Newman University is kicking off a year of celebrating Hispanic culture with its new La Cadena series.
The inaugural event will celebrate the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month from 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 16 in the Sister Tarcisia Roths, ASC Alumni Center in Dugan Library.
The event is free to attend and open to the public. Those interested in attending can reserve a spot here.
The evening will include a buffet dinner with tacos, paletas and aguas frescas, along with family-friendly activities such as a piñata and crafts.
The event will also feature five Newman alumni guest speakers: Brian Alvarez ’10, Mike Asebedo ’15, Andrea Marino ’18, Dania Jumpa ’21 and Stephania Lopez ’21.
The speakers will share their educational and professional journeys and the challenges they have faced while recognizing individuals who encouraged them on their path.
Sonja Bontrager, assistant professor of Spanish and co-director of Hispanic Initiatives at Newman University explained that La Cadena references “chain” in a well-known quote of the university’s namesake, St. John Henry Newman; “I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons.” (“Soy un enlace en una cadena, un lazo de conexión entre personas.”)
Newman was recognized by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) in February 2023 as a Hispanic-serving institution. In May of 2024, the university officially became a Hispanic Serving Institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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