It has been scientifically proven that dancing can increase our mood, energy, and even memory. Dancing is a wonderful exercise to get your body to move in an expressive form.
It also makes us become connected with the world around us, as it trains our brain to be in tune to rhythm and choreography.
Penn State Harrisburg does in fact move to the same beat with students on campus. The Latino club has a dance club that is offered to all students on campus. This organization was created to help promote diversity and raise awareness to the Penn State Harrisburg student community on campus. The club’s goal is to have its participants embrace dance while also celebrating their diverse backgrounds.
Maria Hernandez, President of the Latino Club, shared why she started the club and why she would encourage others to join.
“It is an organization that focuses on sharing what it means to be Latino here in the United States. We share different cultural events that we have around campus. My favorite part is honestly the students and seeing them grow and meet new people and connect. We also focus on the big event that we have each year, which is the Latino Gala,” Hernandez said.
She also provided information on what the Latino Gala is and what occurs during the event.
“The Latino Gala is an event with about 350 people attending. We choose a theme each year and it is focused around the food and the cultural aspects of that and incorporate it in the gala. We share cultural food and dances that the students do. We also have raffles, and speakers talk about what it is like being Latino in America,” Hernandez said.
“It is our last big event of Latino Club event for the year. All the practices are focused on the student performances that lead up to the Latino Gala,” she added.
The meetings are located in the CUB 210 Events Room. Practices are held every Wednesday from 8-9 pm. All are welcome to join. All you need to do before practice is get warmed up and ready to dance the night away. Make sure to wear flexible and comfy clothes so that it is easier to sway across the dance floor.
A dance member, Chelsey-Sippora Funebe, explained why she dances for the club.
“ I joined because I had some friends in the club as well. I am not Latino, but they still encouraged me to show up. Once I met the people, they were very welcoming and exposed me to the culture. I also really enjoy the music,” Funebe described.
A public relations officer for the club, Juan Serrano, also discussed why he loves to dance with everyone in the club.
“My favorite part about the Latino Club is literally making connections with people. People don’t connect the same way we connect with them. We use dance and food to connect with each other,” Serrano explained.
“It is something different for them, like a culture shock, but in a good way. We try to get them to be established and learn from us as we learn from them,” he added.
If you have any talent for being quick on your feet and love to dance, be sure to reach out and contact the Club President Maria Hernandez via email at [email protected] and follow their Instagram page @latinoclub_psh.
