The Spanish Department’s living-learning community, the Spanish House, is hosting an open house as a way for students to learn more information about the new program, which became available two years ago.
The open house will be held next Monday, Oct. 22, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Smithwood-D located behind the Biology building.
“It will be a great event,” Alvaro Baquero-Pecino, faculty director of the Spanish House, said. “With music and food, visitors will have the chance to know the Spanish House as well as the current residents and, above all, they will have a good time.”
The open house is a way for visiting students who are interested or curious to see the Spanish House and to learn what to expect if they got involved, Jessica Jacob, the current student director for the Spanish House, said.
The Spanish House is a live-in, culture-based living-learning community garnered toward fostering the Spanish language skills of the Spanish House residents through a relaxed pseudo-immersion process.
“The Spanish House is a great way for students to practice their Spanish language skills in a more intimate setting than the classroom,” Jacob said. “We have dinners together, we watch movies together and anything that really gets students to open their minds and experience more of the culture.”
One way Jacob is immersing the Spanish House residents in the Spanish culture is through her upcoming plans to celebrate October’s Hispanic Heritage Month. Jacob is arranging for a salsa dancing instructor to teach lessons.
However, this event is not restricted to Spanish House residents. Jacob says all students will be welcomed.
Through the completion of biweekly journal entries and participation in two hours of full Spanish language immersion, participating students can receive up to two credits for enrollment in the program.
“We have an organized conversation group hour on Mondays from 4 – 5 p.m.” Jacob said. “But we welcome all students who are interested in improving their Spanish to join our conversation hour.”
Morgan Embry, a junior double majoring in dance and New College and minoring in Spanish, is living in the house this semester.
“The Spanish House interested me because it offers an opportunity to submerse myself in the language,” Embry said.
She spent the past summer in Spain and is using the Spanish House as a way to preserve the language skills she developed studying abroad.
“My favorite thing about the Spanish House is the embracing atmosphere we have,” Embry said. “We really are a family and encourage each other to keep developing our conversational skills. There is no judgment or worry about saying things incorrectly. If it comes out too absurdly, we at least get a good laugh out of it.”
There are still spots available for the students interested in living in the Spanish house this upcoming spring semester. To apply to enroll in the Spanish House, email Baquero-Pecino at [email protected] stating why you are interested in participating, and he will contact you for an interview.
