Organization helps students connect with Hispanic culture.

Luz Garcia, nursing sophomore and Daisy Reyes, mass communication sophomore and Samantha Mejia, accounting sophomore talk about OHS at the organization fair that took place before the Empower Me! Summit on Sept. 8.

Yerasly Duran, Reporter
October 11, 2018

The Organization of Hispanic Students strives to promote Hispanic culture an campus. Hispanic students make up 16.3 percent of the student body on campus and in this organization, students learn and show Hispanic art, history, food and language through various events during the year. 

Luz Garcia, nursing sophomore and Daisy Reyes, mass communication sophomore and Samantha Mejia, accounting sophomore talk about OHS at the organization fair that took place before the Empower Me! Summit on Sept. 8.

Maria Isabel Peña and Gabriela Vences reinstated OHS on campus three years ago after the organization had died off in the mid 1990s,

Claudio Rodriguez, complex coordinator of residence life and OHS adviser said, “[The students] felt we needed an organization like that and we supported the students as much as we could. This organization is for all students. It doesn’t limit the membership for only Hispanic or Latino students this is for literally anyone who wants to know more about the culture or participate in events or just be apart of something,” Rodriguez, in his third year as adviser, said.

Mario Ramirez, interim director of student involvement, isn’t an adviser but aided in bringing back the organization on campus as well.

“The Hispanic or the Latino community on campus is growing and it is very exciting. Our first meeting we had 50 or 60 people [attending]. I enjoy seeing the population growing and them being more involved. It makes me happy,” Rodriguez said.

Mayra Garza, athletic training sophomore and OHS treasurer, said the organization is pushing socials this semester to get students to know each other more.

“For [potential members] to get to know us, we didn’t want to do a [formal] meeting so we did a loteria night, which is a game night, Mexican bingo. That was our first event that we hosted. For [potential members] to get to know us. We didn’t fill them up with information [that night] and we have done two of those since,” Luz Garcia, nursing sophomore and OHS president, said.

Having cultural groups on campus allows students to feel like they are alone, even though everyone isn’t the same, their culture is at least one thing they have in common, Garcia said.

There are currently 35 members in the organization.

“I hope the organization can grow and just spread the word out. A lot of people really don’t know the organization exists so as of right now that’s one of our main goals,” Garza said. “I really hope that people can find a place where they feel comfortable, no matter if you’re Hispanic or not.”

Member Requirements:

  • $5 membership dues.
  • Special $20 offer where member receives T-shirt and dues paid off.

Past Events:

    • VivaMSU, musical chair game.

    • Loteria (Mexican Bingo) Night.

    • TopChef, in which the organization’s officers cooked chicken flautas.
    • Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) forum held on Oct. 10

Current and Future events: