¡Escucha!

Corry Area High School’s Spanish classes held their second annual Fiesta Hispánica in the West Gym on Thursday, April 17.

According to Spanish teacher Ms. Smith, the event returned this year because of the success it saw last year.

“It worked really well the first year, so we decided to continue it,” said Smith. “It was a good idea that everyone enjoyed and had a good vibe, so we wanted to try it again to see if it would receive the same positive outcome.”

She added, “It’s a really great way to showcase the students’ work and gives them a goal to work toward throughout the year.”

The event was organized and led by Spanish teachers Ms. Smith, Ms. Sisson, and all of the students in Spanish levels I through IV. The celebration took place from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The gym was decorated with Spanish-themed décor and filled with projects made by the Spanish students. On display were their pasaporte projects on Spanish-speaking countries, cultural presentations, food, music, dancing, performances, treasure hunts, and even piñatas. Some students also dressed in traditional Hispanic attire.

Live music was performed by a band called Mambo, founded by Chilean guitarist Julio Quezada. Julio was joined by Carlos Cruz, who played the bongos and congas, and Waylon Hayes on drums. Ms. Smith and several students performed traditional dances, including salsa and bachata, and even sang along with the music.

Smith shared what she hoped students would take away from the event: “I wanted the students to learn that Spanish cultures are excellent at overcoming hard times by celebrating their culture. I wanted students to learn from that in their own way.”

Ms. Sisson described the academic projects behind the celebration. Spanish I students researched Spanish-speaking countries and created informational posters. Spanish II students explored traditional clothing from Spanish-speaking cultures and displayed their findings. Spanish III students created projects about their future dreams, showcased alongside sugar skulls made for the Day of the Dead. Spanish IV students wrote fiction books about historical events in Mexico, which were displayed with their sugar skulls and Catalan “Pooping” Logs. A piñata-making booth was also set up, led by student Halle Beach.

To tie everything together, Ms. Sisson designed a fun and challenging scavenger hunt using the students’ projects, which visiting students completed during the event.

“The scavenger hunt gave all of the students an opportunity to really analyze each other’s projects and, hopefully, learn something new,” said Sisson.

Reflecting on this year’s Fiesta, Ms. Smith shared her excitement: “I was really pleased with it; everything came out amazing—from the decorations to the music to the dance and participation from students with positivity. This year’s fiesta really surpassed my expectations.”

Ms. Sisson added her perspective on the preparation: “Preparation for the Fiesta was a complete group effort. Ms. Smith’s classes prepared the decorations as well as the piñatas that were broken during the festivities. A lot of time and effort was put into this event by everyone involved in the Spanish program, but it was definitely well worth it.”