Among hurried Friday afternoon foot traffic on the Reitz Union Colonnade, a buzz of culture, community and celebration filled the air.
Opening ceremonies for Hispanic Heritage Month, or HHM, at UF kicked off with an outdoor event.
Jesse B. Wright, executive director of the heritage month, said the goal of the opening ceremony was to raise awareness and unite the Hispanic-Latino population on and around campus.
Wright said the HHM committee has been planning since January and has an event planned every day until Oct. 14.
About 25 student-run clubs on campus attended the event.There were bounce houses provided by the Inter-Residence Hall Association and performances by Dancing Gators, Sabor Latino and the Hip Hop Collective.Wright said UF's HHM is the largest student-run HHM group in the United States.
Though the team is affiliated with UF's Hispanic Student Association, the event's size allows HHM to function as its own organization, Wright said.
Past opening ceremonies have typically been held on a Sunday, but Wright said opting for a weekday and its throngs of Reitz Union passersby was crucial for reaching this year's goal of maximum exposure.
The HHM team is on a mission to get more involvement from Hispanic and non-Hispanic students alike.
"Whether Hispanic or not, come learn about our culture," said Kathy Valle, Hispanic Student Association president. "We want to educate everyone."
Valle said that over 250 people turned up at the last HSA meeting and that freshman students are especially enthusiastic about getting involved.
UF professor Belio A. Martinez Jr. serves as an adviser to the HHM committee.
He said he had delivered a speech at a conference in spring 2007 about the history of the Dominican Merengue dance when Wright had approached him about becoming involved with HHM."Hispanic Heritage Month is a very special and very dear part of the year for me," Martinez said.
Martinez said he would attend one of the most anticipated events, which is a concert at the Phillips Center on Oct. 5, featuring Fulanito, Los Primeros, Puerto Rican Power and local band Umoja Orchestra.
Music from the artists blared from a boom box on the colonnade, and many students on the colonnade took a time-out to check out the action.
"We're a big open family trying to create a home-away-from-home atmosphere for any UF student," Wright said. "The Hispanic community likes to pride itself on being diverse."
