IOWA CITY, Iowa – On March 22, University of Iowa’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) presented their first Mock Quinceañera in the IMU Main Lounge. The event was in collaboration with the Association of Latinos Moving Ahead (ALMA) and the Revolution Dance Company.
A Quinceañera is a celebratory ceremony in Latino culture in which a girl of 15 becomes a woman through a series of dances, gifts, and ceremonies. The dances are often performed with family friends and the girl’s parents, the gifts are given by nearly all in attendance, and the ceremony is often religious.
This reminiscent celebration was planned by Nicole Hobson, the Cultural Director for the CAB Executive Board. Hobson, not personally being a Latina but appreciating Latino culture, reached out to ALMA in order to get help staging the Mock-Quinceañera authentically.
“The CAB cultural committee hadn’t done a Latino event yet, so we wanted to do something really special . . . but we didn’t want it to just be a learning experience,” Hobson said. “It’s supposed to be a celebration for Latinos and more about bringing minority groups up than showcasing them.”
Hobson had reached out to ALMA to get aid in designing the Quinceañera in terms of food, decorations, and entertainment to create an authentic experience for all attendees.
ALMA PR officer Simona Flores was impressed with the celebration. Appreciative of Nicole’s willingness to collaborate with ALMA and Revolution Dance Company to make the event authentic, Flores and ALMA were happy to contribute insight and direction for the event.
“I hope it will happen again next year,” said Flores. “I’d like to dedicate more time to it, do it again, and improve upon things we already started to build off of.”
The celebration began at around 8:30 p.m. with an introduction of the court of honor, and their walk to the head table. The honored girl, University of Iowa student Mayte Gomez-Cruz, staged her second Quinceañera in a purple gown adorned with blue flowers.
Gomez-Cruz was accompanied by applicants experienced from past Quinceañeras: four male suitors, four girlfriends, and two faculty members that stood in as her parents for their dances. Gomez-Cruz’s real mother, Merced Gomez-Cruz, watched from the audience, reliving the memory of her daughter turning into a woman.
“Quinceañeras are a big deal in our culture. For Latinos, Quinceañeras are above weddings. At weddings, it’s just family and close friends. At a Quinceañera, everyone is invited,” Merced Gomez-Cruz said.
After the court was seated, attendees that had watched the procession were allowed to satisfy their hunger with chips and salsa provided by University of Iowa Catering and empanadas courtesy of Maestro Empanadas, a local restaurant. A decorated cake was donated by HyVee. Water was the beverage of the night, except for the court.
After being adorned with a crown and heels to symbolize her womanhood and a doll to symbolize her girlhood, Mayte Gomez-Cruz was tasked with serving her court sparkling cider. After making a toast, Gomez-Cruz was spun across the floor in tradition by first her father, then mother. Directly following, each of her four suitors presented themselves to her and had their turn at a dance to the tune of “Beauty and the Beast”.
In a grand finale, the four men lifted Gomez-Cruz up in the air, presenting her to everyone in attendance before placing her back onto the ground to end the performance with a bow. Afterward, modern Latino music was played, encouraging everyone to dance until the event ended at midnight.
Philip Runia 