The Organization of Latin American Students hosted an open movie night in the LaPenta EndZone on Oct. 23.

Many members of the Iona community came and joined in on the fun. The goal of the event was to uphold the appreciation of beauty and uniqueness of Latin culture in a different way while also providing students with a sense of community and freedom, according to senior Orlando Sanchez, president of OLAS.

“Our club’s goal is to assist the school’s community in widening the knowledge and appreciation of the language and culture of Spain, Mexico, Central and South America,” Sanchez said. “These kinds of events are laid back, entertaining and give people the opportunity to participate.”

Many of the new members were also involved with the movie by bringing some friends to this event. The members of OLAS took action and were very committed to having fun.

“The best part of this club are the wonderful members,” Sanchez said. “They even surprise me sometimes on how much they are committed. I didn’t suspect that, especially with the new members.”

Aside from teaching and helping out in the community, many other members were just happy to be at the event.

The members of OLAS want students to walk away with a smile and the knowledge of a strong community with a voice.

“Just having an organization like this on campus just gives people the confidence and a voice they didn’t know they had.

It also brings amazing opportunities and shows people that they are represented in a huge community,” Sanchez said. “If we open up our hearts and let others in, we know we’re doing the right thing as they might repeat our actions, which will bring us closer as a school.”