When you walk into Kinkaid’s Wheless Lobby this month, you’ll be greeted by three elegant quinceañera dresses, one in baby blue, another in light pink and the third, an elegant and non-traditional one, in white.
This assemblage was set out as part of Viva La Raza’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations on campus. The month honors the cultures and contributions of Hispanic Americans and takes place from Sep. 15 to Oct. 15 each year.
“It seems to me that any event that showcases all the things that certain people have in common within their rich diversity should be a great opportunity for all of us to celebrate,” Spanish teacher Mr. Jose Narbona said.
The celebrations started with a faculty breakfast set out in the Ogilvie Lobby of the Katz Arts Building. Traditional and fusion delicacies like tres leches oatmeal and pan dulce were on offer, along with trays of fruits and pitchers of juices, water and coffee. Faculty of all backgrounds enjoyed the delicacies.
A celebration for students took place on Sept. 27. A wide variety of sweet and savory delicacies, each labeled with their Spanish name, an English explanation, and their country of origin, were on offer, including tostones from Venezuela, tamarind candies from Mexico and plantain chips from Colombia.
“I always look forward to this day!” sophomore Cate Schmidt said.
The festivities extended to the classroom, too. Each year, to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, or “Mes de La Raza,” Ms. Vanessa Zamudio-Lara has her Spanish III Honors students present on a cultural phenomenon from a Spanish-speaking country.
The purpose of this project, she said, is to educate students about a facet of the culture they are studying that they did not know before.
On-level Spanish classes also conduct various projects during this month to gain a better cultural understanding of the Spanish-speaking world. Spanish I students research a specific food, Spanish II students present about a famous historical or present-day figure and Spanish III students present about real-world challenges facing Spanish-speaking countries.
A Hispanic Heritage Month celebration for all community members was held on Oct. 4, and the Viva La Raza club held their movie night for “Flamin’ Hot,” directed by Eva Longoria, on Oct 11.
Editor’s Note: The original article did not include the third quinceanera dress in the Wheless Lobby exhibition. The author and editorial board apologize for this oversight.
