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| From the Diamondback, Friday, September 26, 1997. An Independent Student Newspaper-University of Maryland, College Park. Maryland Media Inc. 1996 By Eddie Taylor Special to the Diamondback. |
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| Students gathered Wednesday to hear poetry on contemporary Latino issues as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. More than 100 students filled the Maryland Room of Marie Mount Hall for the Latino Poets Cafe for what was advertised as 'a night of poetry, Spanglish, youth and love.' The event was sponsored by the campus English department and La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda fraternity. While local poets Quique Aviles and Jane Alberdeston were the featured guests, everyone in attendance was welcome to share his or her original poetry or recite the works of a favorite poet. 'Our goal is to expose people to Latino poetry,' said Lorn Hinish, an alumna who cohosted the evening with campus graduate student John Hernandez. 'We just want a lot of people to come out, read poetry and have fun. ' About 15 students participated in the open microphone period that followed the welcome. Several members of Lambda Upsilon Lambda recited their favorite poems about a wide range of topics. Some read poems about love, while others chose poems that dealt with political issues facing Latinos in the United States. 'What is great about this evening is that more people will realize that Latino poetry is a classical and wonderful form of literature,' said international business major Piero Gonzalez. 'Not too many people know about all that Latino poetry has to offer. ' After the open microphone period, it was time for special guests Alberdeston and Aviles to take the stage. Alberdeston went first and read several of her poems relating to the plight of Latinos in the United States today, attempting to tear down the stereotypes that have led many to believe Latinos are a drain on society. Aviles followed Alberdeston with many poems that touched upon political topics concerning Latinos. 'In my poems, I [try] to tickle the people's mind and concentrate on the immigration issue,' Aviles said before taking the stage. 'I believe that while Latino immigration does bring a lot of problems and issues, our contributions far outweigh any negative effects that are being stuffed down people's throats. ' Throughout his set of poems, Aviles played with audience's emotions. One minute, the crowd was laughing about a chicken crossing the border and the next it appeared saddened by a more emotional poem about poverty in Central America. 'The poetry was wonderful,' junior engineering major Victor Walker said after the readings. 'Many of the poems during the [open microphone period] were good and I really enjoyed most of the ones by [Aviles].' The Latino Poets Cafe was just one event that is being offered during Hispanic Heritage Month. The next event is a seminar entitled 'Issues Affecting the Latino Community' on Oct. 2 in the Student Union, where Mario Acosta, executive director of the Latino Civil Rights Task Force, will discuss issues concerning the Latino community. |
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