Bienvenida welcomes ULV families
Campus Times
April 30, 1999
The 10th Annual Bienvenida Dinner, sponsored by the Latino Student
Forum, was held last Saturday in the Old Gym. The Mariachi Cocura y Trio
performed at the dinner, while Hispanic students, parents and alumni networked
and got to know each other.
Celebrating its 10th Annual Bienvenida Dinner, the Latino Student Forum
(LSF) welcomed about 300 people with a night of Mexican food, Mariachi music
and a slide show.
The event, a complete success in the eyes of organizers and guests,
underwent several changes because of its increase in size.
"We usually get 100 to 180 people, but we got 300 RSVPs,"
said senior Lynnette Torres, treasurer of LSF.
Only three weeks prior to the dinner, the event had to be moved from
Davenport Dining Hall to the Old Gym.
"It's twice as hard. It was an enormous amount of work from prepping
it up ... until tonight," said Elena Cardeña, Catholic Campus
Minister and adviser to the Forum.
Tan mats covered the gym floor, with long aisles of tables decorated
with white tablecloths and balloons. The buffet-style dinner was placed
aside, with a table for coffee facing it.
Guests were invited to choose their food and drinks liberally. Mariachi
music filled the gym while guests made requests for the quartet to perform.
"I think it is very wise for the University to expand its relations
with parents who contribute by welcoming them this way. It is an honor that
they take our culture into consideration, and make an effort this way,"
said Maria Lopez, one of the guests of the event.
Sophomore Georgina Negrete, an LSF member, said "the crowd is really
growing, I hope next year it gets bigger."
Organizers expected some disappointments because of the change in location.
These expectations however, were not met.
"We had a huge success without any major catastrophes. The dinner
was so well planned I'm inspired by them. I'm almost in awe. It's like,
'I get paid to do this?' " Cardeña said.
Once flan, the dessert for the event, was served, the lights were turned
off as background music began to set the mood for the slide show about LSF.
"I don't know what this organization is all about. But their message
is positive," said Neida Michel, a guest of the event. "It is
something I support and I am glad the slide show proved that to people like
me."
Their message, "We have a right to be here," was received
with a loud applause. No sooner was the applause finished when announcements
of raffle numbers were read off.
The crowd was riled up again, as little girls, parents and students
walked up to the stage to choose their prize. CDs, bookbags and other items
were part of the raffle.
Following the raffle, Bienvenida Dinner guests surrounded themselves
in a "wedding-like" atmosphere, dancing in a large circle and
cheering for those who were dancing.
"The night truly was special. I got a chance to have fun like if
I was at a quinceañera or a wedding of some sort. It was a celebration
in a formal, familiar way," said Lopez.
Senior Melissa Negrete, president of LSF, was happy with the outcome
of the Bienvenida Dinner. "It was a nice way to finish my senior year,"
she said.
