Amanda Shawver
Adrian, Mich.- In past years, the unofficial Spanish club has been a way for Spanish students at Siena Heights University (SHU) to connect and enjoy Spanish food together. Senior, Gabriel Murley, and junior, Katrina Majeske, have decided to take the club to the next level. As of this semester, the Spanish club is officially open to all students at SHU interested in practicing their Spanish speaking abilities. The club’s first meeting was held at 8 p.m. Monday, September 23rd. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 15th.
Both Majeske and Murley spent the 2013 winter semester studying abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico. They both agreed that the experience was a major influencing factor in their decision to start this club. Murley stated, “Since my trip abroad to Mexico, Spanish has become such a big part of my life. Wanting to celebrate the Spanish language and Spanish speaking cultures is what has inspired me to start this club.”
Both Majeske and Murley are excited to see how the new club will develop. “I am most excited about having more opportunities to speak Spanish in a relaxed setting. I think that us students can greatly benefit from simply hearing the language casually spoken rather than the strict classroom setting,” said Majeske. Murley also commented, “Almost every major on campus has some sort of club or organization associated with it. I’m most excited about finally creating a club that is not only open to everyone, but will be a great thing for Spanish major and minors.”
Both Majeske and Murley want this to be a student run club. Majeske stated, “I know we have some ideas in the works, but I am most excited to hear from our members! It is a student run group so I can’t wait until our first meeting when we may really know to what extent our members would like to be involved on campus. Spoiler Alert: There will be lots of great food.”
So while most of the club’s activities have yet to be decided; one thing is certain, they do plan to keep the unofficial Spanish club’s tradition of preparing traditional Spanish food throughout the semester.
Anyone interesting in becoming a member of the new Spanish club can get more information from Nick Kaplan at the SHU writing center/Spanish lab, or they can email Katrina Majeske at [email protected].