120TH Anniversary HHM Venues, Times Confirmed

ST. PHILIP’S COLLEGE CONFIRMS VENUE LOCATIONS, TIMES FOR ITS 2018 120TH ANNIVERSARY HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENT LINEUP

Created during the 2018 NAACP National Convention in San Antonio, 20-year-old artist Yocelyn Riojas’ mural commemorating unity, diversity is the anchor artwork for most of the events

Today, St. Philip’s College confirmed venues for its 2018 120th Anniversary Hispanic Heritage Month lineup of free programs at two of the college’s campuses in September and October. 

With additional details to be announced in coming days, the highlights of the two-month observance are the 11th Anniversary edition of the college’s Best Tasting Salsa College Scholarship Competition (Oct. 4), new-for-2018 Weekly Voter Awareness activities at its 1801 Martin Luther King Drive and 800 Quintana Road locations (starting Sept. 18), and new-for-2018 International Flag Traditional Dress Day where all are invited to celebrate the people of the Americas by wearing clothing that honors all populations who reside in the Americas while eating rice dishes brought in potluck-style to represent a bevy of cultures (Oct. 11). All events are open to the public, and all are free for 2018, said college observance organizer Nina McGrath. 

In the nation’s largest Hispanic-majority city, at the nation’s only college designated as both a Historically Black College and a Hispanic Serving Institution, the month as observed at the college is traditionally a mix of activities independently underway and activities identified or created by a college committee.

The Weekly Voter Awareness and registration activities are run by members of the college’s Future United Latino Leaders for Change to encourage students and staff 18 years or older to become a registered voter. According to the student Faceboook page, group members are “…trying to push the importance of voting and voicing your opinions to the younger generations on campus. We hope that by hosting voter registration drives at school and bringing the registration process directly to the students, they realize how loud their voices can be and how important they are in the community!” A mural created during the 2018 NAACP National Convention in San Antonio for display during the voting awareness events at St. Philip's College’s Turbon Student Center will help prospective voters brush up on unity and diversity this fall. The mural artist is Yocelyn Riojas and her debut project at the 120-year-old college as an artist-in-residence at the Austin-based organization Jolt Texas is themed Diversity is Resistance. Organizers are suggesting that the pre-and-post viewing experience of Diversity is Resistance can be enhanced by viewing the artist's work online, and thinking about diversity and voting in new, personal ways. The signature work of Riojas is an event anchor piece that will also provide inspiration during both the Salsa Competition and the International Flag Traditional Dress Day events.

Salsa foodies enjoyed scooping, tasting and meeting with the entrepreneurial salsa chefs of the future during the 2017 St. Philip’s College Best Tasting Salsa Scholarship Competition: 10th Anniversary Edition, a one-hour judged salsa specialty food contest where the prizes were scholarships for two-person teams of local high school student chefs from La Vernia, Taft, Whitehouse, Floresville, Clemons, Steele, Brandeis and East Central high schools, had the following order of finish with monetary awards records set at the college in October of 2018:

Category (Monetary value of scholarship offer per team member) | High School

First ($500 each) | Brandeis High School

Second ($500 each) | Taft High School

Third ($500 each) | Whitehouse High School

People’s Choice Award ($500 each) | Taft High School

What distinguished each of the competing chefs for 2017 is that they were both high school seniors and they were interested in attending St. Philip’s College. What distinguished the food is that it was from a region where the family and commercial traditions of salsa making extend centuries deep, and new generations created the authentic salsas of the future during the contest. Visitors can expect similar scholarship, creative and entrepreneurial activity during the 2018 contest, returning to the college’s one-year-old Turbon Student Center for 2018, organizers shared this week. As candidate schools consider their competition invitation offers during the first weeks of class, the names of the participating teams will be announced in coming weeks, according to event organizers at the college.

The 2018 St. Philip's College President’s Lecture Series event of seminars and a free public lecture brings Hidden Figures author Margot Lee Shetterly Sept. 20 at 11 a.m. in the college’s 600-seat Watson Fine Arts Center at 1801 Martin Luther King Drive. Guests will hear from and ask important questions of an entrepreneur who once resided in Mexico for 11 years while founding an English-language newspaper there in addition to a career of working in investment banking and media startups, all-in-all a perfect program that coincides with the annual Hispanic Heritage Month observance at the world's only Historically Black College and Universities member institution with Hispanic Serving Institution status. Lecture admission and parking are both free, and lecture seating is available on a first-arrived, first-seated basis. That said, lecture seating reservations requests for large school, government and corporate groups are recommended and are accepted online now. Audience questions for Shetterly are being accepted online now and up to 48 hours prior to the lecture. Call lecture series committee chair Beautrice Butler at 210-486-2670 for details on the lecture series.

