October 4, 2016

By Kate Brien

As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month at Dominican there are many fun events happening on campus every week, offering interesting and engaging cultural opportunities for students to engage in. Two of the many events were the Lotería hosted by the Organization of Latin American Students (OLA) and Vamos A Bailar (let’s go dance!) hosted by the Residence Life Department.

Lotería, similar to American bingo, is played with a caller, or cantor (singer), who randomly selects a card that has a name and picture on it. The cantor then calls the picture on the card and if you have the picture on your card you can put a small pinto bean to mark its place.

Once you fill either the whole card or a row of four you shout LOTERÍA! Winners received additional raffle tickets for the raffle that was taking place at the event. Some of the prizes won included: a Polaroid camera, selfie stick, Starbucks gift cards and movies with popcorn. Delicious cotton candy was served along with chips and guacamole. OLA also provided fun activities for students to learn about the game Lotería.

The second event, Vamos A Bailar, was sponsored by the Residence Life Department and hosted by the Resident Assistants (RA’s). Vamos A Balair is in its fourth year and was started by RA Erin Winkler.

At this year’s event there was a large taco bar with chicken, pork, beef and sides including a choice of corn or flour tortillas. Beverages were provided as well to quench the dancers.

The Social Hall was decorated with colorful paper flowers and a large red banner hanging over the fireplace that read: Vamos A Bailar. The DJ provided colorful lights and played a mix of popular Latin and American hits. Some of the favorites were the group dances. Students enjoyed dancing with friends and learning new dance steps from other students.

The event was meant for residents but commuters and outside friends were welcome as well. Overall, it was fun dancing with friends and meeting new people and, even if you weren’t dancing, it was nice to sit, eat and listen to the music.

briekate@my.dom.edu