A Deep Dive into LASO’s Noche Latina Theme this Semester

By: Mayra Coyoy

Word Count: 732

Estimated Read Time: 4 minutes

Lali (left) and Lupe (right) are event coordinators for LASO (Latin American Student Organization). Lali is an Information Systems Junior with a track in interface design. She is a proud Mexican-American and a Montgomery County native. Lupe is a psychology major and a proud Mexican from Puebla, based in Salisbury, MD. (Photo by Litzy Raymundo, April 22, 2026)

When I sat down with the event coordinators behind this semester’s Noche Latina, I expected to hear about logistics and maybe the planning process for a large event. While these things did come up, something else loomed on the horizon. It was what was harder to quantify: Intention. Noche isn't just an organized event, it's felt.

Each semester, Noche Latina returns as one of the most anticipated events on campus for the Latine community at Towson University, but reducing it to just a dance, or a Latin “prom”, would miss its deeper significance. Noche is not just about dressing up and dancing; it's about creating a space that many students don't often get to experience elsewhere. 

“There are limited Latin events,” said Lupe, one of the event coordinators of LASO, as she emphasized why Noche matters so much. It becomes that one moment near the end of the semester where culture is centered rather than peripheral. A space where students don't have to explain themselves; they simply exist in it.

What I found especially powerful is that Noche is intentionally not exclusive. While rooted in Latin culture, it invites others into it. It collaborates with organizations outside the Latin community at Towson, opens its doors to neighboring schools, and cultivates an environment where people who may never have engaged with Latin traditions can do so in a welcoming rather than intimidating way.

Lali is an Information Systems junior with a track in interface design. She is a proud Mexican-American and a Montgomery County native. (Photo by Ashley Gonzalez, January 30, 2026; taken in Round )

This year’s theme, Noche De Sueños, a night of dreams, at first sounds dreamy, almost cinematic. But according to Lali, the other event coordinator for LASO, “it is a reminder as to why we are here. We are not only here for our dreams, but the dreams of our parents who, in many cases, sacrifice themselves for us to be where we are.”

However, without being explicitly stated, the idea connects to something deeper within the Latin community on campus: striving. Many students are not just chasing their own dreams, rather they are continuing the dreams that began long before them. Dreams carried by parents, families, and sacrifices that often go unseen. That weight, that purpose, exists quietly beneath the surface of events like Noche. 

Psychology major and proud Mexican with family from Puebla, based in Salisbury, MD. A sophomore in her second semester with LASO and first semester as an events coordinator. (Photo by Litzy Raymundo, January 30, 2026; taken in Round )

At the same time, the event doesn’t ignore reality. Conversations about family, immigration, and the pressures placed on Latin students surfaced naturally. There’s an awareness that being here, being able to celebrate at all, is tied to something much larger. In that context, Noche becomes more than a party; it becomes a form of resistance, visibility, and joy despite everything. 

Still, joy is central. You see it in the traditions woven into the night, elements such as choreographed dances. Latin music that spans genres, and food that brings people together, said Lali.  You also see it in the effort to make everyone feel included, like pre-Noche dance workshops that break down the stereotype that Latinos “know how to dance.” This particular detail stuck with me. It says, "You belong here, even if you're still learning."

Something that kept circling back as I interviewed the event coordinators was the care that goes into something many people might take for granted. Behind the photobooth, the performances, the decorations that match the theme, there’s a team working within tight budgets, trying to create something meaningful for hundreds of people, and they do not do it for recognition, but for impact, for the moment when someone walks in and feels like they’ve found their place. 

As someone listening to their stories, I started to see Noche differently. It’s easy to attend an event and focus on what’s in front of you. The music, the outfits, the energy. But Noche asks you, whether you realized it or not, to think about what’s behind it: the community, the history, the intention. 

For students outside the Latin community, Noche can be an introduction. A first exposure, a realization that there is a vibrant, connected community on campus that they may not have noticed before. And sometimes, that's all it takes to make someone feel less alone, to help them find their people. 

If Noche Latina under the stars represents anything, I think it’s this: even in a space that might feel small, something expansive can exist. A single night can hold culture, struggle, celebration, and connection all at once. 

And maybe that’s what makes it unforgettable. Not just the way it looks, but the way it makes people feel seen.