As part of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL), the Latina/Latino Advisor provides students with 1-on-1 personal and academic support, and works with students and student groups on leadership development and student organization matters. In collaboration with the Latina/o student groups, the Advisor sponsors a number of campus events and workshops focusing on raising awareness of Latina/o issues.
Located at 38 North Main Street, the LALACS House is used for a variety of student and department programs and events. The house is sponsored by the Latin American, Latino and Caribbean Studies Program, and is coordinated by the Office of Pluralism and Leadership (OPAL), in collaboration with the Office of Residential Life. The 14 student bed facility also provides an apartment for the College's Chavez Fellow. The House was established to provide a residential and educational environment devoted to the exploration and expression of traditional and contemporary aspects of Latin American and Latino intellectual, social and cultural life. Being an academic affinity house, the Program will also facilitate communication and interaction among various sectors of the Latina/o community, students studying in the LALACS Program, faculty, the administration, and staff.
LALACS is an interdisciplinary program. It offers a standard major and minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS), and courses in Latino Studies (LATS). LACS is designed to ensure both exposure to Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and the theoretical and empirical rigor of study in a single discipline. LATS focuses on the study of the Latina/o population and familiarizes students with the experience and cultural expression of the Latina/o communities in this country. LACS has signed a cooperative arrangement with Georgetown University. This allows LACS majors to study the summer of their junior year in Santiago, Chile, or Mexico City, Mexico.
The Department of Spanish and Portuguese offers beginning language through advanced seminars, individual studies and honors programs, and a uniquely varied array of overseas programs. In all its activities, the Department seeks to affirm, within the liberal arts tradition, the importance of Iberian and Latin American culture for a nation which is increasingly aware of the wealth of its own rich Hispanic heritage. The Department offers Language Study Abroad Programs to Barcelona, Spain or Puebla, Mexico, as well as Foreign Study Programs in Madrid, Spain, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Students studying Spanish can apply to live at La Casa, a residential language facility.
La Alianza Latina: The oldest of the Latina/o student groups, and serves as an umbrella Latina/o organization for the community. Alianza's main areas of focus have been on cultural and community empowerment, peer support, and academic outreach.
Nuestras Voces: The performing arts/theater Latina/o student group. Past performances have included "Coser y Cantar," "House on Mango Street," and "Beautiful Senoritas," as well as works from Cherrie Moraga, Luis Valdez, and others.
M.E.Ch.A. (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Atzlán): Based on the M.E.Ch.A. groups which were formed in the western areas of the U.S., M.E.Ch.A. at Dartmouth focuses on Chicano/Mexican/Latino issues with both a political and cultural context.
Ballet Folklórico de Dartmouth: Performs the Ballet Folklórico dances of Mexico and the traditional dances of Central and South America.
Quisqueyanos at Dartmouth (QUAD): QUAD is one of the newest student groups and focuses on educating the campus on the Dominican and Dominican American experience.
Por Latinoamerica: Por Latinoamerica is an organization for students from Latin America and for their peers who are interested in Latin American studies. The organization sponsors educational programs on the politics, history and sociology of the region.
CAUSA (Cuban American Undergraduate Student Association): Formed at Dartmouth in 2008, CAUSA is a student group on campus which seeks to provide education and programming on Cuba and the Cuban American presence in the U.S.
LUL (La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc.): The Dartmouth Latino fraternity has been a part of the Dartmouth community for over ten years. Signature programs include Noche Dorada in October, community service projects, and working in collaboration with the other Latina/o student groups in programming. LUL was founded at Cornell University on February 19, 1982.
SLU (Sigma Lambda Upsilon, Señoritas Latinas Unidas Sorority, Inc.): Founded on December 1, 1987, at Binghamton University in New York, SLU has been well known for their work at Dartmouth with the annual Raices Week, cultural awareness and education on women's issues on campus and beyond.
Latino Business Society: The Latino Business Society serves as a mentoring and recruiting organization for students considering a career in the fields of business, marketing and economics. Web Link
Thursday Night Salsa: This social group focuses on the teaching of the dances of the Caribbean, particularly salsa, merengue and bachata. They meet weekly in Collis's FUEL lounge.
The purpose of DALA is to promote and enrich the community of Latina/o and Latin American alumni of Dartmouth College, as well as to support current Latina/o students in their endeavors. Through DALA, we are dedicated to furthering and inspiring the College's social, cultural, intellectual, and educational development.
