An energetic and lively crowd cheered for the speakers and roared for the entertainment, celebrating the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month Tuesday evening at a reception at Davies Center.

Food and music were enjoyed before the evening’s festivities began. Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich spoke at the event, saying how this month brings us awareness of others. In addition to a speaker, there were performances by Arcadia High School students. They presented two dances, and there was also a solo singing performance in Spanish.

There are 158 Latino students enrolled at UW-Eau Claire, according to the Office of Multicultural Affairs.

It will give people a chance to learn about another culture and have some fun doing it, said junior Anna Spencer. The best part about Hispanic Heritage Month for student services coordinator Stephanie Zighelboim, who has been organizing the event for six years, is “having the opportunity to come together with my students and celebrate their accomplishments, and to watch them hold their heads a little higher as Latinos.”

The campus and the community at large are invited to come to all the events this month. There will be movies, dance, food, as well as other events. Zighelboim hopes that by coming to the events, “students can learn that the more diverse our campus becomes, the more opportunity they will have to grow as citizens of an ever-growing global community.”

“It is important to have events honoring the successes and gains of every group on campus because we all contribute to make UW-Eau Claire what it is today,” Zighelboim said. “This month we celebrate Hispanics as the largest-growing multicultural group in the country. It is our time to share our Latino pride with everyone.”

Spencer attended the reception and said she is excited for the event on Oct. 6. It will be a panel discussion on women’s studies abroad programs in Nicaragua, which interests her as a Spanish education major and a returned study abroad student. There are eight other scheduled events that could be of interest to other students on campus.

“It’s important to learn where others come from because I have a lot of Latino friends,” Spencer said. “And it’s also fun because there is good music and food.”

This month will hopefully give this minority group some recognition on campus, said junior Rogelio Encizo, president of the Student Organization of Latinas/Latinos.

“The University really lacks diversity,” Encizo said, “and months like Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month get people more aware, and the events are fun to go to.”