MEChA, or the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán, is a student club that focuses on the educational empowerment of Chicanx/Latine students. This is the first year it has existed at McDaniel, but the organization has existed since 1969.

MEChA has been involved with projects like the Multicultural Assembly, the Day of the Dead altars in the cafeteria, and the various celebrations of Latinx heritage month. 

Stephanie Vargas Velez, a senior in MEChA, said that “preparing cultural events has helped me to better understand the smaller parts of my culture and to understand not only the history but the value of the culture itself.” 

Velez also noted that “people were able to see themselves represented in different forms and people really enjoyed the different activities that took place.” 

This reflects the four goals of MEChA: cultural awareness, leadership, academic excellence and community involvement. 

If interested in joining, MEChA has no requirements, but it is a Chicanx/Latine/Latinx student-focused group; any student that identifies with their heritage, ethnicity, or culture is welcome.

They meet every Tuesday at lunch in room 292. Reach out with any questions to club advisors Neomi Navarro and Jerardo Marquez.