The members of Spanish club at Park celebrate hispanic culture. Every month they rotate the focus of the club, where they dance, eat different foods and learn from each other about different latin cultures. On Jan. 18, the Spanish club got together to experience these different activities and it was a successful showing.
Club advisor Hanna Anderson said she decided to become an advisor after participating for years.
“It’s something that I’ve always enjoyed. Kind of unofficially, I’ve been doing it for years,” Anderson said. “Last year I had a very strong leadership with students and students who were really interested in doing a Spanish club so I decided to become an advisor precisely because I saw that interest in students.”
According to club leader Willis Gohman, his role in the club is stress-free and enjoyable.
“It’s pretty fun, it’s not too much work. We meet about once a month, sometimes twice a month, like this month,” Gohman said. “I usually get together with Profe Anderson on the third hour before the club, and then do like an hour of planning”
Club member Evelyn Barnett said she made the decision to join the club because of the community.
“I joined the club because I know a lot of my friends are already in the club,” Barnett said. “Another reason I joined is because I really like the teacher.”
According to Anderson, the activities in the club are very enjoyable for everyone involved.
“I enjoy the variety of activities, there’s just so much joy, we have so much fun. Every month, or every time we meet, we do different things related to culture,” Anderson said. “We celebrate different aspects of the culture like dancing, food, holiday traditions and cultural games. To be able to offer this to students is very rewarding.”
Barnett said her favorite part about the club is being educated on new experiences.
“I like that I was able to meet new people and celebrate different cultures other than my own,” Barnett said. “Everybody in the club gets along very well, new students sometimes come in and we get to share experiences with each other.”
Gohman said the club is a safe place for students and teachers to share their heritage in a public place.
“I think the community is really good, it’s really open,” Gohman said. “When we have Spanish parties in class during the day, there’s less enthusiasm because people don’t choose to be there. But during the club, everyone chooses to be there so there’s a lot more energy.”
The Spanish club will have its next meeting on Feb. 15.
