Reporting and photos by Harini Shyamsundar.

As the door to A212 swings open, an extraordinary sight meets the eyes of any lingering spectators: a classroom full of students wearing bright plastic sombreros with their hands in the air, as they loudly sing along to Enrique Iglesias’ newest hit single, “Bailando.”

This cheerful flash of color and song is a peek into Spanish Honor Society’s latest meeting, which was held during lunch on Oct. 9.

“Everyone was having a lot of fun,” Public Relations officer senior Michelle Lentfer said, after the festivities had ended. “They were enjoying the music and singing along … I’m really glad we were able to gather so much interest early on.”

Fresh perspectives: Q&A with freshman Aastha Chawla

El Estoque: How have you enjoyed being a member of SHS so far?
Aastha Chawla: I’m a freshman and only in Spanish 2, so this is all still really new to me, but it’s been really interesting so far.
EE: What motivated you to join SHS?
AC: I want to know more about Spanish culture by going deeper into what we’re taught in class. Some of the volunteering opportunities I’ve heard about so far sound like they could be great learning experiences.

Musical roots: Q&A with senior Scott Haskell

El Estoque: How long have you been part of SHS?
Scott Haskell: I was a member last year, and I’m returning this year.
EE: How would you say SHS has helped improve your Spanish?
SH: It’s really different from a classroom in that the people here are really taking the time to be here and pursue Spanish a little bit more. It’s a lot of fun, being able to talk to other people who have similar interests in Spanish.
EE: What do you hope to accomplish this year?
SH: I hope to do a lot of presentations. I’ve been playing Latin American guitar for many, many years and I want to share a bit about the history and my experience — and, of course, play a little bit for them.

Club advisor and Spanish teacher Molly Guadiamos is optimistic about the direction in which the officers are taking SHS this year. Guadiamos has been the advisor of the club since she first arrived at MVHS 10 years ago and has been able to see the club grow and expand a great deal.

“The officers have quickly established an active presence on campus,” Guadiamos said. “They’re adding a lot of life and enthusiasm to the different activities. I can tell this is going to be a successful year.”