The Amherst Spanish Club is one of the amazing clubs at Amherst, dedicated to promoting Spanish language, culture, and community involvement among students. With an average of 50 to 75 students, the club actively engages members through various activities, emphasizing cultural awareness and language proficiency. One of the most cherished aspects of the Amherst Spanish Club is its commitment to authentic cultural experiences.
Members participate in many ways by volunteering to help with concessions at sport games to raise money, or with their yearly butter braids sale to cover dues. We also have an array of different activities. A favorite of club advisor Profe Natalie Glaze is when senior Randall Thompson, who is bilingual, has the opportunity to translate.
“It’s not just a true translation. It’s an interpretation, it’s art,” Profe Glaze said, “So I love that Randy’s had many, many opportunities to translate.”
Profe Van Sluys enjoys the communication between students.
“I think my favorite of all time would be the pen pal letters,” Profe Van Sluys said. “We’ll be communicating with 56 students from Ecuador, which is awesome.”
In addition to fundraising, the club emphasizes educational travel as a means of enhancing language skills.
Profe Glaze explained, “Our trips through Spanish clubs are not just tourism. It is very much academic-based,” illustrating the club’s approach to combining learning with exploration. The club plans to attend a cultural fair in November at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. One of the activities students will engage in is talking at conversation tables. These experiences allow members to broaden their horizons and deepen their understanding of Spanish-speaking cultures.
The club thrives on student leadership and collaboration, fostering an environment where everyone feels empowered to contribute ideas. The Spanish Club is great because you can be as involved as you want — it’s not just board members making decisions. They make different committees for members who want to help make decisions for the club.
One of Profe Glaze’s goals for the future is to teach the younger kids Spanish more often.
“I’m really excited about going to teach in the elementary, so next month we’re going to have a small group going to teach in,” Profe Glaze said.
Thee Amherst Spanish Club is not just about learning a language, it’s about fostering a community that values cultural diversity and educational growth. Through their engaging activities, travel opportunities, and dedication to inclusivity, they invite everyone to join and contribute.
