Multicultural organizations will welcome students back to campus and introduce them to their culture at the minority faculty, staff and student reception.

The reception will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union Ballroom, and there will be ice cream, cookies and punch.

Groups including the Black Student Union, the Asian American Association, the Latin American Student Organization and TRiO will be available to talk with students.

Anyone is welcome to come to the reception, said Mona Davenport, the director of minority affairs. Sign in sheets for each registered student organization will be available as well as upcoming meeting dates.

“It is a fun, interactive, informal welcome,” Davenport said.

Davenport said she would like for students to see the multiple organizations available at the college level and to help them get involved.

“Some first-generation students think college will be hard and strenuous. We want to give them ways to relax and meet new friends (through RSOs),” Davenport said.

Pantherpalooza on Monday, August 28 in the South Quad is another opportunity for students to get involved and meet organizations, she said.

Stephanie Beltran, sophomore biological sciences major and vice president of the Latin American Student Organization, said at the reception LASO will promote an informational meeting that will be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Java Beanery and Bakery in the Union.

“We are also going to promote a get-together to bond, so (students) are able to get to know us,” Beltran said.

Beltran said LASO does a lot of volunteering activities, and their “philosophy is to promote cultural awareness of the Latino community.”

Beltran said she hopes people come to the event tomorrow not only for information about LASO, but also to learn more about all the different minority RSOs on campus.

“You get to learn a little bit more about different individuals and different cultures,” she said.

Another event happening this semester hosted by the Office of Minority Affairs is the Latin Heritage Month Kick-Off Reception in Doudna September 15. This event is called “Taste of Latin Culture.”

After the kickoff, LASO will be hosting a variety of events to celebrate Latin Heritage Month.

“It is nice to learn about and view a little bit of someone else’s life and see how their families were brought up,” Beltran said.

For example, Beltran said in the United States Christmas is a popular holiday, but in Mexico people celebrate Three Kings Day in January.

As part of LASO’s Dia de los Muertos celebration on October 31, Beltran said they will be giving away free t-shirts for students who complete worksheets.

Davenport said, in October, there will be faculty and staff diversity training, and the Black Student Reunion in November.

Kennedy Nolen can be reached at 581-2812 or kdnolen@eiu.edu.