 "Photo: Stephen Durda")
Amongst the chaos and confusion of move-in at Jester Center Saturday afternoon, there seemed to be a respite just hundreds of feet away at Gregory Gymnasium as the annual Sabado Gigante (Giant Saturday) joined together the University's Latino community to welcome incoming Latino students to the University.
For eight years, the Latino Leadership Council has given up a summer Saturday to host the event, expanding from three student attendees the first year to about 250 visitors this year. The Latino Leadership Council aims to "strengthen and unite Latino student organizations on campus," according to the council's Web site.
"We want to make the community connect with the organizations so everyone feels they have a good relationship," said Pedro Roldan, operations co-director for the leadership council and a government senior.
Freshman Vicki Lara, who moved into Jester West over the weekend, spent about two hours at the event and plans to join the culture committee.
"I didn't know the [Latino] community was so intricate here," Lara said as she scanned the cultural set-ups in the gymnasium. "I was impressed, especially with the professional organizations."
English junior Enrique Jasso attended Sabado Gigante when he was a freshman, and this year - three years later - he represented the Mexican-American Culture Committee at the event. Jasso said he still feels welcome.
"It's really comforting that the Latino leaders take time out of their Saturday to come here - for us," he said.
Potential group members filled the sign-up sheets for the Mexican-American Culture Committee, Jasso said.
A line of students waited to sign up for the Hispanic Business Student Association, a professional organization that has been active at the University for 27 years. The group helps students prepare for entering the business world.
Hispanic Business Student Association President Stephanie Espinoza, a marketing senior, said Sabado Gigante is important for Latino students because it "keeps the community close together."
In the last hour of Sabado Gigante, students, parents and UT staff continued to venture into Gregory Gym as a costumed mariachi band drew applause and "woos" from the crowd and Austin Mexican restaurant La Feria served fajitas.
"I loved the turnout," Jasso said. "It's a very well-planned event."
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