Variety of events planned or Hispanic Heritage Month

From discussion on Cuba, Hispanics in baseball, to a presentation about serial murders in Juarez, Mexico, a variety of events are planned for Hispanic Heritage Month at Grand Valley State University.

The celebration begins Thursday, September 6, with a presentation by “Dancing in the Mirror,” a New York Latino theater group. Sponsored by the GVSU Latino Student Union, the actors give an intimate look at the Latina experience through the eyes of six characters. The event begins at 5 p.m. in the Cook-DeWitt Center, Allendale Campus.

Hispanic Heritage Month events are sponsored by Grand Valley’s Office of Multicultural Affairs and many other campus departments. All events are open to the public and free of charge; they are detailed below:

• The Daughters of Juarez: A True Story of Serial Murders South of the Border : September 17, 7 p.m., Cook-DeWitt Center

Univision correspondent Teresa Rodriguez has investigated the death of hundreds of poor, young women and girls who have been found in the fields and dumps in Juarez, a small city across the Rio Grande from El Paso, Texas. The body count continues to climb. Rodriguez will share what she has learned, why we should care, and what can be done to stop the murders.

Rodriguez’s presentation is co-sponsored by the Women’s Center, Office of Planning and Equity, Latino Student Union, Writing Department and Sigma Lamda Gamma.

• Portrayal of Hispanics in Mass Media: September 18, 11:30 a.m., Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette Room

A panel of area journalists will discuss how Hispanics are portrayed by the U.S. media, stories that are usually covered and the amount of news published about this group. The panelists are Eva Aguirre Cooper, WOOD-TV Channel 8; Rosie del Valle, radio station La Maquina Musical ; José Flores, La Voz; Nardy Bickel, Grand Rapids Press; and Rosa Morales, School of Journalism at Michigan State University.

• Brincando el Charco , “Jumping The Pond”: September 24, 6 p.m., Cook-DeWitt Center

Brincando el Charco , a film by Frances Negrón Muntaner, contemplates the notion of identity through the experiences of a Puerto Rican woman living in the U.S. Discussion after the film will be moderated by Yvette Fuentes, faculty member in the Modern Languages and Literatures Department.

• The Impact of Hispanics in Baseball: October 3, 4-6 p.m., Cook-DeWitt Center

Edgar Williams, a sports journalist from El Vocero, a Grand Rapids newspaper, will talk about how America’s favorite sport has welcomed a Hispanic presence.

• Hispanics at Crossroads: Apathy or Education?: October 9, 1 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Pere Marquette Room

Although Hispanics are the largest minority in the U.S, they are still underrepresented in higher education. Liliana Mina, from Michigan State University, will discuss the academic performance of Hispanics in college.

• Cuba, its Future and its Exiles: October 11,  2:30 p.m., Kirkhof Center, Grand River Room

Professor Maria de los Angeles Torres, director of the Latin American and Latino Studies Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago, will discuss the political, economical and social challenges that Cuba encounters in the 21st century. Discussion will be moderated by Michelle Miller-Adams, assistant professor of political science.

For more information about these events, call the Office of Multicultural Affairs at (616) 331-2177.