Under low lighting and between scattered pink and purple balloons, DePaul students mirrored instructions for dancing bachata. The skill level among participants varied, but all were intent on completing the motions and having a good time.
DePaul’s Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity and Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority banded together to host their annual “Horchata y Bachata” event on Monday evening at Courtelyou Commons in DePaul’s Lincoln Park campus. The event featured a bachata dance lesson taught by two Gamma members, a photo backdrop and games like Jenga. Conchas, or Mexican sweet bread, and Mexican horchata, a traditional sweet beverage made from rice, were served.
All the tables were decorated with a pink flower centerpiece and draped in pink or purple plastic tablecloths, representing the organizations’ colors.
Bachata, a Latine music genre and style of dance, follows an eight-count rhythm, features side-to-side steps and turns and is generally considered smooth and romantic. Though it originated in the Dominican Republic, it is popular across Latin America.
Miguel Hernández, the Beta’s financial chair, said the Horchata y Bachata event makes many people feel seen.
“I’m sure a lot of first generation Latino students have gone to a lot of family parties, like quinceañeras, weddings, all that type of stuff. And with bachata, I personally feel like it’s like a staple in those types of parties,” Hernández said.
Jeniri Campos, a DePaul junior, does not consider herself a dancer. Nonetheless, she found herself having fun.
“I don’t really have any dancing experience… So coming to stuff like this is really nice, because it also shows me that I’m not the only one. There’s other people too, that want to learn and that are willing to learn, and then there’s also people that are willing to teach and want to teach,” Campos said.
She said she appreciates how the event promotes community.
“If you’re a Latino that wants to meet Latinos, these are the types of events to come to,” Campos said.
The Beta and Gamma chapters have been planning the event since last quarter, said Natalie Galindo, the Gamma’s cultural awareness and morals and ethics chair. Partnering up with the Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity, considering the group’s similar values, was a way to honor their roots, she added.
The Beta and Gamma organizations were both founded at the University of Iowa in April 1986 and 1990, respectively. The DePaul chapters of those organizations, though multicultural, were founded to serve the needs of Latine students.
“An event like this, especially in this time, is very eye-opening and insightful to what our cultures are like,” Galindo said.
About 40 people attended Horchata y Bachata. Many were part of chapters under DePaul’s Multicultural Greek Council.
Jarely Ruiz, a DePaul junior, is an active member of Alpha Psi Lambda, the first and largest Latine co-educational fraternity in the U.S. She values the cultural representation that multicultural Greek organizations bring.
“One of the reasons why I joined Alpha Psi is because I just didn’t see myself in the classroom as much. I saw myself as maybe a professional and stuff, but I didn’t see a lot of my peers as Latinos … So just finding a community that represents your roots and celebrates that is what’s super important for me,” Ruiz said.
Along with demonstrating positive cultural representation, Horchata y Bachata gave Greek life members a chance to support one another, Ruiz added.
“We love the Gammas and the Betas… You feel the community and just everyone getting along and having fun together,” Ruiz said.
