Ciancio’s passion helps create ALAS chapter at Miami Hamilton

Miami Hamilton student Jennifer Ciancio is passionate about social justice. She takes the issue to heart.

Ciancio (pronounced Chaun-cho) was listening to Dr. Shelly Bromberg’s Latin American Studies lecture when Bromberg announced that Latin American author Arturo Arias would be speaking on Miami Hamilton’s campus.  Having studied the people, history and culture of Guatemala, Ciancio was struck with an idea to set up a table promoting Fair-Trade products from Guatemala in concert with Arias’ lecture.  She was met with a stumbling block but would not be denied.

“I was told that I had to be affiliated with a student organization to do such a thing,” Ciancio said. It didn’t take long for her to find one. Bromberg informed her students about a group on the Oxford campus called Association of Latino & American Students (ALAS) and asked if they might be interested in starting a Hamilton campus chapter.

“We worked with Leo Martinez, president of the Miami University ALAS in Oxford ,” Ciancio says.  “Before long we were voted in (as a student organization) by the Hamilton Campus Senate.” That was three years ago. Today, ALAS has a very prevalent voice not only on Miami Hamilton’s campus but in the community as well. Ciancio is the current president of Miami Hamilton’s ALAS. She says the group was formed because there were many Latin American Studies students on campus who were interested in doing more than just attending class every day. “We wanted to get involved with something meaningful.  Most of the founding members had the opportunity to serve within the Hamilton community and knew there were many Spanish speaking families just blocks away from our campus who were facing many obstacles in their lives,” Ciancio explained. “We wanted to create awareness of Latino and Hispanic culture on campus, as well as provide a service to the community.”

ALAS member, Alex Hall, left, with speaker, Héctor Tobar, right.

ALAS is not merely a social group.  “We are an organization that is concerned about social justice,” Ciancio said.

The members of ALAS are serious about getting their message out and have participated in numerous events on the Hamilton campus and throughout the community.

“Our community events include the Fourth and Second Ward Block Party, the Music Festival at the Booker T. Washington Center, and events at Living Water as well as Fiestas at SuCasa in Cincinnati, Fiestas at the Fenmont Center in Hamilton, the Fiesta de Unidad on the Hamilton Campus and the Fiesta in Oxford,” she said.

The group also served Mexican food at the African American Student Leadership Summit and hosted a Coffee Talk to promote Fair Trade Coffee on campus.  They are actively involved in Miami Hamilton’s Fall Fest and Spring Fling as well as new student orientations.

Ciancio says ALAS actively promoted the recent Justice for Immigrants campaign and garnered signatures in support of comprehensive immigration reform.

ALAS continues to sponsor events of significant importance, including Dr. Kevin Flesher’s visit from Brazil and, most recently, ALAS sponsored Pulitzer Prize winning author Héctor Tobar’s visit to Miami Hamilton last fall to speak about immigration.

Currently, the organization is working with Jefferson Elementary ESL (English as a second language) students.

One of their most ambitious events will take place during spring break. ALAS is co-sponsoring the Alternative Spring Break to Tijuana, Mexico under the leadership of Miami Hamilton Spanish teacher and ALAS adviser, Jill Gauthier. While in Tijuana, ALAS will spend a week working on arts and crafts projects with children, learning about US/Mexico border issues and building a house for a family who has waited many years for a home, Ciancio said.

“Our experiences will be presented in a campus lecture when we return,” Ciancio said.

Fifteen students are making the voyage, thanks in part to the generous donations of faculty and staff members at Miami Hamilton and Oxford.

“I have had experiences through ALAS that I never would have had otherwise.  Our members are dedicated individuals with a passion for getting involved and I am very proud of our accomplishments,” Ciancio said.

For more information about ALAS, contact Jennifer Ciancio at jenniferciancio87@msn.com.