The Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez Committee is hosting a Tejano/Latino Music Festival on Sept. 12 and 13 in Old Town at the Cesar E. Chavez Plaza. The festival is an opportunity to spread awareness about Latino culture, the LCEC organization and to show off a newly crafted commemorative arch designed by MSU School of Planning, Design and Construction students to honor Cesar E. Chavez. This event is free and open to the public.
The Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez Committee was founded in order to preserve the legacy of the American farm worker and civil rights activist Cesar E. Chavez. The group practices education, commemoration and services to educate the public and honor Chavez.
Scott Witter, director of the SPDC, was contacted by the Director of LCEC, and met with two of the Committee’s board members to discuss a potential tribute piece for Cesar E. Chavez. Witter saw this as the perfect opportunity to fulfill the responsibility of giving back to the community, as well as the potential for a real-world design project for MSU students.
The collaboration began with the aim of servicing Old Town, the Greater Lansing Area and the Latino Community. A team of three students working under the supervision of SPDC’s Associate Director Pat Crawford, partnered with LCEC to create an homage to Cesar E. Chavez for his leadership and involvement with the agricultural movement.
The SPDC students, Kim Dietzel, Ian Dippo and Rob Dalton, were hand-picked to participate in the design of an archway commemorating Chavez, to grace the entrance of the Cesar E. Chavez Plaza in Old Town in Lansing. The students, majoring in landscape architecture, work with Crawford on the World Class Built Environment projects.
The arch project was a great way for these students to further develop their real-world, applied experience in the field. Crawford served as the leader of the design effort for the archway.
“Real-world projects, such as the Chavez Archway, represent a trifecta of enriching student learning experiences, contributing to our local community and physically changing a place for future generations,” Crawford said.
Witter hopes this involvement will encourage community support and involvement with Lansing for Cesar E. Chavez events in the area, and will help future generations to understand the importance of the Chavez message.