Student Organization Latinos to inform campus about Virgin of Guadalupe

On the cold morning of Dec. 9, 1531, a native Catholic Mexican, Juan Diego was traveling along the edges of Mexico City to attend mass. When he reached the sterile areas of Tepeyac Hill, he heard uncanny music play and suddenly a glistening woman appeared. She referred to herself as "the Virgin Mother of the True God" and requested a chapel built at that very spot.

Diego presented her requests to Bishop Juan Zumarraga, who demanded evidence of the encounter. When Diego returned to the hill he told the woman about the Bishop's demands and she pointed at the Castilian rose bush behind him. When he returned Dec. 12 to Zummaraga, he revealed the roses and to everyone's surprise a small image of the young woman appeared.

This is the story of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

On Wednesday, Dec. 7, Southeast Missouri State University's Student Organization Latinos will hold an event in the University Center during common hour to commemorate the ancient Mexican holiday Virgin of Guadalupe, which is celebrated on Dec. 12 to honor the Virgin Mother's appearance to Mexican peasant Juan Diego. Members will display images and information regarding Mexican heritage and tradition.

The organization enriches Latino culture through events and services on campus. SOL also reaches out to the Cape Girardeau Latino community hoping to provide support to those who share a passion for the culture

This is the organization's second event this semester. In early November, the organization created a display table for Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday where family and friends get together to pray and remember loved ones who have died. The organization hopes to host more events on campus next semester.

"We got started kind of late in the semester so there wasn't really enough time to plan for something major," SOL president Fermin Cardenas said. "So we're going to take next semester and timeline a particular event and have it more interactive."

SOL was established on Sept. 23 when Cardenas, a senior and criminal justice major, decided he wanted to broaden Southeast's campus with his own Mexican culture. While growing up in Las Vegas, he experienced SOL at his local high school and participated in similar events and services.

"It's always been in the back of my head to get some sort of organization like this started," Cardenas said. "I know there's a lot of Latinos here so I felt they needed a voice."

The organization has 34 members. According to Cardenas, the organization includes members with Latino heritage from a variety of places including Guatemala, Bolivia and Chile.

"It really works when trying to promote different Latino cultures because everyone brings something of their own," Cardenas said.

Cardenas recently has contacted pastors at Spanish churches in Cape Girardeau offering any help SOL can provide for their attendees, such as improving English-speaking skills and helping those who seek employment in the area.

"We also want to try and get an organization started for Latinos in Cape so they can have a representative and give them a voice as well," Cardenas said. "We also want to visit local high schools and start SOL chapters there."

Cardenas said that he hopes to inform younger Hispanic students about the importance of college and help members find the financial services they need.

For more information about Student Organization Latinos, visit www.facebook.com/groups/SEMOSOL or e-mail fmcardenas1s@semo.edu.