FEATURES
America Students (ALAS) th open arms
it all
d time again. Joining a club at any level — high school, can be a life changing experience. This is true for both nal students navigating post-secondary, and especially al students adjusting to the traditions and culture of an
nt of SFU’s Association of Latin American Students iminology major, has experienced these benefits firsts an international student from Mexico, Pacheco joined 2019 to meet new friends.
dent, the first couple of months are rough because parents every day or being with people from singular LAS is a way to feel like you’re back at home,”
e 2000s, ALAS has provided a “safe environment for e to share Latin American roots, culture, festivities, food; est of having a multicultural community,” said Pacheco.
tural community is embracing all identities. ALAS isn’t can students, explained Pacheco. “We don’t really or who you are. We just want to share our cultural xpect for you to respect our festivities and food. We just althy, peaceful community.”
b is still dedicated to helping Latin American students mpus through running events to help students make g them aware of what the university has to offer.
emester, which Pacheco described as a “networking, rom your same background” icebreaker, took place has many other events upcoming. “The ones that are d waiting for the weather to clear up a bit, are [trips] to volleyball. We’re going to have volleyball tournaments said.
ents to better understand the events and opportunities ser Student Society (SFSS) have to offer, ALAS viceeated a podcast called The Latin Corner.
odcast is to be informative about SFU, SFSS, and ,” revealed Pacheco. “We all remember when we first nternational student, we had no idea what the SFSS or even how to connect with people.”
eleased four episodes on Spotify featuring members ean and African Ancestry, SFU350, and the African
podcast isn’t just meant for Latin American students. anted to touch on other clubs, and give them a emselves, where to find them, and what they do,”
or the podcast is to highlight groups who’ve had a “huge h as SFU350 whose mural protested SFU’s lack of
“SFU350 rocked the campus with their protest. That was amazing, I loved the mural! So, that’s why we wanted to get in touch — to give them another platform to show their club and their activities.” Connection, collaboration, and community are priorities for ALAS and they have kick-started initiatives to give back to local communities. “Last winter was super cold and there are some social, economic issues everyone knows about, everyone can see in downtown, and we wanted to do something about it. We’ve come so far from Latin America, we are so happy to be here and give back to the community in any way we can,” he said. ALAS hosted a clothing drive this past March along with UBC Mexican Student Association. The clothing drive was an idea by Pino, which Pacheco referred to as a “goldmine” for how much they were able to collect. Donations from the clothing drive went to Lookout Society, an organization working to reduce barriers to accessing housing.
We don’t really care where you’re from or who you are. We just want to share our cultural backgrounds, and we expect for you to respect our festivities and food. We just want to have a good, healthy, peaceful community. ARTU RO PAC H E C O / / A LAS P R ES ID E N T
“We arranged for a bucket in the Convocation Mall for people to drop stuff in, mostly winter stuff. We donated 20 killos (44 pounds). Their smile was so heartwarming, it was so worth it,” said Pacheco. He added the club has always donated proceeds from ticketed events to various organizations. Normally, ALAS meets once a week to discuss club matters. As of right now, meetings are hybrid. For those who are able to make it, ALAS meetings take place on the third floor of the W.A.C. Bennett Library in the Media and Maker Commons. However, as the weather heats up, they will be looking to host meetings outside. They also use WhatsApp and Discord for cultural and personal conversations throughout the week and to circulate event invitations. For the last three years, Pacheco has made “beautiful connections” thanks to ALAS that have extended past the club. He still goes biking with the former vice president of the club. Pacheco encouraged readers to give their events a try. Whether you want to talk about food, culture, or the World Cup Qualifiers — which sparks tons of playful debates among members of the club — ALAS welcomes all. “If you’re a first year student or you feel like you need more interaction, give us a message, reach out; we will do whatever we can to make you feel at home.” For more information about ALAS at their future events, check out their Instagram @sfu_alas. They also have their podcast linked for listening in their bio.
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