Latin Night offers Airmen a unique opportunity

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Nick Wilson
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  A young Airman sits alone in his room on a Saturday night, eating chips and drinking pop, searching for a show to watch on Netflix. He wants to go out and do something, but he does not know what to do.

To avoid situations like this one, volunteers from various agencies on base have collaborated to create Latin Night, which was established to provide a fun, relaxed environment for Airmen and dependents on base once a month.

"The first Latin Night we put on in April at the Mission's End had a great turnout," said Staff Sgt. Stephanie Quiles, 509th Civil Engineer Squadron Latin Night coordinator. "The dance floor was packed, and we would like to put this event on once a month."

Volunteers put on a second Latin Night June 1, and the Latin Night volunteer team is planning to host the next event on Saturday, July 13, at Mission's End at 7 p.m. The event cost will be $3, which will pay for the food provided.

"I think it's important to have a different type of event on base not only for Latin people who miss the music from back home, but to expose everyone else to Latin music," Quiles said. "This is one of those events where you can dance with a circle of friends and have a lot of fun."

Quiles said that the event is targeted towards anyone on base that is looking to have a good time on a Saturday night.

"Dancing is a good workout,"Quiles said. "We also gave dance lessons to those who wanted to learn the salsa, bachata and merengue styles."

The volunteer who provides the dance lessons is a Puerto Rican native who works at the base youth center.

"Moving here was a big culture shock," said Aleiram Castro, Latin Night volunteer. "It gives me a piece of home here in Missouri and it allows me to spend time with other people on base and it's always fun."

Castro said Latin Night also gives Spanish-speaking spouses and dependents opportunities to meet and get to know one another.

"Some spouses might stay at home because they are afraid to get out because they might not know a lot of English," Castro said. "Having these nights gives them an opportunity to meet other people who can help them learn more English or have another person to talk to in their native language."

Castro said she was excited to take advantage of the opportunity when she first heard about Latin Night.

"I want people to know that Latin people are fun and to help others have fun with us," Castro said. "Not only did they get to learn new dances, it gave people a different perspective of different cultures."

In addition to dance lessons, Latin Night includes a live disc jockey, performances from volunteer singers and karaoke.

"The most fun part about Latin Night for me is the dancing," Castro said. "It's nice to have a place that I don't have to drive for an hour to get to, dance with my husband and sing songs with my friends."

Quiles said that having an event like this on base saves Airmen and dependents money and time.

"With events in Kansas City, you have to think about the price of gas there and back," Quiles said. "The price of possibly having to pay for a hotel and taxi cab also comes into play."

Overall, the monthly event offers a fun, relaxed environment for Airmen and family members to enjoy after a long week of work, Quiles said.

"If anyone ever feels like they're stuck at home, bored and looking for something different to do, they should come out and participate in Latin Night," Castro said. "It gives individuals an opportunity to socialize with different people, get to know different cultures and become more well-rounded."