Latino Student Association adviser Carmen Rudin said she visits Latino students during their lunches, reminding them about startup of the group and the importance of their participation.

“We need them to be part of this,” Rudin said. “They all can bring something that we all need to share, and we want changes in all kinds of areas. We have to get together and talk.”

Rudin, in her fifth year of working with the group, said she does not have an exact starting date, but hopes the first meeting can take place in the next couple weeks.

“(We) were talking between second week of October to third week,” Rudin said. “We hope it could be before that because a lot of the groups already have their (starting) date, and if they make us wait more, then we will miss the chance to get connected with everybody.”

Senior Pamela Juarez, who joined the Latino Student Association freshman year, said she hopes to see the group size increase this year. She said she and other members encourage non-Latino students to attend meetings to learn about Latino culture.

“I know sometimes people from other cultures will sit in on one day and listen to us talk. I think that should continue so people from different cultures have an insight of what Latinos have to say about a certain situation or our feelings,” Juarez said.

Rudin said she wants to focus on providing members the chance to share something in their maternal language, but at the same time appreciates the seamless switch students can make between English and Spanish.

“We switch from Spanish to English, from English to Spanish all the time and it’s amazing how it’s so easy for everybody so they feel comfortable that way and I think we should continue doing that,” Rudin said.

Juarez said one of her major focuses this year involves improving the Latino Show, which in the past has taken place during February.

“This year, I would say the Latino Show would be my main focus,” Juarez said. “I know in the past years we haven’t really been as organized as we can be about putting it together.”

Senior Lesly Hernandez, who came to the United States from Mexico at the age of three, said the group gives her a chance to have meaningful discussions with people she can relate to in terms of a similar background or culture.

“I think it just provides a sense of comfort, being around people that are like you and think certain ideas that you kind of share,” Hernandez said.

Rudin said students interested in joining the Latino Student Association can talk to Juarez or Hernandez about more information and updates on when the first meeting will take place.