stay in the club once a person has joined. 

     “I made the decision to get rid of the point system [and] this is because I found that people were attending events to get their credits and they just weren’t having fun,” Williams said. “[Now] our club members want to be at the events; they have fun and have a great attitude.” 

     Spanish Club members visit with local Hispanic organizations as well as participate in a variety of activities, including going to dinner at local Hispanic restaurants, painting famous Spanish artwork on ceiling tiles, putting up posters with information about National Hispanic Heritage Month and doing research on and learning more about influential Spanish leaders. 

     Spanish Club Vice President Hannah Sprague joined the club last year after attending a meeting during Refresh that piqued her interest.

     “I saw Spanish Club meetings during Refresh, and I thought that it looked really fun and I wanted to join,” Sprague said. 

     Sprague has only taken one Spanish class at Rose, but is grateful for the opportunities the Spanish Club has presented. 

     “It’s a great community [and it] allows people to learn more about Hispanic culture,” Sprague said. 

     While the club is still a small group, the members are extremely close. 

     “[Because] we’re one of the smaller clubs at Rose, it’s easier to get to know everyone in the club and learn the reasons they joined the club and their stories,” Sprague said. “Even as a junior, I interact with the freshmen, sophomores and seniors instead of just staying within my age group or friend group.” 

     Spanish Club is an extremely important part of Rose because it allows students to learn more about people in our community as well as provides opportunities for students who are interested in Hispanic culture. 

     “It represents an ethnic group in our community and it helps people learn more about it,” Sprague said. 

     Sophomore Melissa Sanchez joined so she could teach other people about her own culture. Sanchez believes other students should join for the benefits the club can provide.

     “It’s important to know more about the culture, and being bilingual is really important because you can get more job opportunities,” Sanchez said. 

     Both Sprague and Sanchez said that the biggest challenge has been getting more people to join since the club has not been talked about much. 

     If you are interested in learning more about Spanish culture, Spanish Club is the place to do that. 

     “[The goal] is to experience the Hispanic culture and show love and enjoyment for it,” Williams said. 

     Williams believes that the best way to learn about Spanish culture is through exposure and immersion. 

     Sprague also recommends Spanish Club for anyone interested in being part of a great community. 

     “Please join!” Sprague said.