By Maria Guzman
Fifteen flags rushed down the aisles of the new auditorium in celebration of Hispanic Heritage on October 22. The Hispanic Club’s annual demonstration of cultural pride included a variety of performances from tango dancing to reggaeton to a Celia Cruz impersonation by senior Angela Castro. The classes that were invited to the assembly were chosen based on how many cans they donated to a food drive benefiting Hurricane Ike victims in Cuba.
The main event of the festival was Miss Hispanidad, a beauty contest that featured a representative from each of 15 Spanish- speaking countries. “The contestants first signed up for the country they wished to represent,” explained Hispanic Club President Rhobynette Sala, a junior. “These contestants went through a short interview with foreign language teachers who then determined the best candidates for those countries.” The contestants dressed in native costumes and were asked questions about their heritage.
“It was very hard [to judge the contestants]because they were a very talented,” said French teacher Elena Rivas. “They all had a very positive attitude and I think that they represented their individual countries very well.”
The judges chose the winner of Miss Hispanidad based on originality and complexity of the traditional dress, catwalk, dance, interaction with the public, charm and wit, and fluency in Spanish during the question and answer portion.
Miss Dominican Republic, sophomore Adrisha Diaz, was crowned the winner. “I was so surprised, I was completely speechless, and I felt like crying. It was such an amazing feeling!” she said. Sophomore Melanie Veizaga, Miss Bolivia and First Princess, won for the best traditional dress. Senior Alma Ramirez, Miss Honduras, sang “Algo Mas” by La Quinta Estacion and won Second Princess.
“We’re all individuals and we all have our cultures,” said Assistant Principal Miguel Flores, another judge of the contest. “The more we educate others the better the chances we have of eliminating things like racism, and that’s what thi whole thing is about: individuality and understanding that we all come from different places.”
