McGill is home to various identity-based clubs that enrich its student life. One of the largest is the Spanish and Latin American Students’ Association (SLASA), which boasts over 1,900 members. SLASA offers a vibrant community-driven space for Hispanic and Latinx students on campus.
Since the academic year began, SLASA has hosted a wide array of events to unite Hispanic and Latinx communities. The longest-running one is “Coffee and Spanish,” a bi-monthly event where students can practice their Spanish in a social, stress-free, and fun environment. Each session attracts 25 to 30 students looking to meet new people and reconnect with their culture through language.
Eugenie Renaudo, U3 Arts, told The Tribune that “Coffee and Spanish” is her favourite SLASA activity.
“I love it because I found a lot of my Latino best friends [there]. You get to speak in Spanish, which I didn’t do during my highschool in France,” she said.
October was a busy month for SLASA, with activities stacked one after the other. On Oct. 4, the club launched a mentorship program that pairs students based on their interests and cultural backgrounds. They hosted a Latin America-themed Trivia Night with free food and drinks on Oct. 9. Then, on Oct. 25, the club organized the Latin American Consulate Panel in honour of Latin American and Hispanic Heritage Month. For this popular event, which attracted over 100 students, SLASA invited four Latin American consular representatives to discuss how youth can integrate themselves into Canadian professions.
Finally, SLASA celebrated Día de los Muertos on Oct. 30 with a get-together at Tacos Lakalaka, offering members a chance to connect and honour the holiday in a fun, non-academic setting.
Attendee Alejandro Sotelo Tapias, U1 Management, highlighted the appeal of participating in the club’s events.
“SLASA’s activities are fun to be at. It can help people from the Latino community like me to meet other people who are Latino,” Tapias explained.
Through its events, SLASA aims to create a home away from home for students, understanding how challenging it can be to stay connected to one’s culture while being abroad.
Co-President Uma Le Daca Jolicoeur, U3 Arts, shared the executive team’s vision for SLASA, emphasizing the unique sense of belonging that comes from connecting with peers from similar backgrounds.
“Part of our goal or mission is to make people at home and have more of a cultural base in terms of language and social interactions,” she declared. “[There are] certain things that you cannot talk about with friends that are not from the same cultural background as you.”
Going forward, SLASA is working to make events more inclusive for Portuguese-speaking Latinx.
Co-President Júlia de Oliveira Lima Gaspar, a U3 Arts student from Brazil, is helping organize a Brazilian party and a “Coffee and Portuguese” event to increase representation for the community. “A big part of Latin America is South America, and which Brazil is such a big part of,” she emphasized, referencing Brazil’s over 214 million Portuguese speakers.
Non-Latin-American and Hispanic students are invited to attend SLASA events as well.
“It’s not just for Latinos, it’s for people that are interested in Latin American culture and learning Spanish,” Susana Baquero Salah, U3 Arts and SLASA’s Vice President Events, shared. “Going to SLASA is important for me to reconnect with my peers, with my people, and preserving the culture. And it’s also a lot of fun.”
For some, like Emmanuel Menacho Tardieu, U4 Engineering, SLASA provides a break from academic stress.
“My major is pretty stressful, with a lot of homework, a lot of work to do but having this is the other side of the coin at McGill,” he stated.
Others, as Júlia de Oliveira Lima Gaspar puts it, “Join for the culture but stay for the community.”
To keep up with SLASA’s upcoming events, follow them on Instagram.
