Latin American Celebration at Avery Point

Release # 07079

Contact:
Karen Grava, Media Communications
(860) 486-3530

AVERY POINT , CT —   The University of Connecticut will celebrate of Latin American people and their cultures with a waterfront program on its campus on Oct. 1 from noon to 4 p.m.

The program, entitled “Latin American Heritage Day,” will feature an array of cultural arts including poetry, music, ethnic food, and Latin Rap. 

“This program, and others that will be held through the academic year, are serving as center points in the enhanced Avery Point campus diversity plan,” said Joseph Comprone, associate vice provost and head of the Avery Point campus. 

Other new programs being offered at the campus  include tutoring and mentoring programs at New London High School and local elementary schools, a partnership with the New London County Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Program, and an enhanced student recruitment effort focused on minority students.

The Latin American Heritage Day will feature:

• Poet Jose Gonzalez, a professor at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, who will read from a selection of poems for which he was named Poet of the Year by the New England Association of Teachers of English.Gonzalez oversees a website resource center on Latino literature that enables teachers and professionals at all academic levels to access works of Latino literature.           
• A Latin salsa band, Mikata, which will provide  an hour of music and dance.  Mikada has previously appeared at the Mohegan Sun Casino and the New London Sailfest.
• Nina Brown, who will provide Latin Rap.

Latin food will be provided by Fin’s Café, Avery Point’s resident café.

All performances will be held along the waterfront on Avery Point’s seaside campus.  They are free and open to the public.

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