Students receives much needed Latin flavor
Mojitos, tango, flan... Latino Cultural Night delivers
Thomas Vo
Issue date: 5/12/09 Section: Detour
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This year's LCN theme centered on the cultures of Argentina and Cuba. They focused on a few specific countries, instead of spreading themselves too thin trying to incorporate all Latino cultures. I liked how the concentration was placed on cultures that traditionally do not get the spotlight, Argentinian and Cuban. At times, however, I was unsure of which of the two cultures was being presented.
The food at LCN was a mix of the two cultures, and was hit or miss for me. I enjoyed the empanadas; one was filled with meat and the other with cheese and beans. I also liked the dessert: flan with ice cream. However, the coconut chicken was barely a step up from Sodexho and the potatoes (which looked promising) were dried out and under seasoned.
There was also a selection of drinks served before the event began; watermelon mint mojitos and mango smoothies. The drinks were decent at best, although ice-blended drinks generally worsen over time as the ice dilutes the flavor of the drink when it melts. I also had a problem with the watermelon mint mojito. It tasted fine, but it was definitely not anything close to a mojito.
The performances were all great. Although the event was pretty small when compared to some of Saint Mary's other cultural nights, I enjoyed all the performances. Standouts included guitarist A.J. Garcia '10 and singer Karina Becerra '12 who put on a near perfect performance and the Merengue dancers who came out with great energy. Despite some exemplary performances, there were times of complete silence. Although this was expected reverence, extended periods of silence only made it that much more awkward.
The tango, which would have been visually pleasing, but was obscured by the use of a red spotlight. This may have been used to convey a sensual feel, but it simply made it hard to see. Finally, the MCs did a great job: they were personable to the audience, cracking jokes and asking questions, and they also seemed to have rehearsed well enough that they were not reading word for word from a script.
Although there were a few hiccups and misses along the way, LCN 2009 succeeded in presenting an enjoyable night for all. Even with the less than full turnout (come on SMC students! Show your support!), the Soda Center was still packed with energy.
Grade: B+