White House Staffer to Address Hispanic Event
By Leon Stennis
Coordinator of Diversity Initiatives
Adam Chavarria, executive director for the White House Initiative on Excellence for Hispanic Americans, will give the keynote address at the area Hispanic Heritage Conference on Oct. 7 at Youngstown State University. The conference, the key event for the area’s observance of Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, will be held at 6:30 a.m. in the Chestnut Room of YSU’s Kilcawley Center. The conference theme is “Recognizing Hispanic Achievements.” Participants can park free in the M-1 parking are in the deck on Wick Ave. In addition to a presentation by the keynote speaker, the conference will include a flag ceremony with area Hispanic school children displaying heritage flags from 22 Hispanic countries, dance presentations, recognition of achievement in the local Hispanic community, awards presentations, refreshments and dancing to the music of a disc jockey.
Other events planned to observe Hispanic Heritage Month in the community
include:
• Art Displays – The Main Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown and
Mahoning County will display children’s artwork during the week of Oct.
10.
• Book Discussion - The Main Branch of the Public Library of Youngstown
and Mahoning County will sponsor a discussion of the book a topic of interst
to Hispanic community at 6 p.m. Thursday at its main branch, located at
Wick and Rayen avenues.
• Film Festival – Several films will be shown throughout the month at the
Organizacion Civica y Cultural Hispana Americana (OCCHA)
headquarters and in DeBartolo Hall on the YSU campus.
• Dance Presentations – Spanish dance classes classes will be offered at
the Fred Astaire Studios in Youngstwown and Warren for a for a nominal fee.
• Music and Displays on Campus – Spanish music will be played from 11 a.m.
to 1 p.m. throughout the month in the area just outside Kilcawley Center
on the YSU campus.
• The Children’s Museum of the Valley – Programs related to Hispanic heritage
will be held Oct. 4 through 7 at the museum, which is located at 139 E.
Boardman St. in downtown Youngstown. There will be no charge on Wednesday,
Oct. 5.
• Mill Creek Park – Hispanic Heritage Month can be celebrated with Ely Pugh
by learning to cook unique vegetarian dishes from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept.
28 at The Culinary Garden in Mill Creek Park. The registration fee is $25
for Fellows Riverside Gardens member and $32 for non-members.
Call Fellows Riverside Gardens at 330-740-7116 to register.
• Annual OCCHA Dinner Dance – The annual OCCHA dinner dance will
be held at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 21 at Mr. Anthony’s on South Avenue in
Boardman.
• Youngstown City Schools – Youngstown City Schools will sponsor programs,
displays, film showings, and incorporate the works of Hispanic authors in
some classes during the month.
• Latinas United Networking Association (L.U.N.A) – L.U.N.A. will sponsor
an event titled “Financial Literacy for Women” at Park Vista Retirement
on Sept. 16.
The conference’s keynote speaker joined the Bush Administration in December
of 2004. He is responsible for ensuring that the U.S. Department of Education
and all relevant federal agencies are promoting the participation of Hispanic
Americans in all federal education programs and services. He works closely
with the President’s Advisory
Commission to enlist its advice and recommendations in helping the Department
of Education improve the educational opportunities for Hispanic Americans.
A Mexican American and native of Harlingen, Texas, Chavarria was the first
in his family to earn degrees. He received a bachelor’s degree in political
science and a master’s degree in public administration from the University
of Minnesota.