Best of the Week 2021-2022: Excellence in College Prep

"ONE VOICE, MANY STORIES": ST. ED'S CELEBRATES HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

From September 15 through October 15, St. Ed's community celebrated the numerous influences of Hispanic American heroes and the Hispanic traditions that enrich our culture and history in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. This nationally recognized celebration stemmed from a desire to educate and share the Hispanic community's contributions and St. Ed's wanted to do the same. This month-long celebration kicked off with handing out piraguas, a Puerto Rican shaved ice dessert similar to snow cones, to the student body. These sweet treats are customarily sold in a variety of flavors by vendors with brightly colored pushcarts in Puerto Rico and the tradition has continued in large Puerto Rican communities in New York and Florida.

Living out the theme, "One Voice, Many Stories," T-shirts were made for the community to wear in solidarity for Hispanic Heritage Month, donning the theme and the quote from St. Oscar Romero, "Aspire not to have more, but to be more." In Lisa Hardin's IB Spanish class, students watched a Mexican documentary about the cultural importance of luchadores and designed their own luchador masks. Finally, St. Ed's SALSA Club threw a Salsa Party for Edsmen and students from Saint Joseph Academy and Magnificat High School. Professional salsa instructors taught students how to dance the salsa while faculty provided traditional Puerto Rican and Salvadorian foods for students to try. "As a Latina woman in our community, it was beautiful to see the widespread enthusiasm in celebrating Hispanic culture," says Desiree Rodriguez-Gould, Assistant Director of College Counseling and SALSA Club Moderator. "We are a wonderfully diverse community and, although we all have our own stories to share, we can do that with one beautiful voice."