Rani Ban/The Falcon Senior Dalillah Bernal is the president of the S.A.L.S.A. Club on campus

Dalillah Bernal taps her fingernails. She points to the vocabulary on the board. Her hands circle one another furiously. Her arms stretch out as if conducting an orchestra.

The SPU senior never stops moving. She alternates between chalkboard and computer, listening and teaching. Eight, then nine, then 10 people are seated in the classroom. Bachata music from Puerto Rico murmurs behind the conversation.

In many ways, the conversation is typical. Today the discussion is about taboo topics, and the dialogue eventually settles its focus on sex, an SPU favorite. Pre-marital, contraceptives, abortion, how it relates to Christianity, how students on this campus aren't all saints, even STDs.

The trick: Everyone is speaking Spanish. Bernal is directing them, fingers and hands and arms and extremities ceaselessly saying as much as her words.

This is the Seattle Pacific Spanish and Latino Student Awareness (S.A.L.S.A.) Club, a Wednesday night gathering to celebrate and educate on Latino culture, and Bernal is its architect.

Bernal and an emerging undergraduate group have led the expansion of intercultural programs like S.A.L.S.A. during their time at SPU. With their input and the prompting of the administration, there is now a Department of Multi-Ethnic Affairs.

While striving to create awareness, individuals like Bernal experience frustration in conveying the message that diversity goes beyond color.

"Students of color are such a small percentage of what diversity looks like," Bernal said. "There is diversity in politics, class, religion, socioeconomics....When everyone on campus shares their experience, that's where we're going to be able to have a connection with one another."

Being at SPU reminds Bernal that awareness of this is ongoing. She still hears students asking if her Latino friends came to SPU because of affirmative action. She still senses pity in the glances of passing strangers. She still sees a place lacking in its cultural consciousness.

"I try not to generalize," Bernal said. "Still I feel that sometimes most students think students of color are here because of some other reason. You can't stereotype every student of color like that. Every student at SPU works hard to get here."

From her frustration, Bernal learned patience and that real change takes time. She began meeting other Latino students and connecting with student leaders.

When she started S.A.L.S.A., it was created to be an outlet for Latino students, but the first few club meetings produced a core group of five students who were mostly white, she said. Bernal had to adjust her expectations, seeing a group that fit the majority but wanted to understand something outside of their heritage. She took more of an educational perspective.

Rather than celebrating the culture with other Latinos, Bernal began helping others to share in it, pushing vocabularies and comfort levels along the way.

"I've seen her help Anglo kids who were shy about using Spanish and make them shine," said Eric Vogt, Bernal's academic advisor and an associate professor of Spanish at SPU.

Senior Marianne Wood, Bernal's roommate, said she would have never pictured herself leading club activities without the initiative she developed in S.A.L.S.A.

"She helped me to get out there," Wood said of Bernal. "I would have never seen myself planning an event. That's not necessarily my personality. But Dalillah helps people to feel that this is their school, and she helps people to understand Latino culture."

S.A.L.S.A. and intercultural programming are one of many passions for Bernal, some culturally related, some not. She is a nursing major as well as a Latin American studies major, which requires a good deal of independent study to fit in her schedule. She has been in SPU's Gospel Choir. She volunteers to teach new immigrant students at Queen Anne's Secondary Bilingual Orientation Center on Tuesdays.

"She has a commitment to social justice and is willing to work toward causes," professor of nursing Kathy Stetz said. "She has a presence about her so people who are vulnerable...feel comfortable around her."

Vogt said Bernal's community building and organizational strengths will translate to a successful career.

"I see her for a few years being a good nurse, doing a bridging between Hispanic and Anglo communities--at a professional and community level," Vogt said.

Bernal is already seeking to build that bridge. Last spring break, Bernal, her father Leonel and seven S.A.L.S.A. members spent a week at El Sauzal Orphanage in Ensenada, Mexico. The group traveled nonstop in a van together, didn't shower and came home fragrant, fatigued and challenged by the need they saw.

"Through the trip and at the orphanage, we got to learn a lot not just by helping out," Bernal said. "I think where we learn the most is where we get challenged and stretched to change."

Bernal is in the midst of planning a similar outing this year, and eventually, she'd like to be a nurse practitioner in a similarly underserved community.

For now, like many students nearing graduation, Bernal weighs several after-school options. She is leaning toward taking a year off to work with her church.

"I want to be able to implement spiritual healing into medical treatments," she said. "I feel God is telling me 'You have to be able to grow first.' We want to perform excellence through our own efforts, but I think we should focus on his presence manifesting that excellence."

While she is looking toward her future, Bernal believes there is still much left to do.Awareness is ongoing. Programming, discussions, relationships--promoting diversity means long and frustrating and unpacking-the-stereotype sort of work.

She's excited for this campus to experience real challenge and real change, she said.

"If you don't have a plan where you want to change, you're not going to grow. It's nice to be safe, nice to not have to worry about things. The beauty of taking risks is the chance to expand your perspective and grow as an individual."