The Latin American Student Union hosted its annual fall banquet on Saturday, commemorating the 56th anniversary of the organization’s founding and its impact since its early beginnings through a night of award presentations and performances.

Themed “Nuevo Amanecer,” which translates to “a new dawn,” the event’s decorations encapsulated a blazing sun breaking through the horizon, with orange and yellow gradient lighting spotlighting corners of the Mandela Room. Bass-booming music bounced off the walls as the sold-out room filled with attendees sitting at tables draped in white. Students posed for photos in front of sky-themed decals, like a recreation of a sun or backdrop of a sunrise. Centerpieces of a glittery sun and voluminous clouds beneath a glass jar captured a piece of the atmosphere on top of each table.

Hosts Jaralize Martínez, a former junior advisor and a senior double-majoring in economics and geography, and Isabella Florentino ’25, former La Voz coordinator and a first-year graduate student studying business administration, explained how this year’s theme encapsulates LASU’s growth as an organization.

“It’s a perfect choice for LASU’s 56th banquet, celebrating our resilient strength through the face of new challenges,” Martínez said.

“After all, we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the sacrifices made by the people who came before us, and thanks to them, this organization has symbolized unity and support for 56 years,” Florentino added.

The emcees opened the evening with a brief explanation of LASU’s origins. Next, the hosts presented a series of awards recognizing standout individuals and organizations within the Binghamton University community who have continued the legacy initiated by the founders over five decades ago. A newly established scholarship in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean studies program and two additional awards were announced later in the night, including the Eric M. Colon Award.

Martinez and Florentino then invited couples up for a lively bachata contest where the winning pair ultimately received Ulta Beauty gift cards, decided by the audience’s reactions.

Quimbamba Latin Dance Team then took to the dance floor, dressed in rich butter yellow tones and deep burgundy that tied to the banquet’s sun theme, effortlessly flowing and whirling through both slow and fast-paced sequences. Binghamton’s Caribbean dance team, Tropical Ecstasy, also performed, reinvigorating the crowd with a routine that burst with an electric sense of energy.

Robyn Cope, the banquet’s keynote speaker and director of LACAS, delivered an address explaining how the program emerged in response to activism from both LASU and the Caribbean Student Association, with centering student voices and representation at the core of their mission.

“LACAS exists today because 52 years ago, students led by LASU and [the Caribbean Student Association] demanded it,” Cope said. “We are your institutional arm, your other half. We have not forgotten our roots, nor have we forgotten LASU as our longtime, valued student partners. Today, neither LASU nor LACAS is a luxury — they are both a political imperative.”

“In an environment where pundits and policy makers frequently discuss Latin America and the Caribbean in sweeping, reductive, dehumanizing terms, LASU programming and community engagement raise awareness and foster mutual understanding,” she added.

Cope also discussed issues surrounding the immigration crisis in today’s political climate. She emphasized the role of culture and education in creating humane solutions, with art and community action serving as powerful forces to combat ignorance and inspire change.

“Every time regular people pass along the number to a rapid-response hotline, every time regular people donate funds or their time and skills or attorneys to help immigrants obtain legal aid, they confront structural fear and transform individual vulnerability into community resilience,” Cope said. “LACAS thanks you, LASU, for your long and continued commitment to free speech and community education, creative coalition-building, hope and togetherness. LACAS remains a proud and very grateful partner.”

Following Cope’s speech, members of LASU’s E-Board promoted opportunities to engage in this artistic expression — including La Voz, a radio show and educational platform, Palabras, a biannual open mic night formatted after New York City’s Nuyorican Poets Cafe and the LASU’s multimedia literary magazine.

Two activities inviting audience participation were integrated into the last half of the night, including a scavenger hunt game with a mystery prize of an air fryer and a runway walk for attendees to strut and show off their outfits. Jayden Perez, LASU’s president and a first-year graduate student studying public administration, then introduced his current E-Board members, shouting out their contributions to LASU and thanking them one by one.

Perez explained the continued importance of LASU, which was originally built on a longstanding history of support and solidarity among students of color.

“When LASU was founded, I wonder if the students who were working on this organization knew that they were creating something that would be around for as long as it has been,” Perez said. “I wonder if they knew that the multicultural community today would look the way that it does now — that it would be bigger, bolder and stronger than it has ever been at any point in history at this school. This organization has served as a safe space, a social space, a political space for Latin students and all students of color for 56 years.”

To bring the banquet to a close, musical guest Nelson Cordero and his band took to the stage with a live performance of some of his hits from the late 90s and early 2000s, with guests circling the room in a conga line and dancing along to the merengue music.

Prawravee Pothiwit, LASU’s vice president and a senior majoring in environmental science, reflected upon what guests could gain from experiencing just one aspect of the organization’s mission through their banquet.

“Though I am not Latine myself, I have always found unwavering support during my three years here, and I carry this organization very close to my heart for the simple fact that it has carried me close in return,” Pothiwit wrote in the event program. “It is my hope that you all also leave here tonight with the understanding that, no matter who you are or where you come from, you will always be welcomed into this community with open arms, that having pride in the culture that raised you up will carry you on, and that in our union lies our greatest strength.”