ALANA Week Highlights Fashion Show, Peace Walk, Alumni Inspiration

The 27th annual African, Latino, Asian and Native American Student Leadership Conference began Sept. 21, with a multicultural extravaganza — the popular fashion show — before moving on to the Unity Peace Walk, alumni panels, workshops and banquet.

“ALANA week itself is one of the biggest events of the whole semester,” says Justin Brantley ’15, president of the Black Student Union and one of the organizers of ALANA.

This year’s theme, “Nature’s Essence,” featured workshops in the exploration of natural remedies in Latino culture, leading up to the finale, an Alumni Networking Fair along the Campus Center concourse.

The annual banquet and dessert reception featured the rapid-fire spoken-word
poetry of entertainer Oveous Maximus and dancing to the music of Rufaro Matombo ’12.

“It’s not just social events,” says Louis Rodriguez ’14, a senior wellness management major and volunteer organizer. “We work at informing people of what ALANA is all about.”

ALANA Week began 27 years ago under the leadership of Tyrone Holmes ’89, a former assistant director of Hewitt Union and Howard Gordon ’74 M ’78, now executive assistant to college President Deborah F. Stanley. The conference seeks to inspire young people of all cultures to develop leadership skills and improve multicultural understanding.

—Office of Public Affairs

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