McGrath chairs the committee organizing some of the activities for the observance that is one of many events coinciding with the perennially exciting fall opening weeks of America's annual college, middle and high school seasons that include Hispanic Heritage Month beginning Sept. 15, Historically Black Colleges and Universities Week (Sept. 16-19) and Hispanic Serving Institutions Week (Sept. 17-23).

 “Stimulating critical thinking, public understanding and appreciation for both Hispanic culture and student success are fundamental to the St. Philip’s College experience,” said McGrath. “While we are pleased to offer the challenging, competitive scholarship and professional development opportunity for local high school students that is our signature Hispanic Heritage Month program, the Best Tasting Salsa Scholarship Contest on Oct. 4, we are excited to encourage all to keep an eye out for announcements as additional events are confirmed,” McGrath said.

Here’s a brief look at the series calendar of free community events for 2018:

Now-Dec. 19 | Mondays-Thursdays 7 a.m.-8 p.m., Fridays 7 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturdays 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Art Exhibition: Hispanic Contributions to the Visual Arts

The bevy of artists profiled by college archivist Rebecca Barnard ranges from Francisco Goya to Scherezade García

Exhibit Area of the SPC Center for Learning Resources | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free | Contact Archivist Rebecca Barnard (210) 486-2583 - Library Staff 210-486-7023 

Now-Dec. 19 | Mondays-Thursdays 8 a.m.-7 p.m., Fridays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Art Exhibition: Hispanic Contributions to the Visual Arts

The bevy of artists profiled by college archivist Rebecca Barnard ranges from Francisco Goya to Scherezade García

Library of the SPC Southwest Campus | Room C-132 of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free | Contact Archivist Rebecca Barnard (210) 486-2583 - Library Staff 210-486-7023 

Sept. 17 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Kickoff Event with Tacos, Mariachis and More

Foyer of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free 

Sept. 17 | Noon

Kickoff Event with Tacos, Mariachis and More – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here | here

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Sept. 18 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College with inspiring art by Yocelyn Riojas

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here | here

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Sept. 18 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics

Foyer of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free

Sept. 20 | 11 a.m.

St. Philip's College President’s Lecture Series with Hidden Figures author Margot Lee Shetterly

Guests will hear from and ask important questions of the entrepreneurial author currently working on numerous projects as she expands her Hidden Figures empire to new heights

Watson Fine Arts Center | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free | Contact Series Chair Beautrice Butler - 210-486-2670

Sept. 25 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College with inspiring art by Yocelyn Riojas

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Sept. 25 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics

Foyer of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free

Oct. 2 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College with inspiring art by Yocelyn Riojas

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Oct. 2 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics

Foyer of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free

Oct. 4 | 10 a.m.

Best Tasting Salsa College Scholarship Competition: 11th Anniversary Edition – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here | here

Specialty food tasting during competition for scholarships to SPC with local high school chefs

Turbon Student Center | Second Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Oct. 9 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College with inspiring art by Yocelyn Riojas

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

Oct. 9 | 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Voter Registration hosted by Future United Latino Leaders for Change at St. Philip’s College

Voting registration and conversation with students who are passionate about civics

Foyer of Building 1 | 800 Quintana Road | Free

Oct. 11 | 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

International Flag Traditional Dress Day – Art installation by Latinx designer, illustrator, and resistance artist Yocelyn Riojas here | here | here | here

All are invited to celebrate the people of the Americas by conversing while wearing clothing that honors all populations who reside in the Americas. Guests will enjoy fellowship while dining on the various rice dishes of the Americas as well.

Turbon Student Center | First Floor | 1801 Martin Luther King Drive | Free

For details, contact observance committee chair Nina McGrath, director, Academy of Fine Arts and Community Liaison, at 210-486-2704, nmcgrath@c178.net and see the observance season online in September at c178.net/spc.