Ithaca College

PODER: Latino Student Organization is a student group on campus that works to celebrate and educate others about Latino/a culture. Emily Ramos (Writing ’15) has been a member of PODER for three semesters, and this fall will be her second semester as co-president.  Ramos said, “the purpose of our organization is to promote diversity and awareness of Latino/a culture on campus. One of our main goals is to provide a space for Latino/a students … to come and support each other and continue to develop and grow as individuals on this campus.” They're busiest time of year begins in just a few days.

Every year, September 15 marks the beginning of a month-long celebration of all the contributions that Latino/a and Hispanic Americans have made to the United States. This month is nationally known as Latino/a Heritage Month.
Latino/a Heritage Month originated 46 years ago when, on September 15, 1968, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Honduras gained their independence.  Mexico, Chile, and Belize also gained independence within the month.  

To celebrate Latino/a Heritage Month, PODER will be partnering with various offices and student organizations on campus to sponsor events that will celebrate and educate on Latino/a culture.  On September 3rd, PODER, African Latino Society (ALS), and the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) are co-sponsoring an Open House to allow students on campus to become more familiar with their organizations and meet their members.  The Open House will be held in the ALS Room, located in the lobby of West Tower from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. At the event, PODER and ALS will be advertising their first event, entitled “Bienvenidos,” which will take place on September 15.

A large part of PODER’s mission is to expand membership and participation in the organization to students of all heritages on campus.  This organization is not just open to students descending from Latin America, but rather encourages all students to attend meetings and join in on events to help create a stronger community of support on campus.

PODER hopes that all students on campus will be able to enjoy Latino/a Heritage Month through the events that the student organization will be sponsoring.  Ramos said, “I'm just hoping that everyone has a good experience, that everyone has fun, and that it's also educational. We're not only celebrating Latino/a culture, but also promoting and teaching other students about our culture.” Visit our Facebook Event and OrgSync page!

To find out more about PODER and other student organizations accomplishments please click here to read Club Hub Volume 5 Issue 1.