On Saturday the 13th, Binghamton University’s La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. hosted their 38th annual “Noche Dorada” — a celebration of honor in Latin culture, community and accomplishments.

La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. is a Latino, but not Latino exclusive, fraternity whose philanthropy is to provide access to higher education for those with low income backgrounds and those in need. It is also a brotherhood that represents and values the strong connection and unity of Latin American students and organizations from college campuses all over the country and the world.

Abubakar Kolia, graduate advisor of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda and a first-year masters student studying business administration, discussed the theme of the banquet “Dentro De Las Estrellas” — which translates to “within the stars” — to highlight the brightness, talent and success of students in the Binghamton community.

“We want people to really believe in their imagination and creativity, so that they can pursue whatever endeavor that they choose to do so in their future careers,” Kolia said. “So we want them to not only shoot for the stars and aim for the moon, but also make sure they do their best in whatever choice that they make.”

The event consisted of various different awards being presented to students and organizations in the BU community and was sponsored by StateFarm and the Educational Opportunity Program (EOP). Additionally, La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. presented their Noche Dorada scholarship to a current Binghamton High School student. The organization based the chosen candidate off of well-roundedness, serving the community and leadership skills.

Alan Perez, vice president of La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda and a junior majoring in economics, expressed the organization’s goals.

“Our philanthropy, which is one of our main goals, is to provide access to higher education,” Perez said. “We accomplished this mission today by giving out a scholarship to a Binghamton High School student who was fortunate enough to receive it.”

The winner of the 2024 Noche Dorada scholarship went to Kashif Summers Jr., a senior at Binghamton High School and varsity captain of the football and basketball team. From the organization’s perspective, K.J. fit the criteria in picking the best candidate. He presents his strong academic ability in taking IB and AP classes, along with his leadership and talent in his extracurricular activities.

Kolia shared that the organization had a tough time choosing among their many candidates, but ultimately chose the winner based on his versatility and his pursuit of academics as well as athletics.

“We feel like as much as you dedicate yourself to books, you also have to really understand how to move socially within a campus and high school because it gives you opportunities for what is to come after,” Kolia said.

Perez explained the motivation behind building an organization like La Unidad.

“Coming from low-income backgrounds, sometimes it can get hard in college to survive, find help from others or find mentors,” Perez said. “We bring in members to try to develop them and help them get through college along with helping them after college.”

Lorenzo Betancourt, fundraising chair for La Unidad, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, explained the organization’s motto “para siempre,” which translates to “for life.”

“We are a brotherhood for life, no matter what happens, no matter how far you go,” Betancourt said. “You always find brothers anywhere in the world. It is something that we really cherish and take to heart. I know there are a lot of alumni here, especially from [BU] and other colleges and chapters here today.”

The event showcased various acts from students in the BU community such as live music by From the Bronx and Kofi Waldron, along with a dance performance by Quimbamba Latin Dance Team.

Omar Acostra-Nunez, a member of From the Bronx and a junior majoring in philosophy, politics and law, expressed the band’s motivations in performing.

“For the most part, the reason we play is that there isn’t a lot of multicultural representation,” Acostra-Nunez said. “And we want to let people know that there is a space for us as well as the majority of minorities. We want to make ourselves known.”

The event concluded with some wise words from keynote speaker, Rich Fernandez ‘05, along with closing remarks from the E-Board with a fun and engaging performance to end the night. Additionally, when asked about future aspirations of the organization’s legacy, Kolia shared his wish to pave the way for younger generations to come, along with his personal experience of having upperclassmen as mentors who made sure that he had every resource to succeed.

“We just want to make sure that we are passing down that message, and we just want our viewers and audience to know that they can also make a change, and also make a difference,” Kolia said. “They can also help an individual that is aspiring to face future challenges and go on [to] future endeavors, so that they can really attack it with full confidence, so that they can achieve their goals.”