The Latino Student Association hosted a posada for members to gather, play games, eat food and chat before finals season.
The event was Nov. 21 in the Office of Student Advocacy and Community.
LSA hosted La Posada to celebrate the Christmas season. Board games were scattered around and hot chocolate, candy and conchas were served.
Sophomore nursing major Stephanie Polanco said posada is a religious Christmas event.
“So in the Hispanic culture, a posada, people get together from a church and they usually walk around the town with candles lit and they are singing Christmas carols. Then they have their own little church service,” Polanco said.
Freshman nursing major Jaz Zapata Cadena said the tradition is “fun.”
“When I go to Mexico, I usually go in December, that’s when the season is. It’s really neat because someone else hosts it at their house, and we all gather at a spot,” Zapata Cadena said. “You go all over town singing the songs with candles and it’s really fun. And then you go and eat. You eat, and then lay baby Jesus to rest.”
Sophomore innovations and entrepreneurship major Alex Ocampo, historian of LSA, said, “La Posada is something that is usually done in Hispanic countries. I’m Mexican, so every Christmas Eve, I believe it is, we celebrate La Posada, basically just arriving. Christmas is arrival. That’s why we decided to host it, to bring that to attention here. Just getting ready for Christmas spirit, even though it’s not December yet, but we’re getting close to it, so we might as well celebrate it now,” Ocampo said.
Ocampo said the event is important to “bring everyone together.”
“Here in LSA, we want people to have and enjoy a family experience and bring along people from different places. And who knows? Maybe you might find your best friend here,” Ocampo said.
Senior exercise science major Luis Reyes, executive treasurer of LSA, said the posada was hosted so students could relax before finals.
“We do it every year. It has kind of become a tradition at this point. At the end of the year, end of the semester, people get really stressed out for finals, so we just have this so they can hang out, they can bring a friend, they can eat good food. A lot of people like chocolate because it gets cold this time of year. Some chocolate, some sweet bread, goes hand in hand.
Reyes said the events hosted by LSA are intended to “promote diversity.”
“We bring in Latinos, Hispanics, but it doesn’t just have to be them. It was a part of the Office of Diversity, so all that is is just to educate others and have others feel included into this campus. You don’t have to be Latino or Hispanic to join or to even be a part of it, or to even come to the events. It just promotes awareness,” Reyes said.
Reyes said his favorite part of the event was the interaction.
“Going around table to table and play games and meeting new people. It’s nice not talking about school and studying for finals and instead just talking about how to play a game,” Reyes said.
While La Posada is the last event hosted by LSA for the semester, they will have more activities next semester.
