The Advocate

AELLA Bakes for the People of Haiti

Valeria Treves
On October 12th and 13th, the savory smell of homemade treats greeted Graduate Center students and staff in the main lobby as they walked to their classes and jobs. However, tasty baked goods were not the only force leading dozens of people to stop by the table, operated by members of the Association of Latino and Latin American Students (AELLA). Rather, AELLA was collecting relief funds for the people of Haiti following the series of hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean nation in recent months. The cause drew so much support from the Graduate Center community that a stunning $1,200 was collected through a two-day bake sale. Surely a record-breaking fea(s)t.

AELLA member and master cupcake chef Victoria Stone explained that the efforts put forth by AELLA only facilitated what many GC community members already had envisioned. “A large number of people thanked us for having the table out there” she said. “They had wanted to do something [in terms of relief aid] but had not had an outlet to do so.” A wide range of people from students to staff to professors collaborated in the fundraising efforts and the amount of money they donated varied as well. Debora Upegui, AELLA co-chair, explained: “We had a few $100 donations, but the single dollar donations really added up as well.” Citing dietary constraints, some contributors even forewent their treats—rumor has it that even those on Atkins’ diets collaborated, cupcake or not. In all, the GC community showed strong support for the affected people of Haiti and the members of AELLA are very grateful for that.

AELLA also used its table to inform the GC community about some other causes affecting students and scholars thorough out the Western Hemisphere. At the Graduate Center, AELLA is advocating for the Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies (CLACLS), now under threat of losing its funding. According to Debora Upegui, who dutifully sat at the table for hours, “People were surprised to find out [about the funding cuts], they thought it was outrageous!” Thus, AELLA collected well over 100 signatures that will be used to petition to senior CUNY administrators to continue to fund CLACLS, the only center of its kind in the CUNY system. Further, AELLA was able to gather signatures in solidarity with the student causes in Bolivia and in Puerto Rico where activists and professors engaged in struggles for social justice are now facing jail time and firings respectively. Please contact AELLA for more details on any of these causes.

Once again, a big ‘Thank You’ to all who participated in the fund raising!

Valeria Treves is a graduate student in the Geography program at Hunter College and a member of AELLA.