odern Languages and the Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking sponsored a trip to Fiesta en la Plaza, an event that took place on Thursday, Oct. 10, in Harrisburg, Pa. as a part of Hispanic Heritage Month.

The theme of the Fiesta was, “Serving and Leading our Nation with Pride and Honor.” This was the state’s second annual Fiesta en la Plaza.

The trip was available to anyone on campus, but was especially beneficial for Spanish, Education, Political Science and Social Work majors, according to Charla Lorenzen, associate professor of Spanish and chair of the modern languages department. The trip had no fee because the Spanish department provided money for lunch and the Center for Global Understanding and Peacemaking paid for the van rental. The students who attended the event had the opportunity to listen to live Latin music, sample food from local Hispanic restaurants and interact with representatives of local agencies that had informational booths.

After the fiesta, the group had the chance to view the outside of the Capitol. She recommended that the students come back for a tour of the building, since they were not able to go inside. On the way home from the trip, the group stopped for lunch and spoke Spanish with their waiter. The waiter spoke to the students about the importance of being bilingual and not being shy to practice a new language. “I think they were exposed to new ways of using Spanish and interacting with native speakers. They also became aware of resources for Spanish speakers in the U.S.,” Lorenzen said. She hopes to take trips to Fiesta en la Plaza with students in the future, because it engages students from different majors through an event related to her own field.

The Governor’s Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs of Pa. celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month at the Soldiers Grove Capitol Fountain in Harrisburg, Pa. Governor Tom Corbett has proclaimed Sept. 15  to  Oct. 15  Hispanic Heritage Month in Pa. to commend the many contributions of Latino-Hispanics in the commonwealth.

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the rich and diverse culture of Pa.’s fastest growing minority group, which represents approximately nine percent, just over 810,000 of the state’s population. Since 1990, the Latino-Hispanic community has grown 268 percent in Pennsylvania.