WILLIAM HAYES | CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Next to English, Spanish is one of the most world-renowned languages there is, and is often a common dialect within the U.S. However, for many Americans, the culture that lies within the Hispanic community is often dense, as many tend to visualize only the likes of tacos, sombreros and piñatas.
That is why the Hispanic Cultural Center is at APSU.
“I do try to bring cultural awareness to the university through the events we provide,” Coordinator of the HCC and Panama-born Louis Mitchell said.
One of the center’s events is “Not All About Tacos,” a function that features a native or visitor that has been to a Latin-American country giving intel and sharing stories about the nature, culture and experiences. Following this, they provide visitors with food from that region.
For those interested in learning the Spanish language, Miguel Ruiz, who is Puerto Rican, provides tutoring Monday through Friday from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. each week.
The HCC does not just focus on the language and food, but also the artistic culture Hispanics, Mexicans and Spaniards alike possess.
The Spanish Film Screening spotlights foreign cinema, as the HCC intends to show Spanish-spoken films with English subtitles, and this year they will be showing “La Soga.”
Another event this semester is “Last Comic Standing’s” comedian Frank Ramos visiting campus.
Mitchell said the HCC has created a lasting impact for the APSU campus.
“It’s definitely provided a place for community building,” Mitchell said. “For a sense of belonging, it has impacted the students that has come through us. Just from the attendance, everyone’s being exposed to different cultures, and that is important, that’s the goal.”
