Hispanic Heritage Month brings about Hispanic expression on our campus. As such a diverse group of people from all over the world, it’s impossible not to be surrounded by our food, music, and art. But where can we come together to culturally express ourselves not only on this campus but to others? (Here’s a hint: Makarios!)
Makarios, which comes from the Greek word “Blessed,” is one of our Latino ministry clubs that focuses on fostering a strong connection with the community while providing spiritual guidance. When asked what Makarios is, Paulette Velazquez, (senior, business and Spanish) the current president of Makarios, said, “Makarios is a ministry with a heartfelt mission. We work closely with Hispanic churches, creating vibrant programs encompassing music, poetry, and drama. The name Makarios,” she continues, “encapsulates our desire to share the joy and blessings of Christ with others.” Makarios includes elements of Hispanic culture, conducting programs in Spanish to effectively engage with the Latino community in the Michigan-Chicago-Indiana region.
This past weekend, Makarios joined with Once Place Worship and brought together themes of repentance and bravery. The group started off with emotional poetry and a humorous yet touching (and a little relatable) drama performance that portrayed the battle between God and Satan and renewed faith. Through talent and dedication, Makarios was able to bring out emotion while encompassing what it means to have God as our warrior. Vivienne Lupu (junior, social work) said, “I liked the skit in terms of having a visual for the message that was spread that day. Having a skit made it humorous and easier to remember and understand, and it also showed the creativity of the individuals as well!” Christen Li (senior, global studies and anthropology) stated that the message of poetry was applicable to our lives, and she liked how they used pauses and volume to accentuate their point.
So why should you join Makarios? Angel Gabriel Orellana Campana (junior, biology), one of the drama sub-directors, chose to join Makarios because he “wanted to have a community of people to relate to and worship with.” Cielo Sandoval (sophomore, nursing and Spanish), one of the music directors, said that through her friends, she was able to learn about the ministry, where one is able to share their talents and experience a sense of family.
How is culture incorporated into this ministry group? “In Hispanic culture, there’s lots of styles of music,” Sandoval says. “In my own culture (Mexico), there’s a lot of guitar, so I love to make acoustic sets and some that are just guitar.” Hannie Casamayor (senior, biology), the current poetry director, has incorporated elements of her culture through common phrases that she grew up with in Spanish, specifically with written poems. Campana also likes to incorporate Bolivian Spanish into the actual lines of the characters he writes for the drama skits.
“But what if I'm not Latino?” “What if I don’t speak Spanish?” Surprise, Surprise! You don’t need to be Latino in order to join Makarios. Just some appreciation for the culture and the language is all you need to be a part of this club.
Be on the lookout for the following Makarios events this semester through their Instagram page:
- October 14- Ignite
- November 4- Outing in the Michigan-Chicago-Indiana region (more details to come)
- November 18- Outreach events (more details to come)
- December 2- Outing in the Michigan-Chicago-Indiana region (more details to come)
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.