Mrs. Acosta-Reza is the Alliance High School Spanish teacher. She talked about starting a Spanish club last year. She never thought she would get one started but with a little help from her students and our Assistant Principal Ms. James she got it done! The club meets every Wednesday in room 202. This club is open to all students who attend AHS.
When I asked what they do in the Spanish club Mrs. Acosta-Reza responded, “We have done a mural for Hispanic Heritage Month, we sit down and talk or listen to music to experience the culture.” They also have conversations about Hispanic cultures, Spanish-speaking countries, and traditions. She will even sometimes make food for the club so everyone can try a little bit of traditional Mexican food!
Mrs. Acosta-Reza said that there was not a Spanish club when she was here at the high school. She wanted to start one because she wanted to show people the real culture, let kids experience different things, and let them express themselves in different ways. She also had kids who were very curious and that was when she gave the thought to Ms. James, who thought it was an excellent idea!
When I asked Mrs. Acosta-Reza if she had any goals for the Spanish club she said, “My short-term goal is to spread knowledge and to foster respect for Hispanic cultures. My mid-term goal would be to have an international food day or “festival” where we get to experience different foods from different Latin American countries for now. The ultimate goal would be to take a trip, not an international one, but a road trip down to Texas to experience the Hispanic culture within the United States.”
I asked Mrs. Acosta-Reza if she had anything fun going on for the club right now and she said, “Yes, we just finished helping with the Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration at Carnegie Arts Center here in Alliance.” She also mentioned that they decorated the chalk hallway for Hispanic Heritage Month. Mrs. Acosta-Reza stated, “This semester we’re doing a food experience, we’re making corn tortillas with some traditional dishes to go along with it. We’re cooking chorizo, chicharron, pensado, and refried beans.” She thinks that this will be a fun but messy experience. She also thinks that everyone is super excited to do this!
I look forward to Mrs. Acosta-Reza keeping the club going for as long as she is teaching at AHS! Let’s hope everyone in the Spanish club is having fun and is excited about their food experiment. Later on in the future, I can’t wait for the club to get to go on some type of field trip whether it is just to Texas or internationally!
