For the past two years, the Black Student Union (BSU) and the Caltech Hispanic & Latino Association (CHLA) have come together to co-host something similar to an interhouse party. If you’re not familiar, Caltech has a unique residential system where students live in houses that are part social community, part support system. Each house typically throws one party per year, known as an “interhouse” party. There are always themes, decorations, and music that reflect the vibe of that house.
But in a community as small as Caltech’s, the BSU and CHLA communities felt that there was space and a need for an event specifically created by and for the Black and Hispanic/Latino communities on campus. The event was also open to everyone on campus. We wanted one that fully celebrated our cultures, our music, and our style.
Planning the BSU × CHLA interhouse took months of collaboration and coordination. Both clubs worked closely with campus administrators to reserve a space, coordinate, and get approvals. It was exciting to be in a position where we could all make intentional choices about what the event would look like, from the food and music to the decorations.
The theme we chose this year was Dancing Through the Decades, and it brought out many ranges of outfits from 90s streetwear to Y2K fits. The theme gave us a lot of creative freedom to decorate. We created photo backdrops with fairy lights and hanging CDs, reflecting 2000s aesthetics. Around the dance floor room, we hung flags from countries across Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean,. We also added vibrant papel picado flags to show traditional Hispanic decorations.
The music spanned everything from old reggaeton and salsa to Afrobeats, 90s R&B, and 2000s hip hop, a playlist that made sure everyone heard something familiar to them. The food and drinks brought the same energy: empanadas, aguas frescas, fried plantains, and chicken, all representing comfort food from across cultures.
What made the night special was seeing peoples’ reaction up when a favorite song came on. It was watching people teach each other dance steps like Caballo Dorado. It was knowing that this space was created by us and for us.
At a school like Caltech, where academics are intense and time moves fast, it’s events like this that remind us that we are part of something bigger. A supportive network continuously celebrating who we are.
