Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series of feature stories that highlight diversity on Florida Poly’s campus and celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
Florida Polytechnic University students are often busy building robots, Rube Goldberg machines, algorithms, or various types of self-driving vehicles. However, on Wednesday, Sept. 26, they took a break from the labs and put their brains to work building piñatas.
More than a dozen students gathered in front of the Innovation, Science and Technology (IST) Building, to assemble small piñatas they took home. The event was organized by the Latin-American Students Association (LASA) to share the joy of the piñata tradition during Hispanic Heritage Month.
“Piñatas are always fun growing up, at birthdays or for any celebration. Then you break them and all the candy comes out,” said Derik Rivas, a computer engineering senior from Kissimmee, Florida. “That’s the fun part. It’s fun even for grownups!”
Each student started by covering a balloon with layers of tiny pieces of newspaper and then decorated it with colorful stripes of crepe paper. They then hung them on a string to let them dry.
“I didn’t grow up knowing about piñatas, but I love learning new things,” said Dominic Dodson, a senior majoring in mechanical engineering from Lakeland. “This is fun for me. I enjoy doing crafts and being creative. It’s kind of relaxing,”
For more information about other Hispanic Heritage Month events coming up on campus, contact Shirley García, LASA president.
Contact:
Lydia Guzman
Assistant Director of Communication
8635839050