A new club focused on Latin America culture and heritage is starting at Sinclair during Spring Quarter.
The goal of the club is “to share cultural heritage and learn from each other,” said Derek Petrey, associate professor in Spanish and director of the Honors Program.
“I don’t see a dividing line between Latin America and the United States,” he said. “To me, it’s just another part of the American experience.”
Petrey wants the club to be a place for students to get together and host different events, such as movie showings or guest speakers.
Additionally, he said that a mentoring program may also be started in order to reach out to high schools with high Hispanic and Latino population in order to work beyond any language barriers to encourage them to attend college.
However, he is leaving these decisions entirely up to students who become part of the organization.
“The students will drive that,” he said.
Petrey, who has a degree in Latin American cultural studies , is currently working on organizing the club. As of right now, he is gathering names and contact information to organize the clubs first meeting during Spring Quarter.
The idea for the club came from three groups of students who approached Petrey about a club.
The first group of people who approached him were students attending Sinclair who are from Latin American countries, such as Brazil and Ecuador.
“The club is a place for them to get together and affirm their culture,” he said.
The second group of people who approached Petrey were students who are American citizens but share the common Latin American heritage.
The third group consists of those who are just interested in learning about Latin America.
But Petrey said that all are welcome to take part in the club.
“Many of our campus clubs are open to anyone,” he said. “We know that a student who is engaged on campus is going to do better.”
Different clubs on campus have addressed Latin American population. But the new club will have a more specific Latin American cultural focus.
Latinos United was active from 2003 to 2006. During that time HOLA, which stands for (Hispanics or Latinos Association) was also active from 2008 to 2010.
He said that HOLA had difficulty finding an adviser and was a fairly small group, so it went inactive as an organization.
“I think the difference with this new club will be to try and reach out to different groups,” he said.
Anyone interested in learning about the Latin American Club or becoming a part of the list of those interested in joining can contact Petrey directly by phone at 937-512-2092. Email Petrey at Derek.petrey@sinclair.edu or by stopping by Building 10 Room 339.