On February 26, Hastings High School hosted its annual exhibition of the Spanish Passion Projects, an event led by HHS Spanish teacher Stephen Lopez. This is an opportunity for students enrolled in the Spanish VH course to develop a skill or analyze an issue, ultimately connecting their own interests with Hispanic culture and language. Involving weeks of research, this assignment culminates with a presentation of their findings to a broader audience. This year, the students were required to categorize their interest within several different areas, ranging from arts and culture to economy, and developed their projects based on their selected subject.
When Mr. Lopez’s students completed their passion projects, students and families made their way to the HHS cafeteria to learn about their work. For some students, their attendance was an assignment for their own Spanish classes, and for others it was a chance to gain extra credit. Numerous students also attended to support their peers, as did several parents who were eager to view the achievements of their child. Moreover, teachers were intrigued by the projects and found the exhibition to be an ideal way to pass time while they were required to stay late at the high school. However, regardless of the incentive, all of the attendees were impressed by the unique accomplishments of each student.
Due to the variety of areas available for the students to explore, the research they conducted proved to vary from that of their fellow classmates. For instance, HHS senior Alex Erez found herself gravitating towards the area of culture and focused on the implementation of language courses and daily speaking in education. HHS junior Julian Carnavali, on the other hand, researched how sports benefitted the lives of children in lower classes across Latin America, which fell into the economic category. He elaborated on the ways in which athleticism could improve and transform individuals who struggled on a daily basis. In terms of the area of art, HHS junior Tavia Seitz designed a mosaic inspired by the artwork of Antoni Gaudí, as well as the mosaics found in Mexican culture. With the use of tiles, wood, and grout, she created a vibrant image of oranges. However, these creative projects are only a fraction of the ideas and efforts that Mr. Lopez’s Spanish V students presented at the exhibition.
What began post-Covid as a cultural studies project has now become an annual tradition, allowing students to interact with Hispanic culture through their own interests and share their diligent research with friends, family, and the Hastings community.
