The Latino Student Union at Southern Oregon University hosted their 16th annual Cinco de Mayo celebration and taco sale today in front of the SU. There were games being played, including a bean bag toss and a piñata, in addition to the carne asada and veggie tacos being sold. The event was deemed a success by Vice President of the LSU, Eduardo Tovar, who said this was the first year the tacos sold out. All proceeds from the event will go to Relay for Life.
Tovar said the celebration was also a means to promote the annual LSU dance, which will be held in the SU Diversions Room tomorrow evening, Friday, May 6th from 8pm-1am. This year’s dance will have a twist though – it’s a fundraiser. SOU student Linda Escot, the 2015 Señorita Latina of the Rogue Valley and the LSU are putting on the event to fundraise for children’s books. Escot says the theme is “Muevelo for Education” or “Move it for Education”. Students attending are asked to bring either a children’s book or $2 for entry to the dance.
“I’ve been collecting children’s books since January; I started collecting them by going around town, asking for donations,” Escot said. “When I was younger I didn’t have access to books and I know a lot of people in my community – especially the Latino community and families that are low income, can’t provide their children with books. Literature is a powerful tool to a children’s education and I just want to increase the amount of children’s books in these households.”
Escot has fundraised roughly 200 books, but her ultimate goal is 500 books, and tomorrow’s dance is expected to help in doing so. SOU and RCC student’s need student ID for entry and guests 18+ need ID.
From 8:30-10pm free Latino dance lessons will be offered to the tune of Latino music. For the remaining three hours, DJ King Reyes will be playing live modern music.
