Typical Day in Spanish Major
In a Spanish major class, you will have a combination of any of the following activities:
* Singing
* Dancing
* Debating (about anything, as long as the topic is controversial i.e. homosexuality, abortion, Harry Potter, euthanasia, affirmative action, marijuana legalization, etc.)
* Reading
* Writing Journal Entries
* Napping (¡De verdad! You know that siesta is a part of Spanish culture)
* Watching Spanish films
Though both classes do the activities listed above, they vary in that:
Cristóbal's class emphasizes literature. This class uses Spanish to explore the theme of acceptance and its multiple interpretations.
Top Row: Wes (Mateo), Rebekah (Rebeca), Alex (Alejandra), Carolyn (Pilar), Cassie (Casandra), TJ (Tito), Kris (Cristóbal)
Middle Row: Cathy (Catalina), Amanda (Amanda), Matt (Buen hombre), Mary (María), Ira (Ira), Bryn (Briana), Bijal (Reina)
Front Row: Jonna (Juanita), Kristen (Marisa)
Quique's class emphasizes language, linguistics and culture. This class studies advanced topics in variances of the Spanish language phonetically and structually. This focus is explored through music chosen for linguistic variety.
Top Row: Branden (Joaquín), Matt (Juan Carlos)
Middle Row: Caleb (Andrés), Lindsey (Sofía), Brianna (Magdalena o Abuelita), Shanikia (Adela o Adelita), Tiara (Rosario), Hillary (Laura Cristina), Bettina (Marisol), Yolanda (Alana), Melanie (Ana la Cubana), Shelby (Rocío), Rika (Flor)
Front Row: Denyce (María Luisa), Esther (Esperanza), Marissa (Isabela), Megan (Josefina)
Culminating Events
El Cabaret
Preparing and performing in El Cabaret will be one of things you will remember years after GHP (A Dios le pido, ¡un segundo más de vida para ensayar para El Cabaret!). El Cabaret is performed third week into GHP.Cristóbal's class' cabaret
Quique's class' cabaret
Cultural Trading Spaces
Foreign Language classes switch rooms and "culturally" trade spaces by decorating each other's classrooms in their own language's cultural styles.
Final Projects
Everyone will do an independent research proect. One is required to make an hour long presentation that engages the classmates on any subject related to Hispanic culture - sólo en ESPAÑOL, claro. ¡Madre de Dios! Algunas presentaciones que tuvimos en 2006:
*biographies of artists, i.e. La vida de Celia Cruz
*literature and its influence or importance, i.e. Cervantes y Don Quixote
*Hispanic holidays, i.e. La diferencia entre tradiciones Navideñas de los países hispanicos
*dance, i.e. La historia de merengue, salsa y tango
*culture, i.e. La Corrida de Toros
¡Las posibilidades no paran!
One student (Yolanda) did her project on the Flamenco. In her presentation, she explained that Flamenco was performed to express pain and sufferings.
Then she had the whole class write lyrics to a Flamenco song together. Each student contributed one line:
Sufrimientos
Niños de Quique, GHP 2006
A Dios que está en el cielo, lo pío
Que estabas cerca de mí
Durante yo tengo que trabajar tanto
Domingo venga más rápido
Nunca vaya a la escuela normal
Toda mi vida yo recuerde la naranja
Que nunca se me olviden las experiencias de GHP
Que yo pueda tener la presencia de Josefina.
Que venga el agua caliente cuando ducharme
Que coma el bistec con una papa asada
Que la cafetería siempre tiene las pajillas.
Que nunca se me escapa el baile de "Tú Cambiarás"
Que tu Dios dirijas mi vida
Mi divino Señor que sueño tengo
Le pido que nunca me sienta fría en la noche
Que yo pueda sobrevivir el próximo año
Que siempre me salve de la comida de GHP
Que no me olviden mis lindos alumnos.