Staff Writer- Shy Lee

March 20th marks an important day for the Organization for Latin American Students (OLAS) as they celebrate their largest event of the year, Latinx Night. The event is going to be hosted from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on March 20th in Alumni Hall. OLAS has decided on the theme Ritmo de la Noche (Rhythm of the Night): A Night Dedicated to Celebrating the Latin Arts Through the Generations, according to Co-President and Senior Miguel Ulloa.  

Music at Gustavus is an often-reused resource to tell a story. Culturally focused organizations and student leaders look further into the meaning and culture behind the songs they use, upholding the messages that are played from each rhythm about where they come from and who they are. 

“Our team has added themes of lineage and heritage into the music selection by going through the different genres of music in our performances and trivia,” Sophomore Christopher Alvarado-Salazar stated. 

By highlighting these musical choices, OLAS is showing that there is more to their stories and themselves as people. Latinx Night creates a starting point for new understandings and knowledge that may not have previously been there. Everyone has their own story, and it can be told through any form of art–for OLAS, it is through music. 

“The types of music chosen were very intentional. With this year’s Super Bowl halftime show featuring Latin artist Bad Bunny, we wanted to include songs that were monumental to Latin culture,” Junior Alejandra Bonilla Hirdman added. “It allows us to showcase the value in a time when political tensions and emotions are high.”  

These intentional music choices serve as a starting point for dialogue during a time of learning and open-mindedness. The effort to share monumental songs in Latin culture is intended to turn the Latinx Night into a stronger, personal connection between students and the community at Gustavus. 

“There are many ways that culture connects to other cultures, either in food, language, visiting countries, or meeting new people. We want to share with everyone at Gustavus the beauty of Latin American art and music,” Junior Juan Parra expressed. 

In preparation for Latinx Night, OLAS has curated an environment that mirrors the prominent professional aspirations for attendees. 

“We deliberately create a scene of Latin Excellence as students come to the event through decor like a red carpet, poles, and other decor highlighting what Latin culture is: excellence,” Alvarado-Salazar emphasized. 

These decorations serve as recognition to reframe cultural identity. It connects heritage to professional distinction to express a modern way of thinking, moving past traditional ideas, and accepting growth in success. Excellence is conveyed as cultural pride and high performance in a professional and personal setting, encouraging students to view their background as a primary factor of their excellence. 

An obvious component many students look forward to is the food. OLAS decided to cater food from a Latinx restaurant with conviction to create a sincere connection to Latin heritage and culture at Latinx Night. The restaurant is well known for its positive customer service and delicious food with a strong rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars online. 

“The audience can expect wonderful, authentic Latin American food! We will be catering from Taqueria El Rey, which is a fairly new, local Latinx restaurant in Saint Peter, Minnesota. We are happy to cater for their food,” Risk Manager and Senior Princess Martinez enthused. 

OLAS put in months of work to create Latinx Night and guarantee that everything would fall into place perfectly. Many OLAS members are certain that their efforts were not in vain, aiming for the success of Latinx Night.  

“Latinx Night takes months of planning, communication, and organizing. The 2026 OLAS Exec Board has worked hard to ensure that everything is perfect and will run smoothly,” Martinez noted. “I would say this year we have done a tremendous job on promotion!” 

To appropriately promote events such as Latinx Night, OLAS posts on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Additionally, OLAS highly depends on word-of-mouth to gather traction in its promotions. If you are curious about OLAS as a whole, find a member to speak with or visit @gustavus_olas on Instagram, where they are most active. 

Through all of it, the members grew together and found a new place in the rehearsals and OLAS. The collaborative environment allowed every individual to contribute their talents. 

“My co-choreographer, Cristina Sirbu, and I had texts, phone calls, and times where we bounced ideas back and forth to create the choreography from scratch. With communication and rehearsals, we spent quality time with our dancers and taught basic steps to build the foundation for developing our performance,” Bonilla-Hirdman expressed. 

On a surface level, Latinx Night is an event for Latin culture, but it is much more than that. The OLAS Executive Board wants to fight against misconceptions that harm their identities and instead cultivate positive perceptions. 

“Many people take what Hispanics offer for granted and demonize us with false conspiracies. We are so much more than that,” Alvarado-Salazar enunciated. “We create community, celebration, and love. With all that we bring to this event, we break these misunderstandings and strengthen our relationships.” 

OLAS is committed to building a bridge between communities on campus, inviting a diverse audience to turn Latinx Night into an opportunity everyone can enjoy. 

“Regardless of a person’s nationality, ethnicity, or race, they should be provided with a chance to experience deep cultures. Other orgs that provide events like this are PASO’s African Night and ASU’s Asian Night Market, held yearly,” Bonilla Hirdman suggested. 

Opening the doors to all students helps showcase the beauty of Latin heritage while simultaneously prompting new members to join the OLAS organization or just get more involved with other cultures and identities. 

“Latin American culture has expanded all over the world, and we want everyone to learn and understand that our culture is beautiful and welcomes everyone! We want everyone to contribute to Latinx Night, no matter where they are from,” Parra asserted.