The Quad was filled with sights and sounds of the Hispanic people Sept. 18 as Slippery Rock University's Office for Inclusive Excellence hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event. Attendees had the opportunity to dine on Hispanic food while enjoying an authentic atmosphere augmented by Latino jazz music. Students were also able to learn "fast facts" about seven Hispanic countries - Chile, Belize, Mexico, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras - via informational trifolds; try their hand at creating paper flowers, a Mexican tradition that is also enjoyed on Cinco de Mayo and the Day of the Dead; or creating a Guatemalan worry doll. In traditional and modern times, worry dolls are given to brooding or sorrowful children. The children would tell their doll about their sorrows, fears and worries, then hide it under their pillow during the night. The next morning, all sorrows are said to have been taken away by the worry doll.
