Students enjoyed tortilla chips with a side of salsa dancing at the Spanish Club’s annual Latin Dance Night. On April 30, tables adorned with decorative sombreros were scattered across the Student Union Ballroom while Mariela Sanchez, instructor of Spanish, served a variety of dishes provided by local restaurants. In addition to providing a taste of local cuisine, the Spanish Club also gave students the opportunity to experience a taste of Latin culture.
“We have different restaurants around the area donate food, gift certificates and other prizes so that we can offer the students a night of dancing and immersing into the Latin culture,” said Codie Sullivan, president of the Spanish Club.
The night involved food, a raffle for restaurant gift certificates, Spanish counting games and piñatas, but perhaps the most notable part of the evening was when Teresa Santana, senior business major, and Philip Mendoza, senior biology major, instructed students on how to perform several Latin American dances.
“It was fun,” said Mendoza. “I just wish we had a little more time to teach everybody more details about the moves, but, you know, everybody’s got short attention spans so we try to keep it simple.”
Victoria Arzu, a freshman Spanish education major who participated in Latin Dance Night, felt the event allowed her to embrace her own culture and to meet others who share a common interest in Spanish culture.  
“I’m actually Honduran, and I don’t practice the dance routines like the merengue and salsa,” said Arzu. “I wanted to learn more and get to know other people that come here that are interested in Spanish just like me, so one day if I want to study abroad, I can have a buddy with me.”
The money collected from admission and raffle tickets goes to the Spanish Club’s Study Abroad Scholarship, which gives students the opportunity to travel to Spain in order to enhance their educational experience.
For more information on the Spanish Club and upcoming events, contact the Department of Languages and Communication at 985-549-2105 or go to the Spanish Club website at seluspanishclub.wix.com.