The first ever “Latino celebration” hosted by MECha, Lincoln’s Latino student union, will take place in the cafeteria on May 28 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Traditional food, dance and music will be presented for guests. Guest speaker Amparo Garcia will give a speech at 6:00 p.m. on the theme “the struggles of the past are the celebrations of today.” Garcia is a teacher at the Rigler School, a Spanish-immersion K-5 in N.W. Portland, as well as an active member of the Latino community.

¡La Fiesta!, as the event is called, was first conceived by MEChA president Jasnery Valenzuela after she was inspired at a conference. She club advisors Trevor Todd and Melinda Gale, and Valenzuela’s mother collaborated for a month and a half to make the party a reality.

MEChA’s values are always at the forefront of the club president’s mind when comign up with events.

“We want to bring an authentic and fun representation of the Hispanic culture to Lincoln,” she said. “This would fulfill the MECha pillars of cultural awareness and leadership.”

While the event is free for all students and family-friendly, club members will be accepting donations at the door.

In the end, though, ¡La Fiesta! is about much more than raising funds.

In Valenzuela’s eyes, it’s about bringing “an authentic and fun representation of the Hispanic culture to Lincoln.”