Alumni Testimonials

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My college experience would not be the same were it not for A.L.A.S. As a matter of fact, I chose to transfer to QC because of ALAS. Some of my boys from HS came to school here and within a year were invoved with the club. I started visiting them (since I took classes at QCC) on a regular basis and got to meet some wonderful people. I've learned so much about human nature, my cultural roots, the Latino legacy that is being created and re-created on a daily basis, and about life ranging from the most mundane to the most profound.

This stream of consciousness is going to run long and I will try and keep it short. If you're taking the time to read this I appreciate it.

When I joined (decades ago!!... lol), the club was in, what I call, the "2nd Generation" of ALAS. I have been here through that generation and those to follow: "the Domincan generation", the people now known as "Old School" (Asqui, Basa, Tania, and others), and then the New Jacks. I've seen the club at what I thought was it's highest point. I've been through the lows where there was a very good chance there would be no more ALAS. I fought hard to keep it alive despite not being eligible for any positions... despite being the "new guy"... despite the lack of members and influence of naysayers who said we wouldn't survive.

I've remained true to the vision of the club and tried to make it a second home for people. Whether it was for an escape from the hardships of life or just a getaway from the everyday routine ALAS became a home for many people. Some have come and set roots here, others have stayed for a short while and moved on. But in the end ALAS, for better or for worse, has influenced all their lives. I'd like to think in a positive way. Even for those who saw it as a negative experience, they wouldn't be where they are today without ALAS.

After our elections Wednesday (4/20), the reality of the situation hit me. ALAS has been such an integral part of my life in the last several years and I won't be here for much longer. New leaders have stepped up to run not only ALAS but all the member clubs. Not even at it's highest point can I say that all the clubs were as strong as they will be next year.

Maybe that's what saddens me most. To see the club grow and to see the members grow to be leaders and to know I may not be there to help them in their time of need. It saddens me and I only hope that I have been able to relay my experiences and knowledge to them which will help them on their path to making ALAS something bigger and better than I ever envisioned. It's already happened this year under my presidency and it couldn't have happened without everyone's input and support. Thank you all for your help, your time, and your dedication.

As spring break comes closer and closer I realized that this May 1st will be my last birthday as a member of ALAS. After December, ALAS will be a place I visit and no longer a daily refuge from the outside world. It makes me sad but I can't stay forever (as much as I'd like to). People need to learn from their mistakes. I've done what I could and cannot ask any more of myself without sacrificing my life and my future for the club. (Maybe if I got paid for it but.... nah... maybe not even then). Whatever happens to ALAS I just hope that people will look back on their experiences there as having helped mold who they are and made their college days much more fulfilling than just going to class and going home.

Open discussion and dialogue are the only ways we can make change and understand others.

- Alan Gonzalez (A.L.A.S. President 2004-2005)

I've seen most of the good and bad that have hapopened with this club. I have to admit that if it wasn't for A.L.A.S., I don't know where I would be. Yeah, we party. Yeah, we play cards. But I have learned so much from people past and present, that I can't fathom where I would be if I did not have that knowledge. Members of A.L.A.S. come from many cultural backgrounds. Some of them not even latin. That is what is so great about it. We are supposed to be there to celebrate latin culture, yet it is so much more.

A.L.A.S. is the family I have when I am not with my own. It will truly be something I will miss when I leave Queens College. I am gonna cherish the times that I have know and hope that after QC, we can make more memories.

I am truly thankful that something like A.L.A.S. exists at QC. I hope that other students get to experience something like it wherever they go. When there is a love like this, no words can possible describe it. The question is, when I leave who becomes Grandpa? Thank you A.L.A.S. for making me who I am. Grandfather A.L.A.S. OUT!!!

- Jamal Myers