Members of the Latino Student Union are using this week to educate the campus community about the Latino Culture.

During Latino Awareness Week, LSU has numerous activities planned to discuss the Latino culture. Monday evening, LSU held a reception to discuss the group’s history, and last night, the group held a power point presentation highlighting the different cultures represented by the members in the organization, including Africa and India.

“We wanted to show that not only is (LSU) about Latin American, but all the students who make up LSU,” said Iris Resendez, president of LSU. “There’s a myth that when people see Latino Student Union, it’s only for Latinos, but it’s for everyone.”

The week’s activities will continue today with National Latino Career Day, which is the first one held at a state university in Ohio. Tomorrow, there will be a speech in Eppler South 307 about labeling the Latino community.

Alex Hernandez, a junior member of LSU, said she felt it is important to set aside a week and devote it to educating the campus about the Latino culture and encourages other ethnic groups to do the same.

“I think that everybody needs to be informed of the issues every culture has, not just Latinos,” she said. “Every kind of awareness is important.”

The annual Latino Awareness Week is open to the entire campus community and the city of Bowling Green. According to Hernandez, the week’s activities are not just for those who are uneducated about the culture.

“The purpose of the events are to educate anyone who wants to be educated,” she said. “You’ll learn something no matter what. Whether you’re in tune with every Latino culture or not, you’re definitely going to take something home with you.”

According to Resendez, Latino Awareness Week is just one way that the University is gaining a stronger cultural awareness, but that awareness is not yet as strong as it could or should be.

“I believe we’ve come a long way,” she said, “but we have to do a little more.”