The Spire

Lizzie Swanson ‘28

Chief News Editor 

On Saturday, April 18, Holy Cross’ Latin American Student Organization (LASO) hosted its annual “Noche Latina” at Mechanics Hall. With doors opening at 4:45, audience members ushered into the venue dressed in formal attire for this year’s theme, “Avanzando Hacia La Luz: Through Darkness We Dream Through Struggle We Create.” This evening set out to celebrate the strength, empowerment, and resilience of the Latino community. As stated by LASO, “Noche Latina honors histories of resistance and the power of unity. The event highlights meaningful relationships that sustain us, within our families and across our communities. Join us for a night of culture, connection, and collective pride as we come together to celebrate identity, heritage and the bonds that shape us.”  Over 360 people registered for the night, with over 60 people on the waitlist.  All the proceeds from the event were donated to two non-profit organizations based in Worcester. The Massachusetts Immigration & Refugee Advocacy Coalition serves the community and immigrants across the commonwealth and beyond. Worcester RISE for Health was created to build and provide services that help refugees and immigrants achieve health equity and self-sufficiency. Shuttles began departing every 15 minutes, leaving from Hogan at 4:15 and arriving promptly at Mechanics Hall. 

In the first hour, audience members checked in and received their wristbands and were able to listen to introductory performances by Lucio Garcia and Josh Love. Then, once audience members were seated in the main hall, they were served dinner by Sazon Latino, a local Worcester restaurant. During dinner, the Mariachi Guadalajara Boston performed on stage, setting the fun and community oriented tone for the night. The MCs for the night finally took the stage after dinner. Students Beatriz Ortega and Elijah Brooks had the audience in stitches and were a comedic duo that took the room on a journey of friendship and comical betrayal. They two first introduced Emmanuela Agyakwa who sang Etta James’ “At Last.” After Agyakwa’s performance, Holy Cross Hip Hop Dance group Fusion performed in addition to student dancers Jessica Loya Lopez and Edgar Juarez-Sanchez. After these performances, the modeling began with Act I: Raices y Textiles. This collection was inspired by heritage and tradition, speaking to “both resiliency and artistry. Each garment carries with it a story, woven from history and shaped by community.” The models were Brandon Curtis, Brendon Crutis, Bryan Galicia, Valeria Ortega-Damian, and Ivori Hidalgo. 

Act II was titled Tradinnovacion, a collection inspired by the importance of roots. These models celebrated their identities which are “both rooted and ever-evolving.” The models included Yannely Sanchez, Daniel Lucero, Luis Ramirez, Katrin White, Linet Pena, and Nininahazwe Anwarite. The third act, Adelante, focused on the future of heritage and the honoring of generations of hardship. The models were Jazmin Turijan, Pablo Avila, Alexander Papa, Joshua Johnson, Leissa Medina Barrozo, Destiny Maduro, and Fajr Sargent. The fourth act titled, Donde Nace La Luz, was the final celebration of culture. LASO stated, “An acknowledgment of the ever-growing community, Latino culture is not solely about the traditions of our roots, the transition towards the present, or the current resilience of the modern age. It is everything combined. We look down the line of generations who have contributed to the culture, and we uplift a place to appreciate and celebrate them all.” During one of the fashion segments, audience members were invited to join the dancers on the floor and stage and express their excitement and pride through dance. Most seats were left empty as many piled onto the stage to dance. Other performances included those of Roots, Holy Cross’ Afro-Caribbean Dance Team, Kxplosion, HC’s first and only K-Pop Dance crew, Maria Clara Teixeira, Salsa Encinada, Clark University’s student run dance group, and Latinidad, a part of HC’s community that honors their heritage through dance. In addition to these acts, videos were shown multiple times throughout the night of LASO members talking about what it means for them to be involved in LASO and Noche Latina as well as a brilliantly thought out soap opera spin off of the current e-board.

Co-chair of LASO, Jamileisha (Jay) Trejo ‘27 spoke to The Spire about the time consumption required of coordinating an event like Noche Latina. “Noche Latina planning begins in the fall semester, usually in early November after we’ve had and planned out all of our Hispanic Heritage month events and collaborations with other MSO’s/RSO’s for the fall semester. As for performances for Noche Latina, we host try outs for any students who are interested in performing, but we also reach out to students personally.” When asked what inspired the vision for Noche this year, Trejo described the intersectionality between justice and community. “[The vision] was to take the opportunity to shed light on the issues our broader Latino community has been facing in the midst of the current government administration. But to also celebrate amongst our community with the support of Holy Cross students and faculty, a fashion segment and multiple performances showcasing Latino identity and creativity through celebration, music, dance and spoken word.” Finally, Trejo personally described her pride for the fashion segment, and explained how the Fashion and Design committee has worked tirelessly over the past few months to bring Noche to life. “It was definitely a challenge designing the pieces on my own but if it weren’t for the Fashion and Design committee, we wouldn’t have been able to showcase such an amazing experience at Noche Latina!”

Latinidad Event Coordinator, dancer, and Model for Act I, Valeria Ortega ‘28 spoke to The Spire about the excitement and planning for Noche Latina. Ortega professed her love for dance. “The way I got into dance was through my childhood. Ever since I was younger, I would only dance more Mexican-style dances such as Cumbia or Huapango. However, ever since I joined Latinidad, I started dancing other styles such as salsa or bachata.” When asked what her favorite part of being in Noche was, she responded that she was able to make new friends and memories. “Being a model, I was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone, and I’m honestly so happy I decided to do it. As for dancing, I truly love dancing because it brings me so much joy. Especially doing the dance I was able to perform. It was such a fast-paced yet entertaining performance. Although it was pretty nerve-wracking in the beginning, I’m glad it came out beautifully. I would 100% do Noche all over again if I had the chance to!”

The night ended with remarks about the current administration and increased ICE presence across America. Many students shared their own experiences with how ICE has affected them and their families and called for the end of violence. “**** ICE” was exclaimed multiple times, erupting in support from the audience. Concluding Noche Latina, the current e-board passed the flame onto their successors. To keep up with updates and events from LASO, all are encouraged to follow their Instagram, @hclaso and register on MyHC for future happenings. 

Featured image courtesy of @hclaso on Instagram

Copy Edited by Sophia Mariani ’26