I want to highlight a club on campus that I’ve appreciated ever since my freshman year. Latin American Students Organization, or LASO, as we call it, is a club at St. Bonaventure University that’s open to everyone no matter your background. It is a great club to meet other people and make new memories. I want to just take a moment to express my appreciation of this club that always goes above and beyond.
During my freshman year, LASO had a scavenger hunt sometime in the fall semester, and somehow, I was close to one of the clues and won a gift card. That’s how it all started. Soon their president put me on the email list, and I was notified about every event they hosted. And let me tell you, LASO hosted. What puts clubs above and beyond is heavily dependent on how many events they host throughout each semester and the year in general. LASO has no shortage of events, whether that’s weekly dance lessons, a game night like bingo or dominoes, or seasonal activities like gingerbread house making or pumpkin painting. And — one of my personal favorite parts — they have different cultural dishes at their events too, which is a unique part of the club that always tastes delicious.
What’s also amazing is that to be a member you have to attend at least a few club events, along with a fun volunteer experience, and if you have a busy schedule like me, you don’t have to attend everything. Sometimes life gets in the way and events conflict with other activities. I felt super bad my first year when I was hardly able to attend LASO’s events because I kept having conflicts. But no matter how much I missed, members would encourage me to come to the next one. The club president and I wave at each other while passing by, and the club advisor (who was my Italian professor for two semesters) and I love to chat when we see each other around campus.
Thankfully, despite this semester being the busiest yet, I was able to attend the club’s welcoming party, where we played dominoes and had piña coladas. I met some new people, ate with friends, and overall had an amazing time. It made me regret how much I’d missed in the past and made me look forward to all there is to come later in the year.
LASO is more than just a club. They’re a family. They’re hardworking, dedicated, enthusiastic, and so, so welcoming. While I am personally not Latin American, I still feel included and enjoy learning about others’ cultures.
So, if you don’t take anything else away from this article, take away the message: Be kind, be welcoming, be thoughtful.
Be like LASO.