Spanish Club shows what is possible for a cultural club

Courtesy of Hillary Gonzalez

On Oct. 17, Spanish club members listen attentively to a presentation about tacos by the club officers.

“Tacos de pollo!” Spanish 4 Honors teacher Stephany Marks yelled as a group of students crowded into a line in front of her desk. Chopped onions, cilantro, a variety of salsas and a selection of Mexican drinks were neatly arranged on her desk, as the savory aroma of grilling carnitas hung in the air. Casual chatter filled the room as students in the Spanish Club indulged in freshly grilled tacos and refreshing drinks. 

With the help of Marks and Spanish 3 teacher Sarah Voorhees, who is also the club advisor, the Spanish Club held a student-bonding taco event on Oct. 17 as one of the various special activities they offer at their club meetings. There, they served a selection of tacos from Kitos, the taco restaurant that Marks and her boyfriend recently opened. The event was a huge success, with more than 50 students in attendance. 

Courtesy of Hillary Gonzalez

(From left to right) Spanish 4 Honors teacher Stephany Marks’ best friend, Marks’ boyfriend, Marks, Spanish 3 teacher Sarah Voorhees and Marks’ daughter pose in front of the taco station.

“We really focus on trying to bring actual things, such as crafts and foods, into the club, so that people can really relate and get a better sense of the different aspects of Spanish culture,” Spanish club co-president Hillary Gonzalez said. “In Saratoga, there’s a small Spanish community and not a lot of people are aware of this rich culture. I feel that it’s just so important to share it with all these people.”

 For example, on Dec. 12, the club hosted a fun cultural food activity during their meeting where anyone who was able to answer a question earned a piece of Concha, a popular Mexican bread. 

Spanish club — which meets on Red Day Tuesdays in Voorhees’ room — is led by co-presidents Gonzalez and Kirby Fung; vice president Hector Vash-Munoz; secretary Nathan Shows and treasurer Ryan Heshmati. All of them are juniors. 

With the abundance of activities that they offer — including engaging slideshows, fun arts and crafts and Kahoot games — approximately 35 students attend most meetings, making it one of the most popular clubs on campus. 

When planning meeting activities, the club strives to provide members with as many opportunities as possible to practice their Spanish speaking skills. It also helps that Marks offers extra credit to any of her students who actively participate in the club meetings. 

“There needs to be interaction going on,” Heshmati said. “It can’t just be, ‘Oh, I’m going to sit down and listen to a lecture.’ There needs to be more interaction, more immersion going on.” 

Heshmati hopes that by participating in fun activities, members will gain a strong connection to the language and the cultures associated with it.

“Me encanta espanol (I love Spanish) and the culture. It’s such a powerful language because it doesn’t connect to just one nation,” Heshmati said. “This is a collection of different individual nation’s cultures that you can bridge connections through the Spanish language. And it’s just a beautiful language. Honestly, I love it.”