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Published in The Spectator, the student newspaper of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire;
Monday, March 5, 2001
Campus
celebrates Spanish Week
By Bill Olson
UW-Eau Claire will celebrate Latin culture
with Spanish Week, starting today through Friday.
“The idea is to share different aspects of the Spanish-speaking world
with the university community and also the larger Eau Claire
community,” said Paul Hoff, associate professor of foreign languages.
The university’s Delta Psi chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the national
Hispanic honor society, will sponsor the events.
Most events are free and open to the public.
Sigma Delta Pi will initiate new members at 7 p.m. today in the Hibbard
Hall Penthouse.
On Tuesday, Eau Claire graduate student Stephanie Zighelboim will
present “Jews in Medieval Spain” at 4 p.m. in the Oneida Room of
Davies Center. A panel discussion on the recent Mexican elections will
be held at 8 p.m in the same room.
Eau Claire students who were in Mexico at the time of the July 2000
elections will present this panel, said senior Tammy Jones, vice
president of the Delta Psi chapter of Sigma Delta Pi.
According to Novedades Editores, a Mexico City newspaper, the elections
were historic because they marked the first time Mexico’s ruling PRI
party lost the presidency in its 71-year history.
One of the other events going on during the week is a Hispanic books and
crafts sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday on the third floor of
Hibbard.
One of the books to be sold is a cookbook compiled and produced by Sigma
Delta Pi students in Eau Claire.
“It’s a collection of recipes from the Spanish and Portuguese
speaking world,” Hoff said.
He said it also includes recipes from Eau Claire students.
Later on Wednesday, international students Diego Ferrao and Angel
Gustavo Diaz will give a presentation about the region of Asturias,
Spain, where Eau Claire has a student exchange program.
The presentation will be at 4 p.m. in the Oneida Room of Davies Center
and will be in Spanish, Jones said.
On Thursday, the 30th annual Spanish dinner, “Tapas, Música, Teatro y
Postre,” which means “appetizers, music, theater and dessert,”
will begin at 6 p.m. in the Dulany Inn of Davies Center.
“The dinner is a real international event,” Jones said. “It gives
us a chance to mingle and talk in an informal environment with people
from other countries.”
Hoff said there are many Spanish speakers in the community who attend
the dinner.
“We always have a good cross section of generations and nationalities
represented,” Hoff said.
He said this is because the event seems to be a magnate for Spanish
speakers from the area to share their language and celebrate.
“It’s really nice for them to connect with the university and the
students,” Hoff said.
In addition to food and music, Jones said the dinner will include
students presenting one act of a play in Spanish.
Wrapping up the week on Friday, “Una Noche Latina” (A Latin Night),
a night of Latin music and dance will be at Higher Ground, formerly
known as Sneakers, on upper campus.
Dancing is an important part of Latin culture, Hoff said.
For people without previous Latin dance experience and who need a
refresher, lessons will be from 8 to 10 p.m. The dance is from 10 p.m.
to 1 a.m. Together, both events cost $1 at the door.
Tickets for the Thursday night dinner, which are available at the
University Service Center, are $7 (general public) and $5 (students).
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