This weekend, a very special Puerto Rican came to Yale University—the newest (and first Latina) Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor–and we had the privilege to hear her speak!

While this caused us to postpone our DB NYC Trip until early next semester, the consensus among the DB Board was, in the words of an unspecified board member, “That was so worth it.”

The Latest October Events!

Wed, Oct 21, 6 PM: DB Dinner Meeting, DPort Fellows Lounge

Fri, Oct 23, 3 PM, LC 105: Second talk in the Perspectives on Puerto Rico Lecture Series: Literature and Poetry—“Legacy of Two Poets: Luis Palés Matos & Julia de Burgos,” with Professor Aníbal González-Pérez, see below for more information!

Sat, Oct 24, 9 PM-? DB Social, location TBA

Wed, Oct 28, 6 PM: DB Dinner Meeting

Tues, Nov 3, 5 PM, location TBA: Third talk in the Perspectives on Puerto Rico Lecture Series: Environmental Issues—with Dr. Arturo Massol, Professor of Biology with interests in bioremediation and biodegradation, who has done research and activism related to the environmental effects of the US Navy’s occupation and bombing of Vieques, a small island off the coast of Puerto Rico. Title TBA.

For more information about Dr. Massol, click here.

Fri, Nov 6, 3 PM, location TBA: Fourth talk in the Perspectives on Puerto Rico Lecture Series: Constitution and Politics–
with Professor Charles Venator, PhD, from the University of Connecticut’s Institute for Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, who is “currently completing a book-length manuscript on constitutional interpretation and the creation of spaces that belong to the U.S. but are not a part of the nation for constitutional purposes,” a category that includes Puerto Rico. Title TBA.

For more information on Dr. Venator, click here.

Nov 6, 6 PM, La Casa Cultural: “Cena a las Seis,” a collaboration between Despierta Boricua and Ballet Folklórico de Yale, to bring you delicious food and great company.

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The “Perspectives on Puerto Rico” Lecture Series presents…

“Legacy of Two Poets:  Luis Palés Matos and Julia de Burgos”

with Yale Professor Aníbal González-Pérez

Friday, Oct. 23rd, 3 PM, in LC 105

Professor González-Pérez will present a brief overview of the lives and major works of these two poets–arguably, the greatest Puerto Rican poets of the 20th century–and talk about how their work has continued to influence contemporary authors in Puerto Rico and beyond–not just  poets, such as Angelamaría Dávila and others, but also narrators like Luis Rafael Sánchez, Ana Lydia Vega, Edgardo Rodríguez Juliá, and Mayra Santos Febres.

September proved to be a busy and successful month for DB, with our annual DB Welcome Dinner, elections for the new 2009-2010 executive board, our participation in the 45th annual Connecticut State Puerto Rican Parade (and Banquet!) and a great Latino Heritage Month event with Yale alum Pablo Delano, a documentary photographer and current professor of fine arts at Trinity College in Hartford.

Pictures will be up soon, but until then, here’s the scoop for October!

DB Dinner Meeting: Thursday, Oct. 8th, 6 PM, Dport Fellow’s Lounge
Now DB Dinners will be weekly!

DB Dinner Meeting: Wednesday, Oct.  14th, 6 PM, Saybrook Dining Hall

[postponed due to Justice Sonia Sotomayor's Lecture]
DB New York Trip: Saturday, Oct. 17th, time TBD

El Museo del Barrio is re-opening with an events-packed Open House! And it’s free! Unfortunately, we cannot cover transportation to/from NYC. Check back for details on this educational (and most definitely fun) trip!
http://www.elmuseo.org/

DB Social: Saturday, Oct 24th, time & location TBD

Other upcoming events in-the-works:

Our Columbus School tutoring program will be starting up by the end of October!

We’re planning a series with speakers on different topics related to Puerto Rico–from history to literature to gender/sexuality to science!

There’s talk of planning a Puerto Rico Spring Break trip!

If you would like more information on any of these events or ideas, come to our meetings or email the board!

We’re just getting started with the year, so check back often to see what’s going on with DB!

Friday, Sept. 11th, 5:30 to 7 PM: Despierta Boricua Welcome Dinner @ La Casa

(RSVP here by Wednesday, Sept. 9th)

Wednesday, Sept. 16th, 7:30 PM: First General Meeting PLUS ELECTIONS!

Sunday, Sept. 20th, 1 PM-onward: CT State Puerto Rican Parade! In Downtown New Haven
(If you want to march in the parade with us, click here by Friday, Sept. 11th)

Early October: Latino Heritage Month event, TBD

Also coming up:

Painting the DB Room in La Casa!

A screening of The Borinqueneers, an award-winning documentary on the all-Puerto-Rican 65th Infantry Regiment.

Our mentoring program with Columbus High School

Career Workshops with DB Alums

And much more!

Class of 2013, welcome to Yale!

You’re currently looking at the website for Yale’s Despierta Boricua group, the Puerto Rican student organization on campus, which is open to any student–Puerto Rican or not, from the mainland or from la isla, undergraduate or graduate–anyone interested in celebrating and learning more about Puerto Rican culture and history!

Click on the tabs above to explore the website, and be sure to catch us at the FRESHMAN BAZAAR, Sunday, August 30th, from 12 to 3 PM out on Beinecke Plaza. We’ll be there with a big ol’ board, current DB members, and answers to any questions you may have! Come out and meet us, and add your email to our panlist so you can stay up to date with all upcoming DB events!

If you happen to miss us at the Bazaar, or just want to add your email to the panlist right now, click here.

See you soon!

Love,
The DB Board

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This new DB Website is currently under construction.
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