Children chased each other around the circular bench in the center of the room, screaming in laughter, as the aroma of various spices wafted from the kitchen.

As the group of about 40 students and community members waited for their turn to collect a bowl of pozol, a traditional Mexican soup, they chatted easily with one another in Spanish.

In celebration of Latino Heritage Month, students shared brunch and conversation with members of the local Latino community from neighboring towns who attended the Spanish Mass at St. Francis Xavier Church on Poplar Street Sunday.

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Carl Ervin, coordinator of Multicultural Programs and Services, said St. Francis Xavier has sponsored the brunch for the past five years as a means of connection between the Latino community and the larger community.

Many Latinos from surrounding areas like Cobden and Murphysboro have been attending the Spanish-speaking Mass for several years, Ervin said, so he took advantage of the situation and worked with the Hispanic Student Council to establish the brunch and bring in other multicultural groups to interact with the community.

A lot of the people in those areas are underprivileged and less fortunate, Ervin said, so the students talk to the younger children about college, getting involved in the community and making good decisions.

“Each year it gets bigger and better,” Ervin said. “It is mostly minority (students), but the majority is definitely welcome.”

Karen Ruiz of Harrisburg, a native of Mexico City, said she has been attending the church for six years and has gone to all five of the previous brunches.

Although she appreciates the students’ efforts, she said she would like them to come more often.

“We have kids who will be students in the future,” she said as she bounced her eight-month-old son, Miguel, on her knee. “The students can teach us more about their studies.”

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Hispanic Student Council President Jos Rodriguez, a senior studying visual communication from Chicago, said past brunches have always yielded a good turn out from both the community and the University.

“For the most part, religion and family are a big thing in the Latin community, so this gives people a chance to experience that atmosphere,” he said.

Jessica Gomez, president of the multicultural sorority Sigma Lambda Gamma, said she tries to attend the Spanish Mass every Sunday and has attended two of the brunches.

“It’s a way for Latinos to find a connection in the community,” said Gomez, a senior studying psychology from Chicago, as she munched on chips and salsa. “A lot of us are first generational college students, and its good for little kids to see what you can do with an education – kind of like a role model.”

Karina Silva, a native of Cotija, Michoacan in Mexico, has been attending the Spanish Mass for a year and the brunch for two years.

“For me, it’s a place of welcome,” said Silva, a second-year student in the medical-dental preparation program, “I needed to find a place where I can feel at home, and it gives other students the opportunity to reconnect.”

Reporter Haley Murray can be reached at [email protected]