Latino Scholars Union Club hosts Hispanic Heritage assembly

unnamed — A dancer dances Baile folkloric, traditional Mexican music, courtesy of Angelique Angelastro. She attends Nuestra Raíces, a cultural arts center.

By Iman Bakhit

Staff Writer

The Latino Scholars Union Club hosted the Hispanic Heritage assembly in Costa’s auditorium today during second period.

The assembly featured a mariachi band, traditional Mexican dancers and retired astronaut John Olivas shared his story as a Hispanic-American astronaut and how his passion eventually took him to space.

“I’m really happy to say that I had an opportunity to fly in space as a Hispanic-American,” Olivas said. “I was one of seven at the time [when] I flew that had Hispanic descent.”

In addition, a mariachi band sang and played music for the incoming crowd and four dancers in traditional Jalisco folklorico dresses danced to Baile folklorico, a folkloric dance that originates from Mexico and Central America.

“I was the first and probably the only Mexican-American who has ever done the space walk and I did a total of five on my two missions,” Olivas said. “That means a lot to me, that I had the personal satisfaction of contributing the same small aspect into commercial space flight.”

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