Two Thousand Ten: A Year to Remember

Two thousand ten has been quite the year. As it comes to an end, it is the perfect time to reflect on the work achieved throughout the year. The Latin@s Stand Up! Movement (LSU) from Global Connections High School did just that. In this moment of reflection one achievement stood out the most: The Fiestas Patrias Parade.

The Fiestas Patrias Parade takes place each year to celebrate the independence of Mexico and other Latin American countries. This year Mexico celebrated its 200 years of independence from Spain. LSU joined the celebration by participating in the parade. It was their first participation in such event. With the help of all its members, LSU spent the entire summer gathering costumes, music, and plenty of energy.

The Fiestas Patrias Parade took place September 18 in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle. There were over 30 entries and LSU was proud to be one of them. LSU gathered 22 of its members, including community members and 3 of its co-founders. They decorated a truck with hand-made traditional flowers made of tissue paper, decorative paint, and a Mexican flag displayed on the hood of the truck. Most of the girls dressed in traditional outfits from head to toe.

Rafael Vazquez and Jose Lopez, co-founders of LSU, join the celebration. Jose wore a traditional Mariachi suit: “I loved to be able to do my Mexican scream out loud and feel proud to wear a Mariachi outfit,” confessed Lopez. The group was fortunate enough to have LEAP’s very own Chacal join them. He blended right in with all the energy and enthusiasm he displayed.

This parade wasn’t just a Mexican celebration. People from other Latin American countries were present as well. “The 2010 parade in South Park was a great experience letting the Latino community show their spirit and represent for their culture!” said LSU member Araceli Esparza. Araceli is currently a junior at Global Connections High School and has dedicated the past two years to the Latin@s Stand Up! Movement.

The parade commenced at the Sea Mar Community Health Center. LSU demonstrated their spirit through music, yelling, silly string, and lots of treats for the spectators. It concluded at the South Park Community Center where everyone enjoyed live music, food, and plenty of sunshine.

When it came time for the awards ceremony, it was LSU’s surprise to find out they were awarded the “Most Spirit Award”. This was LSU’s first year of participating in Fiestas Patrias Parade and they were amazed at how their hard work paid off.

LSU member, Chuyita Tejeda, had been a spectator of this parade in past years. She now had the opportunity to know what it was like to be a part of it all. “The best experience I ever [had] at a parade,” said Tejeda. Chuyita is also a junior at Global Connections High School and shows great dedication to LSU.

All of LSU’s members were excited about participating for the first time in the Fiestas Patrias Parade. They have even brainstorm ideas for next years’ parade. They want to return with the same, or more, enthusiasm as they did this year.

The year is coming to an end and with it comes the memories we most cherish. Those moments are what make the year worth remembering. Two thousand ten was indeed the year. We’ll just have to wait and see what 2011 has in store for LSU.

Written by Gabriela Osorio, co-founder of LSU, and currently a student at Highline Community College. She enjoys writing, reading, and spending time with her family.

The Latin@s Stand Up! Movement (LSU) is a student-oriented club at Global Connections High School in the Highline School District. They are committed to improve the educational outcomes of their peers through leadership, advocacy, and cultural awareness. LSU meets every Wednesday in Ms. Weseman’s room at 2:15 pm. All are welcomed to join. For more information, contact Gaby Osorio at g_osorio08@yahoo.com

Chillin’, Grillin’, and ... Postsecondary Education?

Side Note: REMINDER! LSU is having a fundraiser at the Panda Express in Burien Saturday July 31st, all you have to do is order some food and part of the proceeds will go to LSU. If that isn't enough motivation for you, below is a great reason why we should support this group.


LSU has done it again. On Sunday May 30, 2010, Latin@s Stand Up! Movement, better known as LSU (Movimiento Latin@s Arriba, in Spanish) had their 4th Annual Barbecue.

This group of Latino students from Global Connections High School in the Highline School District, was founded in 2006 by a couple of students after attending the LEAP Conference. “The LSU mission is to motivate Latin@ students to go for a higher education, prevent them from dropping out of high school, and college awareness. LSU also wishes to help the Latino community make good decisions and help increase their opportunity for a better life.”

Every year, among hosting other events, LSU celebrates the end of the school year with a BBQ for the Latino families in the community. In the past, the focus had been Global Connection students and families. This year the word spread to other members of the community whose children would soon attend high school.

“Me parece un muy buen grupo...me gustaría que mis hijas se involucraran en esto,” (“I think this is a very good group...I would like my daughters to get involved in this”), said a mother, whose daughters will soon attend high school.

The BBQ was hosted at Angle Lake in the city of SeaTac. Students, parents, friends, and members of the community all enjoyed the delicious food and music. Even Global Connections’ teachers and Principal Rick Harwood joined the celebration. Among them was LSU advisor Jill Weseman, who, along with other teachers, including Jennifer Wittenberg and AJ Campanelli, has supported the club back when it was only an idea. "Over the past four years, the LSU has become a powerful force for positive change in our school and community. The annual Family BBQ has drawn in new members and engaged their families in the work. This year's BBQ was completely planned and facilitated by parents and students, and was the most successful and well-attended it has ever been--despite the rain!"

As usual, the BBQ consisted of student-led workshops. In the past, the guest were divided into three groups and rotated to the different workshops. This year, due to the rain, the workshops were presented to the entire group of attendees.

The first workshop was presented by Rafael Vasquez, Jose Lopez, and Gabriela Osorio; three of the founders of LSU. Their workshop was entitled “Más Allá Del Salón” (Beyond the Classroom). The workshop invited parents to share their educational experiences and reflect on what educational goals they had in the past and whether or not they achieved them. The presenters also talked about what students should expect in college and what impacts college life may have on a students’ culture and points of view.

The second workshop was presented by Senior Yessica Perez. Yessica has been involved in LSU since the very beginning. She joined the group not long after it was created. She will be attending the University of Washington in Tacoma. Her workshop was about the DREAM Act. She had presented the same workshop in the 2010 LEAP Conference.

The third and final workshop was presented by two LSU parent volunteers, Lorena Mendez and Martha Maldonado. They shared their experiences in working with LSU with a slide show of photographs. These photographs reflected the dedication LSU and parent volunteers have had throughout the school year.

The Latin@s Stand Up! Movement had a successful BBQ this year. New faces from both the community and LSU itself brought about rewarding experiences. Nothing less was expected of them. Congratulations and hope next year’s BBQ is just as great.

Brought to you by Gaby Osorio, LEAP Volunteer and Scholarship Recipient