Spanish graduate student Carli Henman and Dr. Betsy Partyka pose at the Bunsold Middle School Hispanic Cultural Celebration.
Dr. Betsy Partyka, Associate Professor of Spanish in Modern Languages, and Carli Henman, a graduate student in Spanish, represented Ohio University and Sigma Delta Pi at the Hispanic Cultural Celebration at the Bunsold Middle School in Marysville, Ohio, on Nov. 3.
During the celebration, middle school students and their families came to the school to learn about a wide variety of Hispanic cultures. Partyka and Henman introduced the young pupils to Latin American culture through ways of cultural artifacts and clothes that Partyka has accrued over her time as a professor.
Partyka and Henman were able to expose the children to the language by mainly speaking in Spanish and teaching them about the many musical instruments that mostly use natural components such as “el palo de Lluvia” (a rainstick) and the leaves of the “tamarind” tree. Some of the students were Heritage Speakers – children or grandchildren of native Spanish speakers – whose family members used some of the cultural dolls, games and musical instruments to transport back to their childhood and proudly teach their child or grandchild part of their heritage.
“Coming from around this area of northwest Ohio, I was happy to see such a grandiose turnout and support by parents and children, both engaging in a night to learn about other cultures,” Henman said.
The event not only had various tables such as the one that Partyka and Henman ran, but also featured Latin American and Spanish food for sale and a traditional dance in the auditorium.
“I think that introducing other cultures to children this way is a great way to show that, even though the cultures are distinct from our own, language is a way to connect us all, and it proved the importance of learning a second language such as Spanish,” Henman said.
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