As a fun way to commemorate Latino Heritage Month, Sigma Lambda Beta, in collaboration with members of the LHM committee, held a fiesta dance Saturday night in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

This monthlong celebration, which lasts from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, has been held for the past 15 years to encourage awareness of Latino culture among all Americans. The planning for the event, as well as the other LHM events, was done by the LHM Committee and has been going on since the end of last year’s celebration.

“Every year, at the end of one event, we are already planning for the next,” said Rolando Chacon, senior in apparel merchandising, design and production and president of Sigma Lambda Beta. “We are students that want to be leaders on campus.”

The night started off with dance lessons in bachata, salsa and merengue, led by Geoffrey Spain, graduate student-undeclared and treasurer of the organization Descarga Latin Dance. These three dances are just a few that are commonly performed in Latin American countries.

“These dances are the most popular – everybody wants to dance salsa, everybody wants to dance meringue,” said Elbia Del Llano, sophomore in chemical engineering.

Spain first taught the basic dance steps to bachata, but more people and committee members came in, adding their own flavors to the steps. While some couples twirled around the floor others taught new arrivals how to dance salsa and merengue.

Once enough people had learned the moves, the band of the night, Everardo y Su Flota, began playing music, providing a common hip-shaking beat to move to. The band is a Chicago-based 11-person ensemble that plays six genres of Latin music, ranging from salsa to bachata. The fiesta dance lasted from 8 p.m. until approximately 1 a.m.

Chacon said he hoped this event will bring more “cultural awareness to campus.”

According to its brochure, the LHM committee at Iowa State was established in 1992 with the purpose of organizing activities to celebrate Latino Heritage Month. Its objectives have evolved to “provide their members [with] the ability to develop into future leaders in the community.”