The Meadows Atrium was filled with students purchasing $1 pizza slices, cupcakes and cookies while waiting for the performances on Friday that were put on for a good cause.
SMU’s Talent Recruitment and Entertainment Agency Team along with the Alternative Break program presented “Dance for Xalapa” a bake sale and an installment of the Brown Bag performances, featuring the Meadows Dancers, SMU Ballroom Dance Team and the SMU Hip Hop Dance Club.

SMU students held the event to raised awareness and money for orphans in Xalapa, Mexico. Proceeds from the Brown Bag and bake sale go toward funding nine SMU students, accompanied by Associate Provost Thomas W. Tunks, to go to Xalapa over spring break and gather supplies to bring to the children of Caritas Orphanage and Hospital.

SMU student Saira Husain and fellow student Jose Campos serve as the site leaders for the alternative spring break trip to Xalapa. Together the students planned the details of the trip including transportation, hotel accommodations and other travel expenses.

“With this event [Dance for Xalapa] we hope to open people’s eyes to different causes and raise enough money to bring the children of Caritas books and toys, to show them that people they have never met do care about them,” Husain said.

Dance for Xalapa opened with a performance  to “Down In the River to Pray” by three Meadows dancers and featured solo acts by, SMU’s baton twirler, Carly Bender and dance major Shelby Staton.

SMU freshman Julie Kaye said, “I enjoyed everyone’s styles and I liked the variety of different organizations that are involved. It’s good for students to come out and support these events.”

Campos is a native of Mexico and has played an integral part in the planning of the alternative spring break trip to Xalapa and more specifically to Caritas, which is Spanish for ‘little faces,’ an umbrella organization that works on behalf of lower income families, orphans and the medically ill. The nine SMU students will be sacrificing a spring break at the beach to work at the orphanage, serve food in a cafeteria to the homeless and assist the clinic.

Freshman Guitar Performance and Music Education major Katrina Lashan is among the nine SMU students venturing to Xalapa this spring break. Lashan closed out the event with the performance of a song she wrote for the children of Xalapa titled “Give a Voice.”

Freshman Dance major Michelle Broaddus accompanied the singer, songwriter and guitarist in the performance with a dance piece she choreographed to the song.
SMU freshman Alex Katsorblous said, “I thought it was a beautiful use of talents to help support a cause. Getting the campus involved by buying a piece of pizza to help others is very worthwhile.”