Adelante, an organization committed to empowering Latino students at Seton Hall, hosted ‘After Hours: Redefine the Borders of Your Mind,’ a talk show event that promotes discussion on mental health, on Feb. 7.
Thiago Alves, a freshman business administration major and Adelante’s freshman ambassador, said the event “aimed to foster a deeper understanding of life experience and to challenge conventional narratives surrounding Latinx and other ethnic groups.”
“We were committed to exploring a wide range of perspectives…and celebrating the richness of diversity in thought and experience,” Alves said.
He said it is vital to provide an “accurate portrayal of the cultural and social life of a college student within the university community.”
Alves said the event, which was designed like a talk show or podcast, was more “intimate” than in previous semesters. He said the executive board was surprised to find many students eager to share their experiences with the larger group.
Isabella Cruz, a junior diplomacy and international relations major and vice president of Adelante, said the event aimed “to spread awareness for mental health by creating a safe and welcoming space for conversations to begin.”
“As the largest Latin organization on campus, we aspire to share our voices and create spaces which allow each of us to be heard,” Cruz said. “By having these thought-provoking conversations, we are not only spreading Latino consciousness but leaving a legacy for generations to come.”
Cruz said the discussion “ranged from serious to lighthearted topics to cultivate an enjoyable ambiance among participants.”
“This is one of our long-lasting legacy events and with that comes a lot of seriousness,” Cruz said. “It alludes that it’s going to be more of a fun conversation and not a serious lecture.”
Cruz said holding the event in the form of a talk show helped minimize the “discomfort of discussing such a heavy topic.”
Cruz said although Adelante is generally geared toward Latino students, the event attracted multiple attendees from outside the organization.
Anthony Samaniego, a junior diplomacy and international relations major and Adelante’s secretary, said the event focuses on “breaking down barriers for Latino students and all college students who struggle to address various societal issues.”
“It was an open space to share personal stories about mental health struggles without judgmental responses in return,” Samaniego said.
Samaniego said events like the talk show “serve to bring [their] members closer together and find commonality.”
“Being part of planning and a speaker for the event taught me that we are all learning to live life at the same time,” Alves said. “We each have our good and bad days, and when we provide safe environments to discuss extremely important topics, we are not only building bridges, but we are possibly saving lives.”
Peyton Hruska, Campus Life Editor, can be reached at peyton.hruska@student.shu.edu
