts Committee
Contact upc3@uark.edu
Friday and Saturday, Nov. 4 and 5
Spanish Language Play
7 p.m., Arkansas Union Theatre
“El retablo de las maravillas” by Miguel de Cervantes
Celebrating 400th anniversary of publication of Don Quijote
Presented by Department of Foreign Languages and Latin American Studies Program
Contacts
Molly Boyd, public relations coordinator, University Libraries, (479) 575-2962, mdboyd@uark.edu
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