El Centro promotes interactive
learning Jessica Frizen/ News Editor
Elon’s El Centro de Espanol is giving students the
opportunity to not only learn a language, but to experience a
culture through a new program this month called “Show
Me Your Spanish.”
Student workers senior Maria Interiano and sophomore Kira
Tippenhauer created the program, which encourages students to
spend time in El Centro de Espanol and attend
Spanish-influenced events on campus.
The program gives students a checklist of activities to
participate in, and allows students to gain as many hours as
it takes to complete the activities on the checklist, plus
students can earn an extra 10 hours if they complete every
activity by Oct. 12.
Students who log 140 hours in El Centro receive a free plane
ticket to any Spanish-speaking country.
“We did it was because we want to get students
involved before fall break, because after fall break people
are just busy with all the work,” Interiano said.
“So basically it’s to help people get their hours
faster and also so they know there are different things they
can do to practice their Spanish.”
Tippenhauer said the checklist was created to make it easier
for students to reach that goal of 140 hours, with activities
on the checklist like writing a biography of an artist,
interviewing a native Spanish speaker, and attending a dinner
night, movie night and conversation classes.
Show Me Your Spanish also includes weekly challenges, and
students who participate in three out of the five challenges
will have their name added to a raffle for cash prizes of
$25, $50 and $100.
Last week’s challenge was for students to find a coin
or a bill from a Spanish-speaking country and record its
exchange rate and name.
This week, students are challenged to color in all the
countries where Spanish is spoken on a given map, and
determine the country’s name and capital.
Challenges are announced each Sunday and are completed by
the following Friday.
Although Interiano and Tippenhauer are heading the program,
all 11 student workers in El Centro are helping with the
process.
“It’s our first time doing [Show Me Your
Spanish], so basically we developed it, but everyone has
helped and contributed,” Interiano said.
Elon’s El Centro de Espanol believes that when
learning a foreign language, it’s important for
students to learn the background basics and culture of the
country they are studying.
The center strives to create this type of interactive
learning that enhances the lessons a student is taught in the
classroom.
The next activity planned is a movie night at 7 p.m. on
Sept. 27, where they will show “Santitos,” or
“Little Saints.”
Contact Jessica Frizen at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247. |
Kate
Ferris/ Photo Editor 
Kate
Ferris/ Photo Editor Students
celebrated the Independence Day of Central America and Mexico
on Thursday, Sept. 14. The event included a variety of
festive dishes, music and presentations. Top:Chandana
Chakrabarti, associate professor of Religious Studies,
explains one of the cuisine options to Senior Maria
Interiano. Bottom:(Left to
Right) Freshmen Kristen Schulz, Catherine Meléndez, and
sophomore Amanda Brooks give a presentation on El Salvador.
Students presented information on Mexico and each Central
American country.
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