Pride & Unity on Display: Hispanic Heritage Month Flag Raising

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Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated annually from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, honoring the contributions that Hispanic and Latino people have made to American society and global society.

At Montclair State University, students, faculty and administrators gathered outside Cole Hall on Sept. 16 to join the Office for Hispanic Initiatives and various student organizations in a processional to commence the start of Hispanic Heritage at Montclair State.

As the group walked to the Student Center Flagpoles, joy and unity were on display, as participants sang and danced to their favorite songs, all while representing their culture.

A ceremony followed with speeches from campus officials, state officials and student leaders representing several student organizations.

The Latin American Student Organization (LASO), Mexican-American Student Organization (MASA), Dominican Student Organization (DSO), Puerto Rican Student Organization (PRSO) and others were in attended the event.

Montclair State President, Jonathan Koppell, proclaimed Hispanic Heritage Month during the flag-raising ceremony and spoke about the university’s role as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI).

“We are looking for more opportunities to take advantage of the talent and the assets that we have,” Koppell said. “That’s what it means to develop excellence as an HSI, not to view it as something that happens to be an attribute to the university or that you cater to a population that has particular needs or demands, but to flip that around and say, ‘What can we do as an HSI that embraces excellence that other institutions are simply not capable of?”

Koppell then introduced Silvia Catalan-Culnan, a senior advocacy aide to Gov. Mikie Sherrill, who spoke about the importance of community and building relationships.

“You are part of our culture, you are part of our history,” Catalan-Culnan said. “Let’s see how we can meet one another, let’s see how we can share resources with one another, let’s see how we can build relationships with one another […] we have done amazing things.”

Leaders from student organizations, LASO president Abigail Diaz, also spoke during the ceremony.

“This place on campus allows allows all students to understand that they are not alone,” Diaz said. “There will always be a community that has their back.”

Mateo Llano, junior public health major, shared a story about how when he chose to pursue higher education, it was not just a choice he made for himself, but also a choice he made for his parents as well.

“I had a choice,” Llano said. “Walk in not knowing a single person, or not go [to Montclair State University] at all. Unity isn’t something we inherited, it’s something we choose to build.”

Sophomore music education major, Isabella Cruz, shared that she chose to attend the event to support the community. Cruz further explained why events like these are impactful to her and other students alike.

“It’s really special to me because in my previous schools, there’s not really celebrations like this,” Cruz said. “To be on a campus like this that has spaces for students like this, it’s really impactful.”

This year’s theme, “Together, We Are More,” highlights the incredible joy and unity events taking place at Montclair State throughout the month.

The month’s events will conclude with the sixth annual Hispanic Heritage Block Party on Oct. 14.