Ten contributors to The Chachalaca Review presented their work last Thursday during Noche de MAS.
The annual event, hosted by the UTRGV Mexican American Studies program, aims to promote Mexican American Studies on the Brownsville campus, showcase La Unión de Nepantleras de Aztlán, or LUNA, a Mexican American Studies organization, and promote the launch of Volume 5 of The Chachalaca Review magazine, according to Janie Camero, an Interdisciplinary Program & Community Engagement student assistant and president of LUNA.
“It’s very important because it is a cultural expression, the work that is found in The Chachalaca Review, because there is really emotionally charged pieces at times and then there’s just a knowledge that Mexican American Studies is here in Brownsville,” Camero said. “A lot of people do not know that this program exists on this campus.”
The event was sponsored by the Mexican American Studies program, the Center for Mexican American Studies and the B-3 Institute.
The Mexican American Studies’ mission is to “recognize, validate, and engage with students, faculty, and Mexican American, Chican@ and Latin@ communities as agents of conocimiento and knowledge,” according to its webpage.
More than 40 people attended the event, and some of the contributors to The Chachalaca Review read and explained their pieces.
The Spring 2019 volume of the magazine contains four parts, which are emerging reality, events from the universe, worlds within and challenging reality.
Alexi Sheets, a Los Fresnos High School senior, presented two pieces of art, titled “My Reality” and “Order Up!!!”
Asked why she decided to share her work, Sheets replied she was inspired.
“I love the, kind of, thought behind it and, like, the concept of challenging reality,” she said. “I thought that was really interesting and it made me think about, ‘What is reality?’”
Sheets said students should attend these events because it is important to connect with other artists and what they think of “challenging reality.”
Miryam Espinosa-Dulanto, a UTRGV assistant professor for Teaching and Learning, read a poem titled “I Am Who I Am,” and decided to share it because she thinks it is important to make sure people respect other’s identities and strengths.
“We learn so much,” she said, explaining why it is important for students to attend the event. “We learn so much from each other and I think it’s so beautiful to see so much talent that is here.”
Rosalba Gómez, a Texas Southmost College education sophomore, read a poem titled “Missing You.”
Gómez believes students should attend these events because they bring awareness of the arts.
“Not a lot of people want to focus on the arts,” she said. “A lot of art majors are having to work some other jobs and this brings out people who have it in their souls to do art and it’s OK if they want to do art.”
The event included an introduction to the Mexican American Studies program with testimonials from students in Juana Dolores Montiel’s class and a presentation of a MAS graduation stole to Alejandro Sanchez.
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