Chico State’s chapter of M.E.Ch.A. announced plans for events celebrating heritage in their first meeting of the year Wednesday.

The Chico chapter of this organization, which stands for the Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlán, has been around since 1969. It exists as a platform to help the Chicanx student population―that’s the gender-neutral term, as even Chicano and Chicana come with connotations the group hopes to avoid―come together and work to better their community.

Goals for this semester include a “semana de mujeres” where activist women throughout history will be celebrated, as well as a Cesar Chavez informational week.

Adela Gutierrez-diaz, office manager of M.E.Ch.A. says the planned Cesar Chavez Informational week is important in educating the community so that the Latinx culture is not misappropriated.

“It’s OK to party and celebrate Cesar Chavez if you know why you’re partying,” she said, but more often students use the time off as an excuse to drink to excess.

M.E.Ch.A. hopes to make more plans for the semester and is still filling leadership positions. Meetings are at 5 p.m. in PAC 116.

The group can be reached on all major social media platforms: Snap@csuchicomecha [email protected], Twitter@MEChAChicoState, Facebook@Mecha De Chico State.

Josh Cozine can be reached at [email protected] or @joshcozine on Twitter.