Events celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at ASU's West campus


A health awareness fair and events that celebrate the diversity of Latin poetry, theater and dance are in the spotlight as Arizona State University’s West campus celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month.

“Latin and Caribbean cultures represent the influences of many different customs,” says Lucy Berchini, chairwoman of the Hispanic Heritage Committee at ASU’s West campus. “We want to give the campus and the community at large the opportunity to experience the tremendous variety within the Latin community.”

All events, on ASU’s West campus at 4701 W. Thunderbird Road, are free and open to the public (there is a fee for visitor parking on campus). The schedule is:

For the Love of Hispanic Poetry: Thursday, Sept. 4, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m., Art Gallery, Second floor of the University Center Building. Poetry written by poets from Latin and Caribbean countries will be displayed and read in both Spanish and English. The event’s host is Leandro Soto, a faculty member in ASU’s Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance Program.

Por Amor/For Love: Monday, Sept. 15, 6:00 p.m., Second Stage West Theatre in the University Center Building (preceded by a reception at 5:00 p.m. in La Sala, University Center Building). This one-act musical play written by James E. Garcia and Raul Yzaguirre focuses on the dreams of a young Hispanic man. Garcia is a former faculty member in ASU’s New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences; Yzaguirre is executive director of the ASU Center for Community Development and Civil Rights.

A Night of Hispanic Dances: Friday, Oct. 3, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m., La Sala, University Center Building. Dancers will perform a variety of Latin and Caribbean dances, including salsa, bachata and merengue, and audience members will have the opportunity to mingle with the dancers and learn new dance steps.

Health Awareness Fair: Friday, Oct. 10, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m., Multipurpose Field/Basketball Courts south of the Sands Classroom Building. The American Heart Association and Valley Big Brothers/Big Sisters are just two of the many community agencies that will host information tables at this event. The fair features health screenings and details about blood, bone marrow and organ donation. Co-sponsoring groups are the African American and Native American committees on the West campus.

For more information, visit www.west.asu.edu/latinoevents/ or call Lucy Berchini at (602) 543-6091.