Baruch College’s Mexiculture Club hosted a festive Cinco De Mayo celebration on May 3 in the student lounge area.

The event was in co-collaboration with the Ecuadorian club and Baruch’s Undergraduate Student Government Organization.

The event brought together students from diverse backgrounds to commemorate Mexico’s victory over the French army at the Battle of Puebla in May of 1862.

Students who attended said they had one goal in mind — to have an enjoyable time. Students of all backgrounds were invited to attend the event.

Leslye Alarcon said she was excited to be present at the event to show solidarity, despite not being of Mexican background.

“I’m actually very happy to be at this event,” Alarcon said. “It is really nice to see everyone from the Latino community come together.

Alarcon said her favorite part of the celebration was learning how to play the games that the club provided to attendees.

Students who attended the event called the celebration a first-time attempt at enjoying the benefits of student life at Baruch.

Emely Moreno, a human resource management sophomore, said she took the Mexiculture Club’s event as her opportunity to enjoy her chance at experiencing student life since enrolling at Baruch.

“This is actually my first event attending at Baruch, and I honestly, I’m very glad I came,” Moreno said. “I appreciate all the hard work from Mexiculture and the co-sponsor for the planning that went into it, games were fun, the music was great, and the food was delicious. I also met new people, which was great too.”

The celebration began at 6:30 p.m. Students lined up outside the entrance to the student lounge. Two lines were formed — one for students who RSVP’d in advance and one for students who were added to the waitlist.

The Mexiculture club decorated the event space with colorful balloon arches, streamers and banners.

There were dedicated spaces for dancing, while other corners of the area were dedicated to board games including dominoes and “La Lotería,” a Mexican game similar to bingo.

The dance floor was illuminated by neon lights.

Upbeat Latin music played throughout the evening, contributing to the lively atmosphere.

The event ended with a dance competition where the winner won a $25 gift card.

In addition to the celebratory component of the party, the Cinco De Mayo celebration was also an  educational event that helped bring Baruch’s Latino student community together for the holiday.

The event procided attendees with an opportunity to celebrate Mexican culture through food, music and games.

Mexiculture’s Dulce Vasquez Martinez spoke on the planning process that went into the Cinco de Mayo celebration praising fellow Latin clubs at Baruch for their assistance.

“The planning process for our Cinco de Mayo celebration was aided greatly by the support of the Undergraduate Student Government and the Chair of Clubs and Organizations,” Martinez said. It was heartening to see volunteers from the Ecuadorian Club, Mexiculture, LASO and ASEDOM come together to create a successful event.”