Shippensburg University’s Latino Student Organization (LSO) did it again with its annual Latino Explosion on Friday. 

The Latino Explosion is a follow-up event to its annual Youth Summit Conference hosted earlier in the day for grades four to 12. This year’s theme was a circus.

There were many extraordinary performances and festivities. As students entered the event, they could feel the vibrant cultural music emerging from the speakers and the distinct aroma of the different cultural dishes. 

While students were mingling and enjoying the atmosphere, LSO members were offering many tasty carnival treats, including cotton candy, fried Oreos, popcorn and even snow cones. 

The members of the organization and their family members prepared a menu of traditional Spanish dishes. The dinner included a variety of different flavorful types of chicken, pernil, which is a popular dish containing pork, kabobs and several rice dishes. Traditional Latino desserts, such as tres leches and flan, were also offered to attendees. 

LSO President Ramses Ovalles was very happy with the outcome of the event. 

“I’m so proud of LSO, we really put a lot of work into this event, and as a whole would like to thank everyone for coming out and supporting it really makes all the work worth it,” Ovalles said. “We would encourage all Ship students to stay on the lookout and to come out to our LSO conference for college students in the spring semester.”

Events hosted by LSO, like the Latino Explosion, help educate SU students and the members of different cultures within the Shippensburg community. These events also provided activities for the students to mingle and interact. The most popular was the photo booth, where friends and family gathered around, took pictures with props and made lasting moments. A balloon artist also crafted different shapes and characters. 

Throughout the event there were astonishing performances that manifested the circus theme. The performances were by an African ladder-man with superb balance, a female juggler, who juggled vibrant neon colored hula hoops throughout the event and an urban break-dancing crew. The event concluded with performances by a sword swallowing magician, which set off the carnival theme. 

“Ultimately, this has been one of the most welcoming school events hosted by the Latino Student Organization. The food was outstandingly tasteful, the music was vibrant and youthful and the atmosphere was bright yet welcoming,” junior Danielle Williams said.

LSO made the event an explosion by going above and beyond with the festivities and highlighting what they are and why they are established at SU. 

LSO is open to all students, so if you are interested in joining, visit the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs in Gilbert Hall. 

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