A monthlong celebration of Hispanic heritage and culture is underway to educate the TCU community on the significance of the Hispanic community and to recognize influential Hispanic figures.Friday marked “el dieciseis de septiembre,” or Mexican Independence Day, and the kickoff of Hispanic Heritage Month.

Co-sponsored by the Programming Council, Intercultural Services led the celebration of Mexico’s independence from Spain with food and music on the lawn of the Brown-Lupton Student Center.

“We had a really great turnout,” said Natalie Ayala, a junior kinesiology major and member of the Hispanic Heritage Month planning committee.

The event attracted a diverse crowd, which was a goal of the committee scheduling the agenda of events, said Greg Trevi¤o, director of Intercultural Services and planning committee faculty adviser. “We were very pleased with the turnout of backgrounds of various students, faculty and staff that came out,” Trevi¤o said.

Ayala said the committee hopes the kickoff ceremony and other activities will raise awareness of the achievements made in the Hispanic community.

“We are proud of our heritage, and we want people to know it,” Ayala said. “We are promoting the culture of the people that aren’t represented as much at TCU.”

Events are scheduled throughout the month to recognize Hispanic culture throughout the community.

Trevi¤o said the diverse schedule of programming and exhibits are critical for students to become more aware and knowledgeable about the changing community.

“It is important that we provide these types of opportunities for our students to engage in and learn something that they didn’t know before,” Trevi¤o said.

Flags commemorating the Hispanics who have lost their lives in war, both past and present, will be on display this week on Sadler Lawn.

Biographies of three Hispanic war heroes who lost their lives in Iraq are on display in the Student Center Lounge as part of the remembrance.

Junior bilingual education major Krystal Perez is on the planning committee for Hispanic Heritage Month. “Our goal is for there to be more awareness of the Hispanic community on campus,” Perez said. “We are going to be educating campus on the Hispanic community and what we’re all about.