DE Campus Life Editor

With folkloric dancers, a Latin disc jockey, games and prizes, this year’s Latinfest during Homecoming weekend will give Hispanic students a way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with pride.

For the first time, the Hispanic Student Council will sponsor a Latinfest from 12 to 5 p.m. Sunday at the Free Forum Area.

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Linda Vela, a sophomore in English from East Chicago, Ind., said the members of the Hispanic Student Council decided to plan something that would celebrate their culture.

We’re hoping that it becomes a tradition. That’s why we’re calling it the first annual, she said. It mostly has to do with the Hispanic Heritage Month celebration.

The Latinfest also will have the traditional Homecoming activity of crowning a king and queen. Vela said that other organizations have their kings and queens, and it would be a good idea for the festival.

Eliza Vela, a law student from Indiana and the chairwoman for the committee for the Hispanic king and queen, said the festival will promote cultural awareness.

Eliza Vela said the Latinfest king and queen nominations will have a lot of the same judging criteria as the Homecoming royalty.

One of the differences is that we are allowing freshmen to run so that anybody who wants to run can, she said. Originally it was just a queen contest, but we didn’t want to have the stereotypical criteria based solely on beauty.

Eliza Vela said the nominees must be involved in community service and will be judged in three categories.

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The first category is academic achievement and community service, she said. The second is a three-minute speech on an impromptu question, and the third is poise and personality.

Eliza Vela said the judges will be community members, professors and students.

The campus should be a part of our culture and see what it’s like and how we celebrate our heritage, she said.

Some of the nominees for Latinfest king and queen are Judith Rocha, a sophomore in social work from Chicago; Linda Vela, a sophomore in English from East Chicago, Ind.; Jorge Torres, sophomore in aviation technology from Chicago; Gabriel Cerda, a senior in civil engineering from East Moline; and Seferino Terronez an undecided freshman from Moline.