Campuses participate in new frontier
by Roxanna Latifi, NW News Editor

   With Latinos being the largest minority, they have new grounds to break in La Nueva Frontera, or the new frontier, students from across Texas learned at a Texas A&M University conference recently.

   The Organization of Latin and American Students from NE Cam-pus and the Texas Association of Mexican American College Students from SE Campus represented TCC at the conference sponsored by SCOLA.

   SCOLA's mission is to create a platform for students from diverse backgrounds to unite and discuss Latino issues as well as to promote methods of empowerment.

   Speakers from around the nation conducted sessions. They included Daniel Gutierrez, CEO of his company and consultant to Fortune 500 companies; Raul Salinas, poet and author of Chicano literature, and Dr. Jose Angel Gutierrez, Chicano movement activist and founder of many civil rights movements.

   Daniel Hernandez, associate vice chancellor of community development for Texas A&M, conducted a session on how to be culturally mobile.

   Hernandez told his audience that to excel in one's life, one must be existential, or see the big picture.

   Hernandez believes that attaining an open mind leads to being aware of what is around someone and helps one avoid stereotypes that lead to unhealthy assumptions. Hernandez also stressed the importance of communication. He advised his students to learn each other's beliefs, values and other aspects that make up one's culture.

   Discussions between students and mediators concerned Latinos as the leading minority, strategies of increasing Latino unity, education and awareness.

   Many found through the sessions that even though they come from the same background, they have opposing viewpoints, Josue Munoz, SE Spanish instructor and TAMACS advisor, said.

   "I believe the students benefited greatly. They were exposed to different opinions and points of view," he said.

   "Students realized that we don't think alike even though we are Hispanics. We come from different cultures," Munoz added.

   Forums focused on issues Latino face in and out of college.

   Jesse Sosa, parliamentarian of OLAS said the conference was beneficial toward his outlook on life as a Latino.

   "The conference motivated you to take pride in your culture and to make people aware that we are a growing population," he said.

   Gutierrez, keynote speaker at the closing banquet, said Latinos are a mass and unique population with a promising future.

   He said thinking positive is the key to achieving goals.

   "To strive as a Latino population, we must not only have goals, but also accomplish those goals," he said. "Tell yourself that you are the best at what you do, and believe it."