By Myara Gomez
Staff Writer
On Nov. 14, Unión Latina hosted their annual gala in the Brower Student Center, with the theme this year being “Noche de Carnaval.” These galas, which have a different theme each year, are meant to celebrate Hispanic heritage and expose students to a taste of the Hispanic culture. These events have provided a formal night of dancing, socialising and food for over 10 years at the College.
“The purpose of the gala is to celebrate who we are as Hispanics and to portray the beauty of our culture to the rest of TCNJ,” sophomore finance major and Unión Latina’s member outreach chair Enrique Rodriguez said.
Every year, the gala provides free Hispanic food for all of the guests that attend. Members of Unión Latina make sure students are fed, dancing and having a good time. Noche de Carnaval strongly encouraged students at the College to showcase their dance moves. Rodriguez said guests should dress to impress for the galas.
“Guys typically wear a nice button-down shirt with suit pants, and the ladies usually put on a nice dress,” Rodriguez said.
There was even a special performance by Ritmo Latino at the gala. Ritmo Latino is a dancing group under Unión Latina that is dedicated to teaching students traditional Latino dances.
Ritmo Latino rehearses in the Brower Student Center before their performance at Noche de Carnaval (Myara Gomez / Staff Writer).
Two days prior to the event, the club’s Instagram, @tcnjunionlatina, uploaded a post of do’s and don'ts for the event. The do’s that were listed were to dress formally, wear your mask and be early. The don’ts of the event were to not bring people that are not students at the College and to not lose the wristbands that will be given to each student.
“I loved all the beautiful decor, especially the wall of different flags of everyone represented in Unión Latina,” freshman management major Maxine Donnelly said. “It was a wonderful event to get dressed up for and make so many more fun memories at TCNJ.”
