In the year 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. Spain was the first to colonise in North America. Spain has an interesting history and rich culture that the Spanish Club here at Millbrook celebrates today.

 The Spanish Club is a group of Millbrook students that meet at least once month to celebrate Hispanic culture, dine on authentic Hispanic cuisine, study Spanish history, and practice the language. “My favorite thing about the club is that people who aren’t from the Spanish heritage get to learn more about Spanish culture and get to have fun with others that know more about the culture,” said sophomore club member Kaylee Zuniga. The club also gathers for occasional dinners in order to form bonds with each other. The advisor of the club is Sra. Hernandez.

  Last November, the club met to celebrate el Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. Day of the Dead is a Spanish holiday celebrated in central and southern Mexico. They believe the gates of heaven open at midnight on October 31, and all deceased children get to spend 24 hours with their family. Then on November 2, the deceased adults return to enjoy the festivities prepared for them. The club watched a video, painted calaveras, which are traditional Spanish skulls used to decorate for Day of the Dead, and ate empanadas which are traditional bread pastries filled with the meat in the Americas and Spain. They also ate chips, queso and drank spanish soda. The club also plans to celebrate other holidays throughout the year.

 The Spanish Club is a great way to get involved at Millbrook and to celebrate Spanish culture and learn the language. With the two required extra language credits, Spanish is a great option. Spanish is very beneficial to learn because it can allow better job opportunities and it benefits communication skills. Seventy-nine percent of North American recruiters cited Spanish as the additional language most in demand by employers. There are many different classes offered at Millbrook to learn Spanish, and for students who want to learn more outside of the classroom, the Spanish Club is a great way to become familiar with the culture. Students can no longer sign up for the club this year, but they can sign up next fall. If you want to learn more about the Spanish language and culture, sign up next year.