Masuk Free Press

For many years, Masuk has celebrated Hispanic culture in one fun event in October. Latin Night is a celebration of Hispanic Heritage in a night of dancing, food and music. People of all different backgrounds and cultures come out and celebrate, creating a magical atmosphere different from any other Masuk event. This year, it landed on October, Wednesday 22nd, right after the end of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Every year, Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Originating as a week-long celebration, Hispanic Heritage Month expanded into a month in 1988. Hispanic Heritage Month is a national recognition of the contributions of Hispanic and Latino people. Masuk’s annual Latin Night is a bright and fun way to cap off the Hispanic Heritage Month, through dancing, food, decorations and music.

Joel Castillo, a Spanish teacher at Masuk High School, said, “Our expectations are just to have a bunch of people, students, families, friends, people from our community, neighboring communities are all welcome to come and have a good time,”

As Castillo predicted, the event’s cultural impact seemed to be impactful among Hispanic and non-Hispanic students alike.

Senior Zoe Esteves, vice president of the Spanish club, said, “Getting to be part of a celebration that celebrates my people and my culture and what I am accustomed to, what I’ve grown up around, my family, it means a lot to me to be able to be represented in that way.”

However, you don’t have to be Hispanic to enjoy the night. Senior Chloe Shao said that even though she’s not Hispanic, “I enjoy it a lot, like the food, listen to the music, and learning new dances,” adding, “It’s just really fun,”

This year, Latin Night came complete with catered food, a live salsa band, DJs, and a wonderful atmosphere.

The food, catered by El Coquito, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Bridgeport, CT seemed to be a huge hit. Featuring pernil (roasted pork shoulder), arroz amarillo con gandules (yellow rice with pidgin peas), pollo guisado (chicken stew), and arroz blanco (white rice), and your choice of beef or chicken empanadas. After dinner, a dessert of tres leches (3 milk cake) was served, provided by Castillo’s family.

“My favorite part of the night so far has absolutely been the food,” said senior Chase Gakos. “Specifically, the beef empanadas,”

For many, the food is a largely memorable addition to the night. Castillo said that has talked to already graduated students who said one of their favorite memories was the food from Latin Night, and went to the restaurant on their own to get food afterwards.

Just for the night, the Masuk Cafeteria was turned into a gorgeous venue. Thanks to the help of volunteers and the Spanish Club, flags of different Hispanic countries hung on the walls, and there were fun fact posters distributed throughout the tables. There was papel picado, or perforated paper, a Mexican craft, hung on the walls, handmade by the students of Masuk’s Spanish Club. The club also contributed centerpieces on tables that showed cultural elements of Hispanic countries, such as landmarks.

One thing that made the night just so much better was the music. From the quality of the DJ-ing to the live band, it created a lively atmosphere that had many up and dancing. During the DJ parts of the night, they played a variety of latin genres, from merengue to the famous reggaeton. The band, Orchestra Afinke, played live salsa music, a unique experience for many. Their setlist included classic salsa such as “La Rebelión” and “Michela”, as well as Bad Bunny’s song, “Baile Inolvidable”.

“The band was one of the best parts,” said sophomore Alaina Sy. “It was very engaging and very energetic, and a lot of fun to dance to.”

The night had around 130 people in attendance. Cost varied based on age. To pay for the food, adults paid 20$, high school students paid 15$, and children paid 10$, but if you were not eating, you did not have to pay.

However, this night couldn’t have been possible without all of the support from the community. Student volunteers, the Spanish Club, the entire world language department and the administration all helped to make the night as spectacular as it was.

Overall, it was all smiles and an awesome night that will hopefully continue to be a hit for years to come.