October 12th, 2022– This Wednesday, WMSC and the bilingual show Aquí Planeta Tierra were part of the second annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month on Montclair State University campus, The Hispanic/ Latinxs Heritage Block Party.
There, students and faculty get together with other Latino groups and programs to celebrate the last days of Hispanic Heritage Month. The event included Latin American music, people dancing, and food. It was an excellent experience with a lot of fun for all the Montclair State community.
We had the participation of some WMSC members: hosts of Aquí Planeta Tierra, Darian Mozo and Víctor Muñiz Rosa, along with team member Adarlin Batista.
The team had the opportunity to talk to new students and show them a little of what we do at WMSC and Aquí Planeta Tierra– interviews, new topics each week, etc. As a result, many other students identified with the Latino community members, as they showed great passion for representing their culture through the radio station of the university.
Darian Mozo was in charge of the table, where it was well decorated with flags from different Latin American countries and WMSC different awards.
During the event, we offered Ecuadorian chocolates and Aquí Planeta Tierra buttons, which many people enjoy. And last but not least, a mic and a recorder, the two most important objects of our table to interview as many people as we could during the event!
Host Víctor Muñiz Rosa interviewed different people during the event. One of the public’s favorite questions was: What song represents Hispanic Heritage Month for you? Several students recommended songs from different genres such as “Soy Dominicano” by Fernando Villalona, and “Cuando Calienta El Sol” by Luis Miguel, and many more popular Latin American music.
Hispanic Heritage Month starts every September 15th, being one of the most energetic and influential communities and culture.This year we wanted to do something different and unique. We wanted this from this moment an unforgettable experience.
As Latino students at WMSC, the main objective was to share our respective cultures by sharing our beliefs and opinions to all Latin and non-Latin students that attended the event. We motivated them to participate, celebrate the event by getting involved.
What is it like to be a Latino at Montclair State? For us, It’s not only knowing the language, but also having the pride inside our blood and sharing it. It is showing who we are and what we have to offer, which raises our legacy.
Latin Community represents more than 45% of students at Montclair State University, and about 19% of the U.S. population.
Our mission is that others can connect and feel like family, and come together. Countless students passed by our table telling us “we feel safe and loved” “This is a unique environment”, somehow showing their empathy. It was certainly a magical moment.
Written by: Adarlin Batista
Photos taken by: Dani Mazariegos & Hannah Cox
APT: THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE
