Spanish Club Feature

Stories Editor Rasa Atluri (‘25) interviews Spanish Club Leader Julia Holmes (‘25)

What is the Spanish Club? How did you first learn about it?

The Spanish Club presents students with a unique opportunity to practice and engage with the Spanish language in a friendly environment. Students join together out of a love for the language, but our meetings are about so much more. We review grammar, sentence structure and syntax, and vocabulary, yes. But, Dra. Valdano and I also encourage members to speak about their cultures, passions, challenges, opportunities, and lives at large. The Spanish Club has become a safe, non-judgmental, trusting place for all of us. Students collaborate on practical, real-world topics in this diverse community.

I was first introduced to the Spanish Club as a freshman. At the time, I was taking Spanish Foundations with Dra. Valdano. 

What does a typical club meeting look like? Who attends? 

Every Spanish Club meeting is different from the last. Students across age groups and grade levels all attend out of a shared love of the Spanish language and enthusiasm to learn more. Between Spanish one and Spanish four students, we discuss a number of topics, including literature, music, art, dance, holidays, historical figures, and so much more! Our conversations can lead us down rabbit holes about hockey, Francisco Goya, and even astronomy.  

When did you become the leader of the Spanish Club? How do you plan for meetings? 

I began co-leading the Spanish Club this past January with OHS-alumna Kiko Cortez, the club’s former leader. I became an independent leader of the Spanish Club this past spring when Kiko graduated from OHS. At the beginning of the year, I created a spreadsheet detailing the date/time and topic for each meeting. 

What is the most interesting meeting that you’ve hosted? 

At the beginning of the year, I hosted a meeting in which students participated in a show-and-tell. Students talked about and showed images of their pets, hobbies, families, favorite books, meaningful mementos, and more. I loved learning about the club members’ lives when they disconnect from their school work. It was a great opportunity for students to get in touch with and share more about their self-identities. 

What is the best/worst thing about hosting the Spanish Club?

The best thing about hosting the Spanish Club is that I am constantly learning with, from, and about the students. The diversity of our experiences and perspectives has provided for a diverse range of conversation topics, all of which leave me intrigued and thinking differently. The worst thing about hosting the Spanish Club is that we aren’t able to meet more often. Between their coursework, extracurriculars, and personal lives, the student members are very busy. In being respectful of their limited time, the Spanish Club meets every two weeks. In a perfect world, the Spanish Club would meet every week. 

What goals do you have for the Spanish Club in the future?

Next semester, I hope to survey the club members to gauge their meeting topic preferences. I will base the Spring Semester meetings on their preferences.