This fall semester, a long-needed campus group came to fruition.
Cultural affiliation groups on campus are numerous and represent a multitude of the enclaves housed on campus; just a fraction of these groups include the Black Students Union (BSU), Latin American Students Association (PLASA), Asian American Students Association (AASA), or Princeton Caribbean Connection (PCC). Cultural groups are represented through the arts as well in dance groups such as Naacho, Triple Eight, and Black Arts Company (BAC). It seems as if everywhere one turns, there is a new group, a new community, or a new organization which serves as a place for its members to feel at home.
Now, a key affinity group has been created for student athletes: the Latinx Athlete Student Organization.
The Daily Princetonian spoke to two members of the leadership board about their newly minted group, as well as the void it fills on campus. Graciela “Graci” Dominguez is a sophomore of Dominican heritage. She plays on the softball team, and is a member of the Dominican national team. Dominguez is studying sociology and minoring in Latino Studies.
“I am the president of LASO, we’re all co-founders — so we all have equal input, it’s not a dictatorship,” Dominguez said with a laugh, “So, as president, I just get all of us to work together and listen to ideas.”
“Graci just makes sure we’re all in line, she calls our meetings — she always has an agenda, she’s perfect for it, “said Isabella “Bella” Garces. “I’m the vice president, so I follow her lead and make sure that whatever she needs — I’ll be there to do it.” Garces is a sophomore with Panamanian heritage. She is a forward on the women’s soccer team.
The idea for a Latine student-athlete affiliate group came last year, when the leadership board were all still first-years, which caused some delay to their planning.
“I had met with Miles Smith, the director of DEI for student-athletes at the beginning of my freshman year, and he kind of planted that seed in my brain that we’re missing out on a Latine affinity group,” said Dominguez. “I was still looking to see how my first year would go, and then I realized that sophomore year was a great opportunity to start putting this together, so we started collaborating in the summer.”
In recent years, several other student-athlete affiliate groups have popped up in order to create a special and welcoming place for athletes of all backgrounds at Princeton. Organizations like the Black Student Athlete Collective (BSAC) and Asian Student-Athletes of Princeton (ASAP) have served the role of creating a coalition across varsity teams, and creating a space to come together. LASO’s founders admired this sense of community and aspired to replicate it in their own way.
“I think that there’s something we really loved about the affinity spaces for athletes that already were there, like ASAP,” said Garces. “So we were looking at those spaces and our teammates that were members of them and led them — and thought we could do the same and match that inclusion and space.”
Garces and Dominguez also brought up their access and experiences with the existing Latinx affiliation groups on campus, and their own experiences as Latinx student-athletes.
“I think that what’s so nice and unique about being an athlete, is that you already have a built-in group of friends and you spend most of your time with your teammates,” said Dominguez, “But as the only Latina on my team, I felt like I was missing out on connecting with other people with similar backgrounds to me, I knew that other Latine student-athletes existed, it was just a matter of getting us together so that we could relate to each other.”
“Both of us and the rest of our board, we were all freshmen last year, and had heard about PLASA and wanted to go to a lot of the events, but because of the high time-commitment of being an athlete in-season, I had no time to go to a lot of the cool things that PLASA offered,” said Dominguez, “So what inspired us to make LASO was to create a space for Latine student-athletes so we could relate on a cultural level, and have that connection, but also accommodate out athletic schedules.”
“I knew that there had to be Latine affinity groups on campus, but didn’t really have the time or the tools to seek those groups out, because we were so consumed by out sports and our schedules,” said Garces, “Ian, one of [LASO’s] board members, told me that he had spoken to Graci about this, and it immediately sparked in me that we needed to create this space because we know that there are so many athletes and incoming freshmen and future athletes who want to feel represented, and feel like they have a place on campus.”
Operations at LASO are well underway, with the group having already hosted two events in their inaugural semester, and launching a fully functional Instagram page (@princetonlaso).
“At our first event, we were just in a private dining room, and we had empanadas and invited a bunch of people — and it felt like everybody could relate to anybody in that room,” said Dominguez. “As Bella said, right now it’s about creating a community where you can become friends with people similar to you — that’s the main drive.”
LASO held their first event on Oct. 2, and followed this up with a second study break during Reading Period on Dec. 9. The team is still growing, and its leaders have aspirations for the future, but are still looking to simply appreciate this new space and community that is coming to life.
“We’re really focusing on the broad community right now, so planning a few study breaks and things like that, but we want to get a few speakers soon, and connect with alumni, or collaborate with other Latine affinity groups as well,” said Dominguez.
On Instagram, their mission statement reads:
“The Latinx Student-Athlete Affinity Group at Princeton University aims to create a supportive community for Latinx student-athletes. We focus on celebrating our culture, fostering academic and athletic excellence, and advocating for equity and inclusion. Our goal is to empower members through shared experiences and mutual support, enriching both their Princeton journey and our collective campus life.”
Since its founding, the organization has strived to achieve these standards.
“Graci is the only Latina on her team, and I am the only Latina on my team — and we’ve always had that connection where we listen to the same songs, and when we’re all together it’s really fun,” said Garces, “But outside of that, not everybody understands or shares the same culture, or humor — so this space has created a place of comfort for us all; an opportunity to get people from different teams together and get to know each other and create a community.”
Josefina Gurevich is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Opening up the “Black Box” of AI Models to Understand the Human Mind with Dr. Leslie and Dr. Lombrozo
Lina Kim, Aanya Kasera, and Senna AldouboshIn this episode of Brains, Black Holes, and Beyond, Aanya Kasera sits down with Dr. Leslie and Dr. Lombrozo, professors and researchers who are part of heading the brand new interdisciplinary research initiative, Natural and Artificial Minds (NAM).
U. notifies students of potential changes to water taste and color
Christopher Bao and Leela HenslerNew Jersey American Water (NJAW), one of the water providers to the University, warned of potential discoloration and bad taste in water.
New Jersey American Water (NJAW), one of the water providers to the University, warned of potential discoloration and bad taste in water.
Princeton immigrants and advocacy groups prepare for a second Trump term
Sena Chang and Charlie RothPrinceton immigrants and advocacy groups are gearing up for a second Trump term. State politicians are also bracing to fight any potential anti-immigrant policies from the Trump administration.
Princeton immigrants and advocacy groups are gearing up for a second Trump term. State politicians are also bracing to fight any potential anti-immigrant policies from the Trump administration.
