Celebrated among Latinx and Hispanic communities, a quinceañera typically happens on a girl’s 15th birthday. This celebration symbolizes her passage into adulthood, and is normally hosted alongside family and friends. 

However, the traditional birthday celebration took a different shape when hosted at the Shirley Bird Perry Ballroom on March 29, offering students the opportunity to learn about and take part in the classic milestone.  

Sponsored by Campus Events and Entertainment, Mexican American Culture Committee, Latina/x and Indigenous Leadership Institute and the Latino Pan-Hellenic Council, the ballroom became embellished with decorations, such as balloons, a dance floor and flashing lights. Complete with three students dressed in elegant quinceañera dresses, goody bags, a regalo sorpresa — a surprise gift — and Mexican food, the event aimed to look as true to the 15th birthday celebration as possible. 

 “I was surprised because they actually set up tables and balloons, and they decorated it like a quinceañera,” said Ileana Martinez, a nutrition junior. 

As a member of Sigma Lambda Gamma, a Latina-founded multicultural sorority, Jaqueline Garcia volunteered at the event to help MACC with decorations, logistics and music. 

“MACC makes a lot of events for the Hispanic community,” said Garcia, an international relations and global studies senior. “It’s like helping one Hispanic to another.”

While not the first quinceañera held on campus, Garcia said more students attended the event this year than before. Garcia said the celebration helped attendees immerse themselves in and learn about the traditions of the Hispanic community, who make up 24.8% of UT’s student body, according to the university’s website.

“We have a growing student body that are Hispanics,” Garcia said. “Being able to show that to other people is good and beneficial. It’s educational as well as enjoyable.”

For Hispanic students like Martinez, the event brought back memories of their own quinceañeras.

“It brought a lot of conversations of, ‘Oh, I remember when I had my quinceañera,” Martinez said. “We used to do this, or we used to do that.”

Cheng Pei Wu, a microbiology senior, said attending the event marked his first time experiencing a quinceañera. While Wu said he did not know about the customs and traditions of the celebration beforehand, he said taking part in the festivities allowed him to learn about the culture, including a few dance moves set to the tune of classic quinceañera music in the cumbia and bachata genres.

“I was really trying to learn how to dance,” Wu said. “I felt like it was a good environment to do it.”

Although volunteering at the celebration, Garcia said she still enjoyed the experience, particularly the event’s ability to spotlight a prominent celebration within Hispanic and Latinx culture.

“We bring those traditions to the U.S., even if we left our country,” Garcia said. “It’s very important to make it aware to other people and share it.”