Hundreds of Liberty University residential students and CFAW visitors gathered for LU ONE’s Gran Fiesta Latina Sept. 19 to celebrate Hispanic culture, cuisine and community on the Academic Lawn.
LU ONE’s Director of Communications and Student Engagement Melissa Harris said this event enables students to come enjoy and learn more about Hispanic culture on campus.
“Our whole mission is to bring the campus together, as in the body of Christ. It’s giving the students an opportunity to see things from different cultures,” Harris said. “It’s an awesome opportunity where we get to stay here on campus, but we are learning about the world.”
According to Harris there were approximately 740 attendees at the event.
“It’s been a popular event for the past couple of years,” Harris said. “The world has been so heavy lately, and I hope that students get an opportunity to hang out, make new friends and celebrate our brothers and sisters in Christ.”
The band Pololo headlined the celebration. Students participated in giveaways and raffles hosted by student clubs tabling at the event. Junior Natalie Parks said this event has been a staple in her calendar since she started at Liberty.
“It’s definitely fun in the aspect of creating new friends in a similar culture. … Since we are in college, this is the time to socialize and make new friends and connections. It’s a big deal,” Parks said.
Freshman Timothy Farmer said he is thankful for opportunities that bring him closer to the community and to learn more about Hispanic culture.
“It’s been a good time of fellowship and just being together as a community. … I hope other students are able to appreciate other cultures,” Farmer said. “I’ve personally never left America, so it’s really good to be able to experience.”
For more information on LU ONE’s future events, visit www.liberty.edu/lu-one.
Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.