Officials at the University of New Hampshire are hoping to avoid a repeat of last year’s racially charged Cinco de Mayo celebrations with a new community service event this Saturday.
Images of UNH students partying in sombreros and ponchos on Cinco de Mayo last year set off a firestorm of controversy that brought national attention to the Durham campus.
It also spurred a year of soul-searching at the university about how to make minority students and faculty feel more welcome.
UNH is hoping a new community service event called Unity Day will be a step in that direction. On Saturday students will clean up outdoor areas on campus and around town. The school hopes the day will become a tradition that it hopes will ultimately change the climate that currently surrounds Cinco de Mayo on campus.