On a campus where the students are mainly white, the 10-year-old Latin@ Student Alliance (LSA) is an organization dedicated to giving minority students a support system during their time at DU that will give them a sense of belonging. “It is called the Latin@ Student Alliance, but it’s not exclusive to just Latinos,” explains LSA president Carina Garfio “We encourage everyone to come.”
Garfio, a third-year student double-majoring in accounting and Spanish, is one of the devoted students at the organization who believes in a safe, diverse campus. She commits this value in everything she is involved in from working at DU’s Center for Multicultural Excellence to her time as president of Sigma Lambda Gamma National Sorority Inc.
Recently, the LSA had changed their name from the Latino Student Alliance to the Latin@ Student Alliance to follow the ongoing movement of making Spanish nouns more gender inclusive. They found this to be an important action to take to strive to be a more accepting community.
Their meetings are an ongoing pattern of informative conversations and group bonding. During their meeting on May 3, keynote words including privilege, race and gender were posted around the room and the group was asked to discuss their thoughts as each word was brought up. It was the students’ chance to share their experiences and engage in deep conversation with their understanding and compassionate peers.
As tradition, LSA hosts some events to continue celebrating the different faces on campus. In the Fall Quarter, they host a homecoming event called Noche Caliente where students can dance and hang out as they get re-accommodated to life on campus. This month, the organization is planning a custodial appreciation dinner where they thank the unrecognized employees of DU.
Acknowledging the muted voices on campus is a theme that emerges in everything they do. Occasionally the LSA reunites with other student alliances on campus to touch base and hear each other’s stories. Earlier in the year LSA had a joint meeting with the Muslim Student Alliance and discussed how the Trump Administration was going to affect them. Garfio sees the existence of each alliance as a valuable part of DU. “I think it’s important for people to know that, yes, we’re all different organizations, but at the end of the day we’re coming together as one to support one another, and if I see you struggling I’m gonna be right there struggling with you,” says Garfio.
Racism and microaggressions are the two main issues Garfio and the LSA notice on campus. “Latinos are hardworking people. We fight for what we have and we work so so hard to have what we have,” said Garfio, addressing the negative stereotype that Latinos are in the United States to steal jobs.
To continue the dialogue about how to reach the goal of establishing a more diverse campus, Garfio wants DU administration to open their ears. “In these inclusive excellence decisions that these administrators are making, [it’s important to] include the people of color in them,” says Garfio as she suggests that DU higher ups should be inviting student alliances to their meetings and take the time to ask them what their ideas are for DU.
