Head over to Bulldog Alley this Saturday night and you’ll get a taste of poetry, music and Hispanic culture. Georgetown’s What’s After Dark is teaming up with Be-Well Week 2011 to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with a Late Night Poetry Slam on Saturday, Oct. 1. The event will last from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. and will feature a spoken word artist and a live salsa band, as well as several student readings.

Kernysha Rowe, a graduate assistant for What’s After Dark, had the idea to relate Be-Well Week’s “Be Connected” night to the cultural aspects of Hispanic Heritage Month.

“I thought it would be a great thing to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, as well as connect with Be-Well Week,” she said. “The two seemed to go hand in hand.”

The Latinas Promoviendo Comunidad, also known as the Lambda Pi Chi sorority, is equally excited about the event. Cassandra Saenz (SFS ’12), president of the Lambda Pi Chi sorority, said it is the first time an event centered on Latina Heritage has come through the Center for Student Programs. One of the hermanas, or sisters, in the sorority will also be reading poetry at the event.

In addition to a full list of students who have signed up to read their poetry, What’s After Dark has arranged for a spoken word artist, Advocate of Wordz, to perform on Saturday. Based in New York, Advocate of Wordz is a writer and performer of Puerto Rican heritage.  The “word chemist” performs in a permanent slot at the Nuyorican Cafe in New York City and is a founding member of El Grito dePoetas, a Hispanic poetry movement that originated in the city. Advocate of Wordz is also a performing poet for Lincoln Center’s “Meet the Artist” series and has appeared at several venues and universities around the country.

However, the event on Saturday promises to be more than just poetry. Saenz put Rowe into contact with the salsa band that plays at The George Washington University’s Noche Cultura, a major Hispanic heritage celebration that occurs every spring at GWU.

“The band is very lively and vibrant,” Saenz said. “They really get the crowd involved.”

In addition to the live band, the Late Night Poetry Slam will also feature two salsa teachers who will be able to break down the often-intricate steps of salsa dancing for students who wish to learn.

The event, although Latina based, will not be exclusive.

“The event is geared towards Latino heritage celebration, but … [the organizers] don’t want to limit the spoken word pieces, because Georgetown rarely has Late Night Poetry Slams,” Saenz said. “The theme is to celebrate Latina culture, but there should be a variety of pieces.”

Lambda Pi Chi is especially excited about the event because they are hoping it will help put them on the map as a recognizable student group.

“For our chapter, this is a significant collaboration because it really gets our name out there,” Saenzsaid.

So if you’re looking for something different in your night life this Saturday, spice it up with some Latin flare.