A year ago, the Union Latino club was founded during the spring semester by students at Waynesburg University looking for a sense of community. Where is the club now?

According to the Student Club and Organization List, the group is described as, “A community and safe space for Latinos, Hispanics and all students, where we can be united, have fun and incorporate it into Waynesburg University.” 

Waynesburg and Waynesburg University are predominantly white. According to the diversity section on the website for Waynesburg University, in 2020, 81% of enrolled students were white, while 5% of students were Hispanic or Latino.

Diana Hernandez was one of the people who started this group with her roommate and a few other students. When asked what their main purpose was starting out, she said, “We had each other, but it was kind of a lack of knowing other Hispanics on campus and kind of missing our culture.” 

“We grew up around culture and that’s not what it is here, so we wanted to kind of find people and create a space where we can connect with other Hispanics but also share our culture for the campus,” Hernandez said, noting that this can be seen in the percentage of Hispanic and Latino students compared to white students on campus.

When asked the same question, Pat Bristor, associate dean of students said that there were two groups that were looking to start, the Spanish Club and Union Latino, so both groups were combined. The groups were combined into one big group since they had similar goals, which was to have a space for Hispanic and Latino students to connect, and for them to share their culture.

“A place for this group of students to come together, to share as well as educate other students about their culture,” Bristor said, echoing Hernandez’s sentiment.

When asked if she was happy with where the group is today, Hernandez said, “I think that it’s really been great to kind of see our community and our culture be represented and shared and people enjoying it.”

When asked what the plans for the future were for the group, Hernandez said it was to find students they haven’t reached yet that may be interested in the group and to continue with sharing their culture through events on campus. 

One of the holidays they celebrated in the past year was Dia De Los Muertos, or “Day of the Dead.” According to Britannica, Day of the Dead is described as a holiday, “honoring dead loved ones and making peace with the eventuality of death by treating it familiarly, without fear and dread.” 

Britannica also notes; in present times the way that people celebrate varies on the region. Some family members put candles and favorite foods of loved ones on their graves as a way to persuade them to return for a family reunion. While other families build altars in their homes for loved ones, followed by festivals which involve food and alcohol. All are different ways that Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated all around the world.

Although Day of the Dead is one of the holidays that Union Latino has already celebrated this year, one upcoming event for the group is the end of year party in April.