By Tony Margherio
IV Leader Staff, Oct. 4, 2007
Hispanic Heritage Month is in full swing at Illinois Valley Community College. Taking place Sept. 15 - Oct. 15, the month commemorates nearly 10 Central and South American countries’ days of independence. Spearheading the celebration is IVCC’s World Language Organization chapter.
“We hope that we will increase awareness of the contributions Hispanic culture has made to the culture of the United States, and to increase pride in people of Hispanic heritage,” says Anna Pietrolonardo, the WLO’s advisor and foreign language instructor.
The WLO kicked off its line up of activities Sept. 17 with a bake sale outside the school cafeteria. Students browsed numerous tables filled with all manner of treats, from rice crispies to cherry Jell-o cake. Many students enjoyed their baked goods while listening to the Hispanic music being played.
During the bake sale, the WLO recording secretary Yasmin Gonzalez filled in for President Hixie Cruz to announce the many events the WLO has planned for students and to read the Mexican Declaration of Independence (El Grito de La Independencia) in Spanish with an English translation.
“She did a good job,” said Amy Said, the WLO’s newly elected treasurer. She went on to say that she thought the bake sale did really well, too.
The WLO continued its activities on Sept. 21 and 22 with its Hispanic Heritage Trivia Game. A group of 10 students gathered in Room C-316 and acted out skits in Spanish; following the skits and some snacks, the game began.
The questions surveyed a wide breadth of knowledge, from famous Hispanic baseball players to the indigenous tribes of South America. The team with the most correct answers at the final question would win not only bragging rights, but also key chains and extra credit for Spanish class. The game started slowly as the two teams struggled to answer questions. Eventually, however, the first team pulled ahead with a streak of correct answers and won with a final score of 13 to 4.
For anyone who missed out on these activities or those looking to attend more, events are planned for October as well. On Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. Antonio Cabrera Onilla, a native Poblano, will speak about Poblano language and culture.
The Milagro Beanfield War will be shown at 6 p.m. on Oct. 11 with a discussion about Hispanic immigration and citizenship following. On Oct. 12 the WLO will show and discuss a series of short film clips exploring the theme of Hispanic identity in the United States.
All three events will be in Room B-216, the school’s Fireplace Lounge. They are open to the public, and refreshments will be served.