Over the past couple of years, the Sheridan High School Spanish Club has expanded and brought in many new students. The club is headed by Spanish teacher Mario Montano. Every other Thursday, the club meets in Montano’s room, room C218. The meetings typically run from 7:45 a.m. to around 8:00 a.m. and Montano tries to have a box of donuts for the group to eat over the course of the meeting. Students work together to think of fun activities to inspire participation in the community and offer a glimpse into a different culture. 

   The club is well known for its trips to Costa Rica during spring break, but they will unfortunately not be able to go on this trip in 2020. Instead, the students, accompanied by Montano, will attend a Cinco De Mayo festival in Denver, Colo. The celebration will be held in front of the capitol building in Denver, and the students hope to achieve a deeper understanding of the celebration while also having fun with friends outside of school.

   As a club, most of their funds come from the students participating in fundraiser events. The most common way of raising their funds, is running the concession stand for sporting events. The club runs the stand for most basketball games and large wrestling meets. Each student is presented with the opportunity to sign up for however many events they would like. At the end, the money is put towards funding the Spanish Club and any endeavors it pursues.

   In the end, the club just aims to get involved in the community. Last year, on Friday, Dec. 20, Montano took the club to many of the local elementary schools and celebrated the holidays by allowing the young kids to break piñatas with the older high school students and other activities. Occasionally unsung heroes, such as custodians and lunch ladies, are given turkeys as gifts for Thanksgiving. Around prom time, the club offers to help provide tuxedos and dresses for those who may not be able to afford them. At the end of the day, the group just hopes to make a positive impact on the community around it. 

   The Spanish Club is willing to accept any new members who would like to join. There are no requirements for Spanish speaking capabilities, and the club is not strict on consistent participation. As a group, the club aims to educate its participants, engage in the community, and serve as a new way to meet friends with similar interests.