On Friday, September 13, 2019, The Latina/o Studies Program launched its annual open house to welcome new and returning students. Attendees were provided a free lunch as they mingled with faculty, staff, and friends and learned about the Latina/o Studies Program and academic minor. They were informed about the various educational and community resources provided by the Latina/o Studies Program including: a library, study space, computer lab, conference room, academic advising, Mi Communidad/My Community Mentoring Program, and the Latinx community meeting room.
Several LSP staff members, professors, and advisors introduced themselves and shared their involvement with the minor and their commitment to helping students. Some of these faculty and staff include assistant dean of advising and Latinx Student Success Advisor, Juliette Corazon, Latina/o Studies Program Administrator, Marti Dense, Professor Karen Jaime, Latina/o Studies/PMA, and Program Director, Debra Castillo.
This open house was a valuable learning experience to students who were new to the program. “I’m a junior and I’ve never been involved with LSP until today,” remarked third-year ILR major Camilla Bacolod. “I talked to a few students who are completing the Latina/o Studies minor and I was fascinated by all the interesting classes they’ve taken.”
This open house occurred exactly one week before the launch of Latina/o Studies Fridays with Faculty seminar, where Cornell faculty and administrators host informal discussions about their work and current research. Originating in 2004, this semester-long program provides an alternative academic component for the LSP community. This semester, faculty luncheons begin on September 20 and continue weekly until the end of the semester.
