ABLA Events Celebrate Latinx Culture
By Bowdoin NewsDedicated members of the Conexiones Committee—volunteers who brainstorm and plan events—wanted to create meaningful opportunities for alumni to build community.
In New York City, alumni began the morning in Central Park with coffee and pastries from local Latinx-owned businesses. Spread across picnic blankets in the shade, alumni swapped stories about their time on campus and life in the city. With four decades of alumni represented, the strength and reach of the Bowdoin network was on full display.
After enjoying the light meal and conversation in Central Park, the group headed to the 116th Street Festival, which honors the city’s Puerto Rican community. Stretching across twenty blocks, the festival drew a huge, high-energy crowd. Vendors sold delicious bites, refreshing drinks, artwork, clothing, and more. The event also featured three different stages with a diverse lineup of performers.
“We were excited to tie our in-person gathering to a cultural event in the city, so we could not only bring alumni together, but also bond over a new and enriching experience,” shared Maya Reyes Bellavia ’16 and Carina Sandoval ’10.
ABLA’s summer of events continued in Chicago, where a group of alumni attended White Sox Mexican Heritage Night. “It really gives us the opportunity to come together as alumni in a setting where we can also embrace and celebrate our Latinx backgrounds and bond over the intersection of those shared experiences,” said Edgardo Sepulveda ’15, who originally proposed the event.
The team went all out in celebration, organizing pre-game concerts as well as a mariachi band performance between innings. The festivities also included special Mexican concessions and commemorative jerseys. More exciting for local fans than the result (a White Sox blowout!), the event offered a fantastic venue for alumni to meet other longtime Chicago residents as well as new arrivals.
Whether over coffee in Central Park or cheering from the stands in Chicago, these summer gatherings highlighted the power of celebrating shared identities and strengthening the lifelong connections that define the Bowdoin community. As ABLA looks toward Hispanic/Latin Heritage month this fall, even more opportunities to celebrate, connect, and build community are on the horizon.