Phi Iota Alpha host “Dancing with the Phiotas”

Chelsae Ketchum

Sophmore Osmel Morales and Karen Palma dance to Latino music during Dancing with the Phiotas, an event thrown by the Latino Fraternity Phi Iota Alpha, Febraruary 26. Photo by Chelsae Ketchum.

Kent State’s Latin-American fraternity held their biggest event of the semester, “Dancing with the Phiotas,” Tuesday and the laugh-filled session turned out even bigger than they hoped.

Phi Iota Alpha was expecting at least 20 people would attend, but their expectations were doubled, with the first 25 receiving free Chipotle burritos.

“There’s more people than [we expected],” fraternity member Osmel Morales said. “So we’re satisfied with who showed up.”

Phiota brothers taught students two popular styles of Latino dance, merengue and bachata, in Room 204 of the Student Center. Members first showed participants dance steps as a group, and then worked on an individual basis and instructed on how to dance with a partner.

“It’s something new,” Morales said. “We’re trying to teach people about Latino culture.”

Phi Iota Alpha began on campus last semester as a colony and has five members. Vice president John Camargo said the fraternity is hoping to expand, but not just with Latino members.

“There is a large Latino community that is here on campus and we’re hoping to reach out to them, but not only them,” Camargo said. “We’re dominated by [Latinos], but there are other brothers who are not Latino. It’s open to anybody.”

The fraternity plans to host events that address controversial topics in an attempt to unite the Latin-American community.

“We’d like to trigger the mind [and] make people think,” Camargo said. “We want you to voice your opinion on subjects.”

Contact Andrew Baker at [email protected].