On the evening of September 1st. students, staff, administrators, and faculty came together for the ¡Bienvenidos! BBQ. This annual event, hosted by the Latino Living Center (LLC), took place in the LLC courtyard.
Walking up the courtyard steps joining the A and B side of LLC, those attending were greeted with music, laughter, smiles, fairy lights, papel picado and mini flags representing Spanish-speaking countries. Offering a space where Latine students can find community, resources and friends on campus, the event was anything but mundane.
Various campus organizations were at the event; the courtyard was filled with LLC’s own mini ‘resource fair.’ Latina/o Studies Program participated in the fair with interns Carolina Montejo ‘25 and Xavier Figueroa ‘25 sharing information about the program and resources located on the 4th floor of Rockefeller Hall. Professional and Greek life organizations pertinent to the Latine community on campus offered snacks, flyers for future events, mailing list sign-ups, and friendly faces. Identity-based clubs, dance clubs and more were present, featuring elated students highlighting why their respective clubs can help you find community at Cornell, regardless of background and class year.
Students lined up at the courtyard entrance of LLC’s A-side to enjoy free food catered by Old Mexico. The tasty, crispy quesadillas and hot, cheesy enchiladas were enjoyed in a colorful picnic-style setup outside with picnic tables and chairs. Finding a ‘home away from home,’ although challenging as a family-oriented minority group, is made easier with events and opportunities like ¡Bienvenidos! every year. Photos from the event can be found on LSP’s facebook page.
