Thomas County Central High School students celebrated Hispanic Heritage month earlier this school year. TCCHS Spanish instructors Anthony Paulino, John Jimenez, and Erika Wyatt organized the annual celebration.
“Of course, we couldn't accomplish this without our students' enthusiasm and cooperation,” teacher Erika Wyatt said.
Students proved they had plenty of both as they explored the Hispanic culture through various activities such as dancing, making tissue flowers, food tasting, and fact-filled presentations about famous Hispanics and their achievements.
“What I have learned about the month is it offers us the opportunity to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans to U.S. culture,” Spanish I student Nyasia Copeland, 15, said.
Freshman Evan McBride, 15, enjoyed learning about Hispanic history.
“I find the cultures very interesting,” he said. “I learned about the different Hispanic nations. I will continue to learn more about them and their histories.”
Spanish IV student Addison Weiss, 16, liked decorating teacher Erika Wyatt’s classroom using culturally relevant pieces, such as brightly-colored flowers made from tissue paper, her favorite activity from this year’s celebration.
“I am someone who loves making art with the meaning behind it, and I also enjoy helping people,” Weiss said. “This was my favorite activity because it allowed me to make art that was culturally significant, and I was able to help Mrs. Wyatt. My classmates and I had a few days where we all made paper flowers and decorated the door. It was nice to actually have hands-on activities together instead of only learning what people do to celebrate. Having an activity to do with the whole class helped me learn more than I would if it was read from a textbook. The end result was beautiful....”
Sophomore Destani Carter, 16, appreciated the various activities and films, but she especially liked learning about the Hispanic culture and how it celebrates events like the Day of the Dead.
“I learned from Hispanic Heritage month that Hispanic culture is something very unique and different,” she said. “On the day of Halloween, which is to them Día de Los Muertos, all kinds of exciting events are done to celebrate their dead relatives and their impending future. It was fun to learn about the culture and ways Hispanics celebrate their culture every year on the Day of the Dead, to see how they celebrate their dead relatives and put pride into being who they are.”
The food projects were a major hit with students as well.
“My favorite was food day because I like to eat, and it was good food,” Alex Ward, 15, a Spanish IV student, said. “I enjoyed the food day the most because it was a cool way to experience other cultures through food.”
Sophomore Veronica VanLandingham, 16, a Spanish IV pupil, said one of her best memories from the month was when she made Columbian ginger cookies with her father.
“I enjoyed most learning about new recipes from Hispanic countries and trying them with family members,” she said. “That and watching documentaries on Hispanic people. Every Hispanic [Heritage] Month, I get to learn different small facts and histories of Hispanic culture and people which I remember for years to come.”
Learning how Hispanic culture uses elements like food and color to bring joy to people impacted Weiss.
“Even in death, there is color and joy, where it is not seen as something to be feared, but celebrated,” Weiss said. “After learning these things, I will take away the knowledge that life is meant to be enjoyed, and no matter what happens, I should try to find a way to keep it joyful.”