During National Hispanic Heritage month, the spotlight glimmers on the Latin American Student Association at the University of Mississippi.
Last school year, Latin American and Hispanic students made up only 5% of UM’s enrollment. Because of this, at times, it can feel like their community is small. However, because of LASO, Latino students from all corners of campus are connected to a larger network of individuals.
Boasting more than 40 members, the students of LASO have curated a considerable tight-knit community that nurtures and celebrates Latin culture on campus.
“LASO is an organization dedicated to fostering community among Latin American people at the University of Mississippi. It’s also about promoting Latin American and Hispanic culture for people who may not be as knowledgeable about it,” LASO President Farah Emilia Jaentschke said.
LASO Vice President Jack Facio echoed Jaentschke’s sentiments.
“LASO works on ensuring that the appreciation of Latin culture is valued at Ole Miss,” Facio said.
Along with Latin American and Hispanic students, numerous international students regard the club as a welcoming environment.
“A lot of people who are international students love the Latin-American Student Association because they don’t really know much about Oxford, so the one thing that they have is the community that the Latin American Student Organization gives to them,” Jaentschke said.
Jaentschke stressed that LASO welcomes all students, regardless of their cultural heritage.
“Anybody who wants to join can join. We have some non-Latin-American students on our roster and they come to a lot of the events. I tell people who are trying to learn Spanish or if you’re studying abroad, and you want to learn more, then you should absolutely come to one of our events, just talk to people,” Jaentschke said.
As well as hosting weekly study sessions and supporting events such as the Hispanic Heritage Film Series every Thursday, the club has organized an entire week of activities leading up to the Latin Party on Oct. 28.
“The Latin Party happens at the Lyric, and it’s really just like a regular party. They have a bar there and they play Latin music. It is super fun,” Jaentschke said.
The event has a large reach, as people commute from all across North Mississippi and surrounding areas to attend.
“We usually have people come in from places like Memphis and surrounding cities to Oxford, so it’s a really big thing for the Latin American community,” Jaentschke said.
LASO encourages all students at UM to participate in their events.
“It’s not just for Latin American students. Everybody should come so they can learn more about the other people and groups that are at Ole Miss,” Jaentschke said.
