by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

Las Vegas is synonymous with celebration so it's a no wonder that the Latino Student Association (LSA) chose it as the theme for their end of the year banquet. LSA went all out decorating the Commonwealth Ballroom casino style.

A number of picture taking stations were set up including a casino photo stand in, giant playing cards, a cardboard slot machine standee and a huge "Welcome to Las Vegas" entrance arch. Students spent the whole night taking as many pictures as they could.

Two game stations were also set up offering black jack and roulette, two very popular casino games. LSA also held a number of raffles throughout the night offering prizes such as playing cards, plush dice and poker chip key chains. Another highlight was the diverse line-up of performers including dancers, singers and a magician!

An awesome dinner was provided including rotisserie chicken, tacos, and pupusas- a traditional Salvadorian dish made of a thick tortilla filled with cheese and meat. They even had cake! It was one of the best events I have been to all year.

For more pictures and even videos of performances visit LSA's Facebook page.

by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

Guess who was at VCU over the weekend? The President and First Lady of the United States of America! Thousands of Rams and Richmond locals packed the Siegel Center on Saturday to watch Mr. Obama launch his re-election bid for the White House.

Other noted speakers at the event were Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones and former Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine. Our VCU men's basketball coach Shaka Smart served as host of the rally and introduced Michelle Obama.

"Hello, VCU!" Those were the first words Obama said to the crowd making Rams go crazy and cheer with excitement. It was an experience I'm sure many VCU students will never forget.

For videos and images on President Obama's visit check out VCU's News Center website.

by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

Last weekend Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, Inc and Black Caucus at VCU were just two of many organizations on campus hosting their final events of the semester.

Even though May is officially Asian Pacific-Islanders Month, students here at VCU wanted to make sure to celebrate the occasion before the semester was over. Throughout April the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs along with organizations such as the Chinese Student Association and Vietnamese Student Association have been hosting a number of events around campus.

Last Friday the ladies of Alpha Kappa Delta Phi Sorority, Inc at VCU hosted Passport to Asia: Culture and Heritage of Cambodia, China, Korea, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. The event celebrated Asian culture, fashion and cuisine. Some traditional dishes on hand for the event included sushi, egg rolls and lo mien. I made sure to try it all!

To see the full list of events celebrating Asian Pacific-Islanders Month visit http://www.omsa.vcu.edu/apim.html

On Sunday, Black Caucus at VCU welcomed all Rams to their Annual Unity Cookout out on the student commons plaza. The organization strives to enhance the social environment, political involvement and cultural awareness of students, faculty and staff at VCU.

The event was catered by Famous Dave's and attracted quite the crowd! Students got the chance to choose between pulled chicken or pork sandwiches along with a side of coleslaw, potato salad and/or warm apples sauced in cinnamon and amaretto. Delicious!

The event featured a silent auction for the Southwood Boys and Girls club of Richmond. A number of diverse art pieces were on display for all students to enjoy. The music, food, art and games served as the perfect study break for many students.

See what else Black Caucus at VCU has been up to by checking out their Facebook page!

by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

The Intercultural Festival (ICF) at VCU is my favorite event of the year! It's an official VCU tradition celebrating the diversity among students and the Richmond community. The theme for this year's festival, held in Monroe Park, was "Seven Wonders of The World."

Two stages were set up offering a variety of performances throughout the event including dances, poetry, singing and fashion from around the world. The Ballroom Dancing Society, Crossroad Irish, Def Poets Society and Korean Student Gathering were just a few of the performers on hand for ICF.

My favorite part of the festival? The delicious food! Authentic Mexican, Indian, Thai and Turkish cuisine were offered, to name a few. I had chicken pad thai for the first time and loved it. I also made sure to save some room for a big delicious funnel cake!

Another big attraction at the festival was the petting zoo filled with llamas, chinchillas, sheep, ducks and bunnies. I could have spent hours petting that chinchilla! Other activities offered at ICF included a caricaturist, henna artists, face painting, picture taking, arts and crafts, and a velcro wall.

ICF gets bigger and better every year and it's definitely an event you don't want to miss when you come to VCU! For more information about ICF visit www.icfvcu.com .

by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

This month VCU Rams have been going above and beyond to help raise awareness and relief for the hungry. The university hosted its first Stop Hunger Now event to help package 32,000 meals to help create a world without hunger. Stop Hunger Now is a hunger relief agency that coordinates the distribution of food and other lifesaving aid to children and families all over the world.

Rams who volunteered got the chance to package dehydrated, high protein and highly nutritious meals that are used in crisis situations and school feeding programs in developing countries around the globe. A few friends and I decided to volunteer and had so much fun! A DJ was on hand playing music while everyone got to work. Hundreds of volunteers managed to package, seal and box up 32,000 meals in just two hours!

This week VCU is also hosting a university-wide food drive to support the Central Virginia Food Bank and its affiliated Meals on Wheels and Community Kitchen programs. The three day event raised over 50,000 meals last year thanks to the generosity of students and the Richmond community. This year our mascot Rodney and a number of volunteers have been busy collecting cash and non perishable food donations at a number of drop-off sites around campus. The food drive began on April 17 and will run until tomorrow, April 19, 2012.

To make a donation to support VCU's food drive visit https://feedmore.org/donate/campaign-form/vcu-food-drive

by Michelle Abanez, communications intern

Aside from having a beautiful campus, VCU has some of the best food you will find on any college campus! VCU offers its students a number of options on campus to choose from when their stomachs start growling.

Probably the best place to go to for some variety is Shafer Dinning Court. It's located at the heart of campus and they have everything you could possibly desire! Shafer has you covered for breakfast, lunch, dinner and any craving in between. Look over their menu and see for yourself! Around campus there are also a number of noted eateries that probably sound familiar like Subway, Pizza Hut Express, Einstein Bros Bagels, Starbucks, Chik-fil-A, IHOP Express, Quiznos Subs and much more!

Almost all freshmen are required to have a dining plan. That means all Rams have to do to eat at one of these places is swipe their VCUCard! Dining plans are composed of block plans and dining dollars. Block plans allow students a specific number of meals per semester, while dining dollars allow students the chance to purchase tax-free meals at all VCU retail restaurants (like Starbucks, Chik-fil-a, and the other restaurants mentioned above).

For more information on dining plans check out CampusDish at VCU!