 Omar Gonzalez, A&S ´06, was named the 2005 recipient of the Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship in a ceremony in the Rat on Saturday. He was one of three juniors who made the final round of selections.
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 Archbishop Oscar A. Romero fought for justice and freedom in El Salvador.
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Omar Gonzalez, A&S '06, delivered remarks about social injustice after he won the 13th Archbishop Oscar A. Romero Scholarship on Saturday night.
"When talking about social justice, we always look to our homelands in Latin America or to the inner-cities," he said. "We fail to recognize injustice in our presence because it is a monster that we hear about but dodge whenever it is in our midst."
He referred to the Supreme Court's decision to prohibit affirmative action in the admissions process and the consequential changing of the criteria for the Romero scholarship.
"This is an injustice against the Latino community at Boston College as well as all students of color across the country. With the swing of a mallet, race was no longer important," he said.
"Today, I would like to formally declare my personal vendetta. I vow to change the demographics of the ethnicity of college students across the nation until they become representative of the nation's population. This might seem like a lofty utopian delusion, but I will not rest until this vision comes to fruition. And if it not accomplished in my lifetime, I recognize that I am not a master builder, just a worker."
His speech was met with applause from the audience.
Gonzalez was one of three finalists for the prestigious scholarship that covers 75 percent of the winner's senior year tuition. Adrian Rossello-Cornier and Zanibel Melo, both A&S '06, were also finalists for the award.
The gala in the Rat was about more than one scholarship winner, with much reflection about Romero's life, celebration of Brazilian culture, and remembrance of Rev. John A. Dinneen, S.J., of whom the Alumni Service Award is named after.
"Tonight is an opportunity to pause, to reflect, and to reconnect with loved ones," said Cecilia Gutierrez, BC '95, and host of the program, as she opened the evening to a full house.
Dennis Sardella and Ines Maturana Sendoya, co-chairs of the selection committee, presented the three finalists. "We're all called on to carry on the sacrifice and service [of Romero]," said Sardella.
A brief entertainment break was provided by teens from the United Teen Equality Center, who performed the Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art. Each year's ceremony highlights one culture of Latin America, with food, decorations, and entertainment centered on the country.
Before the scholarship was awarded, Alexander Sanchez, BC '90, was awarded the Rev. John A. Dinneen, S.J., Hispanic Alumni Service Award.
Dinneen, who died in 2002, was instrumental in starting many of Boston College's diversity initiatives, including the Romero scholarship.
Sanchez's accomplishments include serving as the director of the National Hispanic Bar Association and as president and CEO of the United Neighborhood Centers of America. "It is alumni like you who help to fuel and inspire so many students here today," said Anita Ulloa, director of employment for human resources, in presenting the award.
"I had no idea what a Jesuit education would mean to me when I left here," Sanchez said. "But not a week goes by that someone does not mention the benefit of a Jesuit-educated college experience."
The rest of the evening was devoted to the Romero scholarship as last year's winner, Arivee Vargas, A&S '05, spoke of her experience since winning.
"The weeks and months that followed that night culminated in the most reflective time of my life," she said. "My heart kept telling me that I was meant to represent my people in the courtrooms and board rooms where we are seldom seen or heard. I knew that I was born to do this."
She urged the audience to follow in Romero's footsteps.
"We cannot be afraid to stand up and speak the truth, even when some will criticize it as 'radical,'" she said. "They called Romero a radical, even a communist. But like Romero, we must all take responsibility for the problems of our community, and take a proactive role in engaging in the struggle to advance it."
University President Rev. William P. Leahy, S.J., reflected on two points of Romero's message - the importance of hope and the call to invest in one's community.
"We have a call to put ourselves on the line. We're all in this together," he said, before presenting the award to Gonzalez.
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