In an exercise in taste buds and torsos, students sampled Latin-influenced cuisine and danced to live salsa beats Friday at the annual Sabor Latino fundraiser.
The event, hosted by the Asociaci--n Cultural de Estudiantes Latino Americanos, took place in the Harnwell College House rooftop lounge.
This year, the organization collaborated with Harnwell's Latin American Residential Program to provide Penn students with a taste of Latin dance and cuisine.
This is an opportunity to "share our culture with the campus," said College junior and ACELA Vice President Vanessa Padelford.
Ticket sales for the event raised $500, part of which will go toward the funding of Academic Coaching and Mentoring Program, a tutoring program founded by ACELA in 1995. The Penn-sponsored program works with elementary school students in North Philadelphia, an area which is largely comprised of Latino neighborhoods.
The nearly 100 attendants decorated their plates with black beans, rice, beef empanadas and other culturally unique dishes.
After taming their hunger, guests were summoned to the dance floor for salsa lessons instructed by LARP Program Coordinator and graduate adviser Cassandra Georges, who simplified dance steps by making the art form analogous to a recipe.
Georges, a Law student, taught students the basic steps, and encouraged them "to add something special." According to Georges, "flava, not flavor," is the distinctive element that brings the moves to life.
After practicing basic steps independently, the crowd paired up and put their lessons into practice before a live salsa band.
"It's nice to bring together the live music and the lessons," College and Wharton senior Tara Grillos said.
In previous years, ACELA has held the event in Houston Hall's Hall of Flags with music generated by a DJ. This year's decision to hold Sabor Latino in a residential setting -- and with a live band -- made it "convenient to attend," College senior Dana Taylor said.
