On Oct. 10, Latino Student Union (LSU) put on their first ever assembly in the main gym during seminar to honor Hispanic Heritage Month. Some students in the club said their inspiration came from last year’s Black History Month Assembly. 

“The kids were creative, they wanted to showcase their cultures,” math teacher and co-sponsor Tatiana Briceno Padron said. “The idea of a Quincineara dance came from my friend at Shawnee Mission South.”

At the end of last school year, LSU started planning a way to showcase Latino culture’s beauty, diversity and place at Northwest. 

“I would love to bring more awareness as to why we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” Briceno Padron said. “It’s more about being open minded. There’s over 20 countries that speak Spanish, and you should never assume that because one person speaks Spanish that means they’re from Mexico. I’m from Venezuela, and I’ve gotten that a lot.”

Every year, there is a nationally recognized theme for Hispanic Heritage Month. This years’ is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together.”

According to Briceno Padron and co-sponsor and Spanish teacher Heidi Menssen, this assembly was to be a celebration of different cultures while also understanding the history behind them.

The assembly’s events included a talk from guest speaker Luis Padilla, a game where students guessed Hispanic artists, a waltz where girls wore elaborate Quinceanera dresses and a performance by Mexican folklorico dancers wearing bright ensembles with tiered ruffles.

LSU would like to make this an annual event and find other ways to recognize and include the hispanic community at Northwest.

“With this assembly we wanna say ‘we see you, you’re here,’” sophomore and LSU member Tiffany Silva said.

Briceno Pardron hopes the main takeaway students and teachers have is to embrace their heritage.

“Always be proud,” Briceno Padron said. “You should never be ashamed of where you come from.”