When Catalina Ocampo came to the University from Colombia three years ago, she didn't feel compelled to become an active member of the Latino student community.
But by her third year, Ocampo had a newfound appreciation of the importance of Latino involvement at the University, where the Latino population has risen from .3 percent in the mid-1990s to 3 percent now. In her third year, Ocampo became president of La Sociedad Latina, the prominent Latino student organization on Grounds.
Speaking at a forum in the Rotunda Saturday morning, Ocampo and other Latino student leaders emphasized the need to energize Latino students and encourage them to become more vocal about University issues.
The Latino Peer Mentoring Program and the Office of the Dean of Students sponsored the First Annual Latino Leadership Development Conference, which also featured Latino alumni and administrators.
The event was held in recognition of Hispanic Heritage month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.
A panel of students and alumni at the conference said much progress has been made in increasing the visibility of the University's Latino community.
"When I first came to the University, I didn't see any other Latinos," said fourth-year College student Amanda Crane. Crane is a member of Omega Phi Beta, the University's first Latina-oriented sorority.
Crane said attendance at University events geared toward Latino students has increased dramatically since then, as has membership in La Sociedad Latina.
While Latino students have become more involved in cultural events at the University, the panel agreed that they still face obstacles in their mission to strengthen Latino influence on the University.
The panel stressed the difficulty of creating a unified organization out of the disparate elements of Latino culture.
"The Latino identity doesn't exist in the sense of pertaining to a single nation-state," said Asst. Dean of Students Pablo Davis. "It's still coming together before our eyes."
Crane said even Latino students fall prey to stereotypes about Latino culture.
"You go to a Latino party, and they serve only Mexican food," she said.
And because Latinos are geographically spread out at the University, many don't know each other, said second-year College student Karola Rangel, La Sociedad Latina's secretary.
Considering these obstacles, panelists highlighted the importance of redoubling efforts to make Latino viewpoints heard both at the University and throughout the nation.
The Latino community is underrepresented in schools and in the media, said third-year College student Gabriela Prudencio.
As a result, more Latino leaders are needed to voice the concerns of their community, she said.
"We need to demand that our leaders listen to our needs," fourth-year College student Tehama Lopez said.
Demographic trends indicate that Latinos will comprise the largest ethnic community in the nation in a few years, Lopez said.
Davis pressed students to take action if they perceive injustice toward Latinos.
"If you see something that bothers you, that's the seed of going forth and doing something about it," Davis said.
Keynote speaker William W. Harmon, vice president for student affairs, told students to "never become comfortable" with the state of affairs at the University.
"We need troublemakers to keep this place on its toes," Harmon said.
Ocampo also urged Latino leaders not to be content with the status quo.
"We need to shake things up," she said.
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