Student Organization of Latinx (SOL)’s first Taco Tuesday of the 2024-2025 school year was a huge success! Compared to three years ago, Taco Tuesday is better than ever according to SOL advisor Juan Placencia Gomez.

Many SOL events raise money on campus but they happen off campus too. All of these funds, which are in fact, “student-generated funds,” said Placencia, “Go towards the SOL scholarship, it goes towards the SOL trip. It also goes towards anything that the club requires or needs.” Before any funds are allocated, they must be approved by the president, vice president, and treasurer of SOL.

During the previous school year, SOL was able to provide thousands of dollars in scholarships.

When Placencia graduated from LVA, there was no SOL program, just a “Spanish club.” Once Placencia was hired, he was already running SOL at Canyon Springs. So then, he asked former principal Mr. Walker, if he would be able to bring SOL to LVA. After explaining to him what SOL does, and what they have done in the past, Placencia persuaded Walker to give his full support.

Their first meeting took place in the Black Box, attended by only a few students. Since then, SOL has grown significantly, with current meetings in room M15 now fully packed.

SOL aims to help the community, have fun, and make new friends. “That’s kind of the heart of it,” said Placencia. SOL strives for diversity and a community where everyone feels included. Everyone deserves a place where they can share their culture and customs.