Live music, low lights and Latin dancers welcomed new and returning Hispanic UF students into the Fall semester Wednesday evening.
The Hispanic-Latine Student Assembly offered students the chance to meet peers in the community and beyond while enjoying an evening of performances, conversation and connection. The event, held at the Reitz Union, drew about 700 attendees.
HLSA invited organizations like Gator Salsa Club to perform and featured leadership coach Joelis Barandica-Rodriguez as a guest speaker.
There was also a performance from The Nancys, a local indie rock band, to invite non-Hispanic attendees into the event, keeping in the assembly’s theme of “Stronger Together.”
“There's so many people here at UF and around the world that aren't Hispanic but still stand up for us and want to help us grow as a community,” said Hector Isiah Collazo, HLSA’s executive director.
The event welcomed students from freshmen to seniors, offering the chance to make new friendships, connect with organizations and learn more about Hispanic-Latine culture.
For students like Nicole Batista, a 21-year-old UF advertising and sociology senior, the event is tradition.
Batista has attended the event for three years, beginning as a sophomore when she was part of one of more than 20 organizations affiliated with the Hispanic-Latine Student Association.
Batista said she admired that the event continued despite losing its Signature Event status, which had funded events designed to enhance the student experience, like the assembly.
HLSA was one of several cultural and identity welcome assemblies unable to renew their three-year guaranteed funding period, along with events like the Pride Welcome Assembly, the Asian American Student Assembly, the Women’s Welcome Assembly and the Black Student Assembly.
The loss came after Gov. Ron DeSantis banned state diversity, equity and inclusion funding at Florida universities in 2023, leading UF to cut DEI-related positions.
“The fact that we were able to maintain the same quality even though we lost backing from Student Government is really impressive to me and shows our resilience as an org,” Batista said.
For newer students like Nicholas Baez, an 18-year-old UF finance freshman, the event was an opportunity to both connect with his culture and learn about student organizations. Baez, who is Dominican American, said he appreciated the range of opportunities available.
“There’s a lot of pre-professional organizations just for Hispanics here at the program,” Baez said. “It was pretty cool being able to learn about all those different events.”
In addition to performances and tabling, students enjoyed free food, received merchandise and participated in raffles. One winner, Sebastian Charris, an 18-year-old sports management freshman, won a one-month diamond subscription to Study Edge.
“I feel great. I won. I did not expect to win,” Charris said.
He said he’ll probably use the subscription for statistics.
During the event, Collazo, the event’s organizer, encouraged students not just to attend the assembly but to become active participants.
“Connect with someone here, with everyone here. Celebrate your roots proudly,” Collazo said. “Carry that energy in your classes, your friendships and your organizations, because together we make the University of Florida stronger, more vibrant and more united.”
Contact Victoria at vriccobono@alligator.org. Follow her on X @vickyriccobono.
