Inclusion was the most important theme at the event “Somos Talentosos” this past Friday. Mi Familia, the Latin culture group on campus, organized this production. The event included musical performances, martial arts, spoken word poetry, skits and dances. Somos Talentosos was to celebrate the end of the year and to showcase students’ talents.
This is the fourth year of Somos Talentosos, according to Jorge Pacheco Santiago, the president of Mi Familia and a senior studying technology, engineering and design education. But this year, Pacheco Santiago said he wanted to create an event much larger and much more elaborate than the events of the past.
“I wanted to create an event that was going to celebrate all of the achievements of Mi Familia, but this year, because I am in my final year at NC State, I wanted to ensure that this event would have even more attractions,” Pacheco Santiago said. “And I think that I’ve had success with that. I worked very hard to make sure that everything would be perfect.”
Witherspoon Campus Cinema was decorated with multicolored balloons, the stage was illuminated with yellow lighting and the dress code was formal attire, as the event’s theme was Sábado Gigante. Students from the campus filled the theater, and the families of the participants came to give their support.
“Don Gabriel,” or Gabriel Carrión, was the host of the event, and he began by calling out various Latin American countries and waiting for applause. Carrión, a first-year student studying engineering, said that the purpose of Somos Talentosos was to present the success of the student community as well as to promote inclusion.
“To me, this isn’t an event that supports tolerance of Spanish speakers as a distinct culture, but it’s about the inclusion of those people as normal students,” Carrión said. “In reality, this event is open to all of the students on campus to participate in.”
For the students who participated in Somos Talentosos, the event meant a number of different things. For instance, Angelica Rodríguez, a member of the Latin dance group Sube Ritmo and a senior studying biological sciences, said that she was excited to present her dances.
“I’m excited to perform one dance in particular,” Rodríguez said. “It’s a combination of the tango and bachata, which is very interesting because those two dances are so distinct.”
She performed with her group Sube Ritmo as well as a belly dance on her own. Both were very popular with the audience and received a lot of applause.
Sube Ritmo began with Latin dances at the beginning, but as their performance continued, they danced to songs by groups from the United States as well. They danced to songs by Pitbull, Jidenna and Beyonce.
“My favorite parts were the dances by the group Sube Ritmo, of which I’m a member, and the martial arts because I used to do them when I was a kid,” Carrión said.
The second dance group was from Heritage High School, and four students presented a “Dance of the Flags” from various Latin countries. Rodríguez said Somos Talentosos was more than a presentation of talents, but a learning experience as well.
“I learned a lot about the Spanish-speaking culture,” Rodríguez said. “I know a lot about Puerto Rican culture, but there are so many more parts that are distinct and beautiful to learn about. I hope that the people who came, leave the event with more knowledge of the differences between distinct Hispanic communities.”
There was more during the talent production than just dances. Florecita Cruz Canseco, the administrative secretary of Mi Familia and a junior studying polymer and color chemistry, participated in a comedy skit for the audience named, “Children of the Conversation.” Her skit was a commentary on romantic relationships.
“To be honest, I don’t like speaking in front of groups of people,” Cruz Canseco said, “but Somos was offering an opportunity for me to improve, so I took it.”
There were also several singers and poets who performed at Somos Talentosos. Students Leah Anderson and Angie Rodríguez sang a duet, and Lucia Malaver performed a solo with the song “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World” by James Brown. Furthermore, students Emilie Mathura and Dina Ibrahim sang both “Sweet Pea,” by Amos Lee and “Work Song” by Hozier.
The event also included some conflict as well. During the first of the two conflicts, Cristiano Mendez and Rosario Domingo tried to complete their songs before a “lion” attacked them and pulled them off stage. (Editor’s note: Don’t worry — there wasn’t an actual lion, it was only a person in a costume.) There wasn’t a winner, either, because both of the singers were “eaten” by the end of the act.
Another instance of conflict was between two practitioners of martial arts. The act began with Alberto Moreno, a senior studying business administration, alone on stage. He searched for a participant from the audience and called upon Travis Stump. He instructed him to hold onto a wooden board. He broke several wooden boards with his hands and feet before a challenger, Leah Anderson, who also practices martial arts, wanted to compete with him.
Anderson broke two boards at the same time with her elbow, which seemed to impress the crowd. However, the competition ended when Moreno broke three boards with his hand.
Somos Talentosos ended with the presentation of the “Nelson Award” — in honor of the former Assistant Director for Hispanic Student Affairs Nelson Santiago — to Melissa Betancur, who is a recent graduate currently working as the program coordinator for Multicultural Student Affairs. Mi Familia also presented a video in recognition of the students in their final year of studies at NC State.
Then, starting at 9:30 p.m. after the talent showcase, there was an “After Somos Dance” with the Spanish radio station La Ley NC 101.1 FM providing the music.
“Somos Talentosos is the sum of our year, and it’s a chance for the Latino community to showcase various things,” Pacheco Santiago said. “This year, it just happened to be talent.”
