U. to host latino Thanksgiving celebration on campus

The University will host one of the biggest latino student events ever held on the east coast over Thanksgiving break. Today, between 300 and 400 latino students from all of the Ivy League schools and the seven sister schools are traveling to the University to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Pachanga. According to Liz Cedillo, president of El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan, the University group organizing the event, the Pachanga was founded 20 years ago at Yale University because the majority of latinos attending Ivy League schools are from California and Texas and cannot go home to celebrate Thanksgiving. "Since then the Pachanga has grown into a huge event," Cedillo said. Cedillo also said the University received the bid to host the conference last Thanksgiving because MEChA submitted its idea for the theme of the conference to be "latinos in the arts." The Pachanga has not been hosted at the University since 1980. The conference will run from today through Saturday, and visiting students will stay with University students in their residences. One the biggest events will be a speech by Edward James Olmos, an actor, director and producer, at 5 p.m. Saturday at Zellerbach Theater. Olmos is best known for his roles in the film Stand and Deliver and the television program Miami Vice. In addition, Olmos will speak at a juvenile detention center in Philadelphia. "Olmos' speaking will also benefit the Philadelphia community and shed a good light on the University," Cedillo said. Other important guests at the conference will be representatives of Hispanic Magazine, which will hold a forum on the treatment of latinos in the American media at 2 p.m. Friday at the Christian Association. The magazine, which is the largest magazine for latinos, will also publish a feature story about the Pachanga in a future issue. Marc Rodriguez, a University alumnus and two-year past chairperson of the United Minority Council, will deliver the opening address at 11 a.m. Thursday at the Zellerbach Theater. Rodriguez helped create the UMC as well the Greenfield Intercultural center. In addition, there will be special forums addressing the concerns of latino women and men and gays, lesbians and bisexuals. For cultural fun, a dance workshop will be held on at 11 a.m. Friday in High Rise South for the students to learn latino dances such as the salsa. In keeping with the holidays, all the students will gather for a Thanksgiving Day banquet Thursday at Stouffer College House at 6:30 p.m. A Mexican fiesta with a band will be held 6 p.m. Friday, also at the Stouffer College House, to add a spicy culinary twist to the conference. For theatrical buffs, the Philadelphia Drama Guild will perform The Dog Lady and the Cuban Swimmer by Milcha Sanchez Scott at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Zellerbach Theater. All Pachanga activities are open to anyone from the University as long as there is enough room.