Thursday, The Hermana y Hermano organization, in coordination with the Student Activities Board,  Sigma Iota Alpha Hispanic Sorority and the Multicultural Center, will host their second large event commemorating Hispanic Heritage Month, La Lotería.

The event, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the St. Francis room of the Reng Student Union, will center around the attendees playing the classic Lotería game. Lotería, often nicknamed “Mexican bingo,” is played in many Mexican homes and acts as a symbol of the country’s traditions.

Amber Cisneros, a sophomore animal science major from Hope, Arkansas, and secretary of the Hermana y Hermano, said she is excited for the event to be represented on campus.

“[This event] is mostly about celebrating cultural traditions, and I would say that Loteria is a big part of a Mexican household,” Cisneros said. “It is a way for everyone to come together and play something, whether that be family or friends. It’s about coming together as a community and that’s what makes A-State feel so part of home.”

The SIA will award gift cards to various restaurants and stores around Jonesboro to the top three winners. Many Hispanic snacks will be served for the event, as well. 

President of SIA, Gabriela Alonso, a senior world languages and cultures major from Jonesboro, said SIA’s goal for the event is to spread awareness of Latino culture

“We just make events to do that and just also spread our love, our bond and show that we are a close community and variety,” Alonso said.

Jade Garibayd, a junior finance major from Los Angeles and president of the Hermana y Hermano organization, said she hopes the Lotería event makes attendees want to learn more about Hispanic traditions.

“I’m hoping for [the A-State community] to experience something new, and then for them to want to come to our future events to learn about other cultures,” Garibayd said. “That is our main goal, for people to experience it, to learn it, and want to do their own research on it afterwards, or even go travel and experience it all firsthand in a Hispanic country.”

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