Mission Statement:
The Latino American Student Organization (LASO) is an organization which is committed to advocating on behalf of all Latino students as well as educating the community. LASO strives to create a conductive and supportive atmosphere on the campus of West Chester University for all students, not just those of Latin descent.
"Unity Through Diversity"--while this may seem like an oxymoron, it is the main concept that LASO is focusing on this year at West Chester University. The Latino American Student Organization is an organization that tries to promote and educate others about Latino culture, history, and issues. Ever since its inception in 1974, the organization has had a great influence on the university community.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that the Latino culture is all about dance and food. While that is indeed an important aspect of their heritage, there is much more we can learn and take away from the Latino society. And LASO's presence on campus aims to educate everyone--both Latinos and non-Latinos alike--about the diversity and important traditions of the Latino culture.
"Unity Through Diversity" is meant to bring to light the variety of cultural differences, since "Latinos speak the same language, but are very diverse in many ways." Beginning September 15th 2017, LASO will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a broad range of activities. They include roundtable meetings to discuss cultural and social issues concerning the Latino community; along with the opportunity to learn Spanish cooking & dancing, and a chance to join West Chester's own Mas Flow Latin Dance Team. Keep an eye out for more information on these events.
However, LASO activities aren't just limited to a single week. Other activities that they sponsor include a Latino Leadership conference will take place in March. The Leadership conference is especially notable due to the fact that it teaches high school students, mostly Latinos, the importance of furthering their education. One part of LASO that has recently celebrated success has been Mas Flow. This Latin dance team, co-founded by Stephen Santa and Carmin Bermudez in the spring of 2006, has had the honor of performing at colleges such as Kutztown, the University of Delaware, and other schools and events. They exhibit a variety of Latin dances, including salsa, bachata, merengue, and bomba. Not only do they perform, they also compete, recently placing third at the annual Philadelphia Puerto Rican Day parade. The parade, which has run since 1964, is part of a weeklong Puerto Rican week festival. This event is described by one of its officers as "the single most important event for Hispanics living in the Philadelphia region." Every other month, Mas Flow holds dance lessons to teach the different styles to interested participants, so if you are interested in learning more about the dance styles of Latino Americans, be on the lookout for these lessons.
If you are interested in learning more about Latino culture, educating yourself on different issues involving this important community, experiencing diversity, or simply having a good time with, yes, incredible dancing and delicious food, why not check out LASO? Membership is open all students, regardless of national origin. Meetings are held every Monday night at the Sykes Student Union, from 7 - 8 p.m. in room 10A.
"Unity Through Diversity"--while this may seem like an oxymoron, it is the main concept that LASO is focusing on this year at West Chester University. The Latino American Student Organization is an organization that tries to promote and educate others about Latino culture, history, and issues. Ever since its inception in 1974, the organization has had a great influence on the university community.
Many people are under the mistaken impression that the Latino culture is all about dance and food. While that is indeed an important aspect of their heritage, there is much more we can learn and take away from the Latino society. And LASO's presence on campus aims to educate everyone--both Latinos and non-Latinos alike--about the diversity and important traditions of the Latino culture.
"Unity Through Diversity" is meant to bring to light the variety of cultural differences, since "Latinos speak the same language, but are very diverse in many ways." Beginning September 15th 2017, LASO will be celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month with a broad range of activities. They include roundtable meetings to discuss cultural and social issues concerning the Latino community; along with the opportunity to learn Spanish cooking & dancing, and a chance to join West Chester's own Mas Flow Latin Dance Team. Keep an eye out for more information on these events.
However, LASO activities aren't just limited to a single week. Other activities that they sponsor include a Latino Leadership conference will take place in March. The Leadership conference is especially notable due to the fact that it teaches high school students, mostly Latinos, the importance of furthering their education. One part of LASO that has recently celebrated success has been Mas Flow. This Latin dance team, co-founded by Stephen Santa and Carmin Bermudez in the spring of 2006, has had the honor of performing at colleges such as Kutztown, the University of Delaware, and other schools and events. They exhibit a variety of Latin dances, including salsa, bachata, merengue, and bomba. Not only do they perform, they also compete, recently placing third at the annual Philadelphia Puerto Rican Day parade. The parade, which has run since 1964, is part of a weeklong Puerto Rican week festival. This event is described by one of its officers as "the single most important event for Hispanics living in the Philadelphia region." Every other month, Mas Flow holds dance lessons to teach the different styles to interested participants, so if you are interested in learning more about the dance styles of Latino Americans, be on the lookout for these lessons.
If you are interested in learning more about Latino culture, educating yourself on different issues involving this important community, experiencing diversity, or simply having a good time with, yes, incredible dancing and delicious food, why not check out LASO? Membership is open all students, regardless of national origin. Meetings are held every Monday night at the Sykes Student Union, from 7 - 8 p.m. in room 10A.