Mariachi gritos rang out, bouncing off buildings and through the patio of Harvey Mudd College’s Platt Campus Center on Friday, Sept. 25. Students sat, legs dangling, their bodies swaying to the deep strum of the guitarrón while the band Las Chorizeras performed their genre-bending, mariachi-inspired music.
The violin and vihuela ebbed and swelled in triumphant bursts as lead singer Nancy Sanchez recounted the stories of her life. At the last song, the crowd rose to dance, the old pulling the young from their seats. This shared thread of experience sliced through any tangible differences and teased smiles out of even the most reluctant faces. Applause rained as Las Chorizeras exited the stage.
The event, “Storytelling Through Songs,” was one of several hosted that week by Honnold Mudd Library as part of “The Storytelling Exchange,” a collection of events whose main goal was to connect students and inspire self-reflection and the sharing of new perspectives.
Each of the 7Cs hosted one event, from a first-generation graduate school panel at Keck Graduate Institute and collective meals at Pomona College, to postcard crafting at Scripps College and a block party south of the library. Formats varied, but the premise was consistent: Personal narratives as a bridge for connection.
Some students happened upon the events because of their proximity to important hubs on campus, or heard about the series through word of mouth. An important selling point was the free food.
Brock Bownds HM ’27 stumbled upon the Las Chorizeras performance, which began at noon on Friday, Sept. 25.
“I was walking to the Hoch, and then I saw one of my friends and I heard people on the microphone,” Bownds said.
Once students discovered the events, they were compelled to stay.
“I stayed because of the music,” Bownds continued.
His friend, Lyla Browne HM ’28, agreed.
“I really enjoyed the violin pieces,” she said. “It almost made me feel emotional.”
“As the event title suggests, the Las Chorizeras conveyed their stories through music, connecting them to experiences with mariachi and Mexican American culture. The ensemble prompted the audience to think about their own relationship to music.”
As the event title suggests, the Las Chorizeras conveyed their stories through music, connecting them to experiences with mariachi and Mexican American culture. The ensemble prompted the audience to think about their own relationship to music.
“To me, music can have meaning to something that’s either happened in your life or challenges that you’ve overcome,” Browne said. “There’s some songs that I have [listened to] that I’m like, ‘wow, this one really touched me.’”
“The Storytelling Exchange,” however, was not limited to performance. Macy Shi PO ‘30 fostered connections at the “Start Here Block Party” hosted south of the library on Wednesday, Sept. 23.
The block party, where vendors from on and off campus set up tents and engaged with students, surprised Shi with something not normally found on a college campus: a small petting zoo. She came after her first-year mentor sent her a photo of goats.
It also gave students an opportunity to take some time to decompress
“I laid on the yoga mats and just looked at the pine trees, and it really helped me take a breath and appreciate nature,” Shi said.
Regan Takashima SC ‘29 noticed how the event mixed lightheartedness and serious conversation to foster deeper connections, even between people who had just met.
“We had a little wheel game going on, and basically we were asking people about different aspects of wellness,” Takashima said. “I think it was a great way to reach out to the community and also have a little dialog going about wellness.”
When asked if people engaged with her booth, she responded with a resounding yes.
Both events seemed to succeed at the goals of fostering community, connecting people and reflecting on one’s own identity. In the rows of students who intently watched their performance from start to finish, Las Chorizeras demonstrated that enrapturing beauty and the impetus for introspection can arise from the vulnerability of creating genuine art.
While the mariachi event was more of a focused workshop on expression through music, the block party was an informal opportunity for students to gather. United by an adorable bunny or through waiting in line for a petting zoo, students had the chance to bond with one another in a fun environment outside the classroom.