Southeastern NEWS

                                                       Southeastern Louisiana University
                                           Public Information Office
                                           publicinfo@selu.edu
                                           SLU 880, Hammond, LA 70402
                                           504/549-2341/fax 504-549-2061
    Date: 10/28/98
      Contact:                           Christina Chapple   5

Editors: Photo accompanies release   Please note local interest
PROFESSOR STAGES PAGEANT OF PRIDE FOR LATIN AMERICA, SLU
     HAMMOND -- Aristides Baraya is making stars out of the students in his Southeastern
Louisiana University Spanish classes. 
     And the Colombia native, who joined the Southeastern foreign languages and literatures
faculty along with his wife and fellow teacher Luz Escobar last year, is using the student "stars"
to shine a spotlight on Latin America.
     Baraya has written and is directing a special pageant, "Fiesta Latina Americana," for the
Southeastern International Festival. The festival, a week's worth of lectures, music, theater and
art, is scheduled for Nov. 2-9. 
     Baraya's Latin American Fiesta, which will be performed at 3 p.m., Nov. 4, in SLU's
Pottle Music Building Auditorium, will feature a celebration of music and culture of Costa Rica,
Colombia, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Venezuela. Admission is free. 
     Students costumed in authentic dress will parade each country's flag across the stage,
while narrators present information about the countries in Spanish and English. Guests Sandra
Gasta¤aduy-Colison wil perform dances from  Peru and "Nuestra Tierra" will present Mexican
dances. Several students even plan to lip-sync Spanish songs.
     "I think it's going to be a spectacular on the level of the Miss Universe Pageant," said
Don Marshall, director of Southeastern's Cultural Resource Management Program, which has
teamed up with the foreign languages and literatures department to sponsor the International
Festival.
     Boundlessly enthusiastic about his teaching and his students and about being at 
                             (MORE)
FIESTA LATINA AMERICANA   Add One
Southeastern, Baraya said  he is staging the Fiesta Latina Americana to boost knowledge about 
his Latin American homeland and to spur students' pride in their university and the foreign 
languages department.
     "There is something in the air at this university!" said Baraya, who was a dentist, teacher
and higher education administrator in Colombia before coming to the United States four years
ago. "Everyone is so friendly, so enthusiastic to do something, to be innovative. I wanted to do
something to show that the institution I am working at is great."
     In the skit that unifies the segments about each country, Baraya will play "Mr. Martinez,"
who is describes as "an old professor. He is a little crazy   the comic relief." Professor Martinez
is  visited by "Angela," a student portrayed by Jade Babin of St. Amant. "Angela says,
'Professor, teach me about Latin America,'" Baraya explained. "He invites her student to have
coffee and tells her about each country. The pictures he shows her are displayed for the audience
on a big screen on stage."
     Baraya's narrative will be in Spanish, with "Angela" translating. 
     Among the 51 people involved in the performance are students Joseph Cyprian of
Folsom, master of ceremonies; Kristin Sicillano of Metairie, American flag performer; Missy
Raigan of Boothville, as the French maid, and Matt McLeod of Port Charlotte, Fla., and Kellie
Barbara of Ponchatoula as lip-sync "singers."
     Baraya said he had invaluable help in arranging the performance from his wife, who is
stage manager; artist-in-residence and adjunct faculty member Larry Gray, the principle
consultant, and campus technical director Pete Pfiel and student John Lejeune who have arranged 
lighting and set, including special effects such as smoke and a grand finale balloon drop.
Consulates in the thirteen countries supplied the flag and dresses, many of them exquisitely and
expensively decorated.
     "It's going to be just like Broadway," Baraya said, laughing. "Well......."
                            - SLU -
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