Although extracurricular activities are some of the things Mount Carmel is popularly known for, some students see joining clubs as just more work rather than an opportunity. But this year, a certain club has found a way to show students that they are committed to having fun and helping students learn in an enjoyable way. 

This year one of the most active clubs is the Spanish Club, run by Spanish teacher Mrs. Valerie Beavers. When creating the club, the purpose was to educate students about the history of Spanish-speaking countries and their cultures, but the club also provides students an opportunity to create more bonds and friendships through the club because of common interests. 

There are about twenty-five students in the club, but some students have other conflicts such as sports that don’t let them participate in the club for a certain period of time. The club usually holds one meeting per week, unless they are doing a special event such as the food sales in which they would do more planning. 

The Spanish Club has been extremely active when it comes to holding events and special activities. For example, on top of past fundraisers they have held, most recently they have done a poinsettia sale and a churro sale that have been extremely successful. Members love doing these types of sales because it helps MC students unfamiliar with Spanish-speaking culture to experience a glimpse into it. 

Most of the money made from these fundraisers are going to be donated to a non-profit organization that the group will decide at the end of the year. They are saving a little bit of it for a special field trip to reward the students’ hard work for the club as well. 

In moderating the club, Mrs. Beavers appreciates that she has an opportunity to see students differently than in her classes.

“What I love the most about being the moderator of the club is getting the opportunity to see students in a different light,” she said. 

She also feels that the club helps students develop certain skills and useful qualities.  

Beavers also added that this type of club creates a hardworking and appreciative atmosphere. “Since it is a student-led club, it gives students the opportunity to show leadership.” 

This year, the club has really evolved. There are more participants, more events being held, and much more awareness being brought to the club. 

Senior two-year participant Marco Antonio Valencia has seen big changes from last year to this year. “I feel that the club has evolved from last year, there are much more people in the club, and we are doing much more compared to last year,” he says. 

Valencia feels the reason for the success is that the Spanish Club has been more adamant about letting students know what the Spanish Club is about and what they are doing. 

What attracted so many new people to the club was not only the interest in learning about Spanish-speaking culture but how the club integrated fun ways to learn about that culture. 

Junior Evan Solberg, a first-year participant in the club, says what prompted him to join the club was not only his interest in learning more about the culture but how they were doing so many cool events that he wanted to be a part of.

“I along with so many others who joined the club are really interested in Spanish culture,” he says, “but what made me want to join the club was simply how fun it looked.”

Solberg feels that all the fundraisers and sales that the club has been doing is the thing that really catches students’ eyes. “Seeing all the cool events the club was doing showed me that it wasn’t just like another class,” he said. “They were teaching about Spanish culture in fun ways.”

Spanish Club has been a breath of fresh air to a lot of students who have not really participated in clubs in the past.