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Friday, March 29
The Indiana Daily Student

student life

Sigma Lambda Gamma, La Casa organize dinner

Tostadas, tiramisu and pozole, a Mexican broth made with chicken, were on the table as people from different cultural backgrounds discussed their lives and interests Thursday night at the Colectiva Dinner.

The dinner was presented at La Casa Latino Cultural Center and organized by Sigma Lambda Gamma to bring people together.

Heather Coleman, senior and member of SLG, said the dinner gives people a chance to enjoy each other.

“They allow us to come in and host a colectiva dinner which gives you a chance to talk about different cultures and different foods,” Coleman said.

Coleman also said the dinner is a great opportunity for college students.

“Being a college student, you don’t have time to eat home-cooked meals all the time,” Coleman said. “So being able to come here and see your friends and eat and just have a good time and relax is always something great to do.”

Karina Garduno, graduate assistant at La Casa, said they try to make sure the “familia-like” dinner style of everyone sitting at one long table brings students together.

“For a lot of those students, they kind of make their own families here,” Garduno said. “They find people here that become their family and we would like to continue and foster that relationship.”

Garduno said the staff members aim to make La Casa a place where students can feel at home.

“The purpose for La Casa is to provide a place for Latino students where they can find the support that they need ... and also show the IU community what the Latino community is all about,” Garduno said.

Garduno said La Casa is planning to provide students with dinner throughout Dead Week.

“We have the Latino Graduate Association, we have some faculty members and then us, the La Casa staff, will be cooking for the students just to help them kind of get a break from studying and have them refuel,” Garduno said.

The complimentary dinners will take place from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday.

Alberto Samaniego, a graduate student from Paraguay, said he found out about the event while he was at La Casa.

“Many people are here from Latin America, but people tend to think people even though that they are from Latin America they share the same culture,” Samanegio said.

“We have similar cultures, but they are all different. I mean the food I’m having here is the first time I had this kind of food.”

Samanegio said La Casa is a great place to hangout.

“La Casa means ‘the house’ or ‘the home’ and it really feels like home,” Samanegio said.

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