Estudiantes del Sol

"Estudiantes del Sol" Club Vice-President Patricia Simon, Adviser Tania Mendez and Events Coordinator Yulissa Gonzalez

"Estudiantes del Sol" club officers sat down in the DAC (Diversity Achievement Center) in Forum 220 to talk about the “Estudiantes del Sol” Club. Advisor Tania Mendez, who is the LBCC Latino Outreach and Retention Specialist, helped start the club last Spring. Talking about how clubs can help the transition from high school to college, Club President Marta Nunez and Vice-President Patricia Simon agreed that whereas high school is a lot about fitting in, college is more about finding yourself as an individual, and being willing to be unique.

“Estudiantes del Sol” organizes events like the upcoming Preferentia LBCC, which is like College Night but which will be held out in the community at South Albany High School on Saturday April 20th from 5-7:30 p.m. The event will help high schoolers about to go to college and adults considering reentering school to know what resources are available.

The resource fair will include a booth on Extended Learning for non-credit classes, a booth on the Dual Partnership Program with OSU and LBCC, and a GED booth as well. Advisor Mendez said there will be a bi-lingual representative to help people who don’t speak English.

“We welcome everyone and everybody,” said both officers and advisor regarding the bi-weekly meetings and other events of “Estudiantes del Sol.” Although Mendez specializes in helping Latino students, she has an open office right in the main room of Forum 220 and helps all LBCC students answer questions about financial aid, leadership opportunities, etc.

The “Estudiantes” mission statement reads, “As LBCC's only Latino club, we're here to make a positive impact on our campus by presenting the culture and history of Latin America. Our mission is to be present and active on campus--but our purpose is to make a lasting impact on the Latino community. We welcome all students regardless of their cultural background.”

The club has had students from Guatemala, Mexico, and Sudan as well as the United States. Club President Marta Nunez said the club seeks to share information about the many types of Latino culture. People might think of Mexico when they think about Latino culture, but there are many culture, countries and shades of skin included under the umbrella of Latino culture.

An example of this is that Oregonians might usually think of a Mexican savory quesadilla when they hear the word “quesadilla,” but at the recent “del Sol” event “Coffee and Cake 101,” Simon shared that a Guatemalan “quesadilla” is a sweet pastry made with crumbly cheese.

At a Glance: Student Clubs
What: “Estudiantes del Sol”
Where: Forum Building 220 (DAC)
When: Tuesdays (12-1pm) and Thursdays (11:30-12:30 am)

At a Glance: LBCC/Community events
What: “Preferentia LBCC” college resource fair (like College Night but with Bi-lingual information)
Where: South Albany High School Commons Cafeteria, sponsored by “Estudiantes del Sol”
When: Saturday April 20 5-7:30 p.m.

For more information: contact Tania Mendez at mendezt@linnbenton.edu