NSU’s new Spanish club seeks to promote understanding
(L-R) Benjamin Forkner, Sadeem El Nahhas, Connor Dean, Grace Dean, Lia Portillo, Taylor Charles, Angel Rankins and Kimtang Eung at the first Spanish Club meeting of the semester.
A club for students at Northwestern State University of Louisiana is rememerging inside Kyser Hall.
The Spanish club had previously been a recognized student organization at NSU until it dwindled in members and was not picked back up by other students. That is until junior biology major, Grace Dean, decided to bring the club back to life.
Grace Dean minors in Spanish and wanted an organization that not only would help her continue to dominate the language, but cherish Spanish-speaking cultures. When she heard about the old club, she decided to bring it back and is currently working for the reestablishment of the club’s RSO status.
Their first interest meeting was held Feb. 16, 2022 in the foreign language lab. The club plans to hold events that would advocate for Spanish cultures and practice Spanish to open a floor of diversity. One activity in mind is piñata night.
“My way to learn Spanish was deep-diving into the culture, listening to music in Spanish, watching telenovelas and that’s how I fell in love with the culture,” Grace Dean said.
French and Spanish professor, Benjamin Forkner, is the advisor of the club helping Grace with getting it back on its feet.
Forkner believes that the club will aid students’ journey studying Spanish.
“I think it’s important to offer extracurricular resources for students to explore their interests,” Forkner said.
He added that the club will help students immerse themselves a little bit more into the culture and the language.
Connor Dean, senior psychology major, minors in Spanish and believes that this club is beneficial to everyone.
“Majority of the majors at NSU involve working with people, and developing a deeper understanding of a person’s culture allows you to develop a deeper empathy for others,” Connor Dean said.
Opening and practicing mindful absorption of Spanish-speaking cultures is the driving force of this club.
“To truly understand a language you have to understand the culture behind it,” Grace Dean said.
Grace Dean and Forkner aim to humanize and get rid of the generalizations that are prominent in our society.
“The goal of the club is to have these people of Spanish speaking cultures share their experience,” Grace Dean said.
With the help of members and new members, the club hopes to bring a sense of humanity to everyone.
Lia Portillo Cantarero is a junior communication major. This is her third year in The Current Sauce and as Editor-in-Chief she hopes to raise awareness...
