The second annual Southeastern Latinx Student Leadership Conference (SL-SLC) has been postponed by the student committee and their respective advisers. The conference, which is hosted by the Latinx Appreciation Student Organization (LASO), was postponed as a precaution of the ongoing COVID-19 virus.
The announcement came moments after the UNC system released a statement regarding all its universities, including Western Carolina, to extend spring breaks for an additional week and for classes to switch over to alternative instructional methods starting March 23 until further notice.
SL-SLC theme of the year “Somos el Cambio” which translates to “We are the Change.” Image was provided by their Instagram account (@sl.slc).
The conference theme was “Somos el Cambio” which translates to “We are the Change.” The student committee has been hard at work preparing for the event since the fall semester.
In a statement released to their social media accounts, the committee expressed disappointment in the decision, but also noted that it was in the best interest of all attendees to postpone the event.
“This decision is not made lightly, but with an abundance of caution for community members in the southeastern region,” the committee wrote. “We extend our deepest regrets but we have everyone’s best interest in mind.”
The student committee plans to host the conference in fall 2020 but will push back till spring 2021 if needed.
Read their full statement here.
Part of Western Carolina’s statement regarding COVID-19 said, “all UNC institutions are restricted from hosting gatherings of 100 or more people.” Prompting other events to be postponed such as the chancellor’s installation ceremony, while the open house scheduled for March 21 has been cancelled altogether.
WCJ will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
