Before Alexis Hernandez Lopez CC’27 ever stepped onto Columbia’s campus, he knew he wanted to get involved with a group that would celebrate his Mexican-American culture. A resident of Wyoming, Hernandez Lopez was eager to be in a new, diverse environment that would help him connect with his heritage.
“My identity as a Latino person is very important to me and has shaped who I am,” he says. “I wanted an organization that would help me cultivate that and also help me find a community.”
Hernandez Lopez found a perfect fit with the Student Organization of Latines (SOL). An umbrella group for the 20 Latino affinity groups on campus, SOL plans events for the Latino community and offers support to its member clubs. After three years in other roles, Hernandez Lopez is spending his final year as president.
“It takes a significant effort, but I couldn’t be happier,” he says. “Not only am I responsible for the SOL executive board and committee, but also if any other member organization needs support, whether administrative or financial, we’re there to help.”
A political science and history major, Hernandez Lopez shared a look at how he and SOL’s members create experiences for the Columbia Latino community.
How do you work with the affinity groups under your umbrella?
We invite groups to collaborate with us, and we’re open to outreach from others as well. If an organization simply wants us to attach our name to an event it’s hosting and have our committee and board members publicize it, we’re more than happy to do that. We just want to have people connected on campus. We have a group chat with all of the other Latin organizations; their leadership can send information about their events and we can repost the information on our social pages to help them get the word out. We’ll never turn anyone down.
What does your planning look like?
We have weekly meetings that run about an hour, but I’m texting my colleagues pretty frequently about upcoming events and what we need to do. I was actually just texting them about an event we’re throwing in Riverside Park — Latino Olympics — to figure the logistics of our poster going up. I do kind of bombard them, but they are all super responsive and responsible. That’s what I love about this organization: The people who are in it really want to be here.
What are SOL’s signature events?
There are two each year. In the Fall, we have Noche de Orgullo, which highlights an underrepresented country with a dedicated cultural night. We invite all the Latino groups and set up tables to showcase that country’s culture; we’ll have a dance or other performance, food and a presentation about why we’re highlighting it. At our last meeting we decided which country we’re going to do this year — it’s going to be Colombia. The event will be on December 11.
In the Spring, we have Noche de Gala, a night to recognize everyone’s hard work during the past year. We organize it with Columbia Engineering’s undergraduate Latino organization. We’ll give out awards, like Best Volunteer Initiative or Best Social Event.
Do you have a favorite event that you’ve helped plan?
My favorite Noche de Orgullo was in my first year, when we highlighted Ecuador. I was introduced to what it means to be part of SOL and what a big event looks like, but it also showed me that there is such a connectedness within the Latin community at Columbia. Where I’m from, it’s not very diverse, so coming here and meeting so many people from so many different countries and backgrounds was so cool. I really enjoyed seeing all of our planning come together. That first year really showed me that I was in the right community and in the right organization.
What has been your favorite class at Columbia?
I’ve taken some great classes in the history department. I think my favorite was “US Lesbian and Gay History” with George Chauncey. He has an incredible way of teaching and it’s really engaging content. I was kind of sheltered and didn’t know that much about this area of history before coming to New York City; the class really opened my eyes and helped me formulate the topic for my senior thesis.
How have you taken advantage of being in NYC for college?
I’ve tried to immerse myself in the diversity of the city and explore neighborhoods outside of Morningside Heights. New York is such a great place to be a college student — you can be in the Columbia bubble when you want to but also expand outward. It’s also just so beautiful here; I run all the time in Riverside Park and along the West Side Highway. I’m really trying to take it all in before I graduate.
