The reception begins at 5:45pm on Wednesday, Sept. 14 in the Cooper Student Center on HACC's Harrisburg Campus, followed by the recognition program at 6:15pm. Afterward guests are invited to stay for the dance starting at 7:30pm. The public is invited to attend.
"This is something to celebrate," said Jennifer Hightower, director of the office of multicultural affairs. "There are 216 Latino students at HACC who are carrying a 3.0 grade point average or higher and have completed 15 credits or more. We want to recognize their achievement - they bring so much to the HACC student body and for the next few weeks we will celebrate what the Latino culture has enriched us with, and continue to acknowledge their contributions all year long."
Professor of counseling, Yolanda Perez-Rivera, was instrumental in coordinating the event. HACC's Latino students refer to her as Madrina, meaning godmother, for her habit of taking them under her wing and offering her time and talent to student activities.
"For years this has been a vision of mine," said Perez-Rivera. "This is just one opportunity of many to recognize these students' accomplishments."
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated mid-September to mid-October, selected to tie in with the celebrations of Mexican Independence Day and other Latin American independence day celebrations commemorated September 15 and 16 and continues until the Columbus Day holiday in October.
HACC offers a number of culturally enriching events across all of its campuses in Harrisburg, Gettysburg, Lancaster and Lebanon. The public is welcome to attend any of the events.
At HACC's Harrisburg Campus the student Latino group, MOSAICO presents:
* Art exhibit in Cooper Student Center Lobby - Thursday, Sept. 15.
* Food sale featuring tamales and drinks, September 16 in Cooper Student Center Lobby - Friday, Sept. 16.
* Latino Movie Festival, Sept. 23 through Oct. 14 on Fridays, 11am-1pm in the Cooper Student Center cafeteria.
-Stand and Deliver - Sept. 23
-Cuba - Sept. 30
-Talk to Her - Oct. 7
-Spanglish - Oct. 14
* Poetry reading, Rick Kearns - Friday, Oct. 7
For more information, call HACC's office of multicultural affairs at (717) 780-1100.
HACC's Performing Artist Series presents Masters of Caribbean Music on November 4, 8:00 pm, pre-event lecture at 7:00 pm, in the Rose Lehrman Arts Center. These musicians explore the musical ideas, influences and relationships in the cultures of the Caribbean Basin. Tickets for this performance, and pre-event lecture, are available by calling HACC's box office at (717) 231-ROSE.
At HACC's Lancaster Campus:
* Lunch featuring Hispanic food, followed by the Hispanic Heritage Panel Discussion,
"Succeeding in the 21st Century Workplace." - Wednesday, Sept. 28, 12:00-1:30 pm. Panelists include:
- Mr. Norman Bristol-Colon, Executive Director, Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
- Dr. Maritza Roberts, CEO and Chief Academic Officer, La Academia Charter School in Lancaster
- Ms. Fran Rodriguez, Manager, Eisenberg, Rothweiler, Schleifer, Weinstein and Winkler, P.C., in Lancaster
* PERFORMANCE CANCELLED: GRUPO FUEGO Latino Dance Group from Philadelphia perform at the East Building, room 203, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 1:30-2:30 pm
* Month-long poster display - Tribute to Latino Leaders
For more information, call the Lancaster Campus at (717) 358-2263.
At HACC's Lebanon Campus
* Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Saturday, Oct. 1, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, Featuring Hispanic foods, performances, exhibitions and children's activities
* Throughout the month, Latino Items/Poster Display at the campus
For more information, contact the Lebanon Campus at (717) 270-6330
At HACC's Gettysburg Campus
* Hispanic Heritage Celebration, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 6:30-8:30 pm, presented in cooperation with Generacion Diez 21st Century Community Learning Center. A free buffet of Hispanic dishes and presentations featuring Latino music and culture, traditional Mexican dances, salsa and merengue dance demonstrations.
For more information, contact the Gettysburg Campus at (717) 337-3855.