by Michaela Marcellino
Volunteer State Community College will be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of it’s Fall Fiesta. The Fiesta will be held Saturday, Sept. 24, from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., outside in the Duffer Plaza.
“We have many student volunteers for the Fiesta. We hope that they gain a new perspective on Hispanic culture. The word Hispanic is used to describe people from many different countries, [and] they each have cultural differences, with everything from food to music,” said Eric Melcher, Coordinator of Communications and Public Relations.
The ier for Fall Fiesta shows that the event will include everything from the Misión ConArte of Nashville, cultural dance, a Latin American food tasting and cook-off (11 a.m.-Noon), live music, as well as games and fun for kids.
There will also free food & drinks, health check-ups and information as well as community group tables. The new event at the 2016 Fall Fiesta is a Soccer Kick Contest for all ages (Kids, Men and Women), with prizes in each age category.
“It’s designed for everyone to attend. You don’t have to be Hispanic to enjoy the free food, music and fun.
It’s also great for the entire family, from young kids to adults,” said Melcher.
“We hope that the students get to experience some elements of the Latino/Hispanic culture: food, music, Spanish language, the countries that form the Latino/Hispanic culture, and more.
“Hopefully some of the students will get to interact with someone from a different culture than theirs, and have fun as they are learning something that they probably did not know before.
“We also hope that the students get motivated to explore other ways to enrich their global experiences, not only with the Fiesta but perhaps with study abroad. Those experiences needs to start somewhere, so maybe the Fiesta can be the beginning of their desire to explore other cultures different than their own,” said Pedro Martinez, an advisor and counselor at Volunteer State.
“It gives the opportunity to some students of the Spanish classes at Vol State to put into practice what they have learned in class, for example, the “dichos” by Professor Vandiver- Lawrence’s class.
“We want the Vol State community and the surrounding communities to get together and experience the rich elements that form what we call the Latino/Hispanic Culture. It is also an event that lets the community know
that
Vol State is a friendly place
not only for the Latino/Hispanic community, but for people of other countries as well.
“We want everyone to know what a beautiful college Vol State is, and what better way to do that than by having a big celebration such as the Fall Fiesta. This is a collaborative effort between some faculty and staff of Vol State, the students and members of the community. Many people who are involved in this event spend countless hours trying to make this a success. We are really proud of it,” said Martinez.
Fall Fiesta is also “an opportunity to celebrate and interact with Hispanic culture, as well as experience the Hispanic community.
“Because American students are able to connect with Spanish speaking students in a different environment, Fall Fiesta will give a sense of diversity. The Fiesta is colorful and happy, and there is something for everyone to do.
“The students that come will see how much fun it is, and what it has to offer. We have a lot of activities so people can have a fun and different day,” said Oky Arguello, an advisor at Vol State.
As the ier for the event also says, this event is “free and open to everyone, so bring a blanket and chairs and spend the whole day. Rain or shine!”
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