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About Seaside signal. (Seaside, Or.) 1905-current | View Entire Issue (April 15, 2016)
Spanglish Club Spanglish teaches appreciation of diversity By Katherine Lacaze For the Seaside Signal At Seaside High School, the Spanglish Club helps bridge the gap between American and Hispanic cultures by empha- sizing positive aspects of both and, especially, the value of be- ing bilingual and multicultural. Dorota Haber-Lehigh, whose focus is English Lan- guage Learners, started the Spanglish Club about eight years ago with instructional assistant and co-adviser Leticia Campos as a way for students to experience and learn to ap- preciate cultural diversity. “My main idea is creating opportunities for students to see different worldviews or different perspectives on life,” Haber-Lehigh said. “There’s no one way to see the world.” The club is heavily centered on ¿eld trips and activities, with meetings taking place sporadically. While the group is open to all students, most of the participants are Hispanic and speak English as a second language. Annual events, activities An important tradition for the Spanglish Club is a trip to the annual César E. Chávez Leader- ship Conference at Western Or- egon University in Monmouth. This year, six students attended the conference in early March. During the conference, the students attended workshops, listened to speakers, viewed ex- hibits and learned about current civil rights issues. After attend- ing the conference, the students gave a presentation about what DOROTA HABER-LEHIGH/SUBMITTED PHOTO Students from Seaside High School’s Spanglish Club spent several hours last fall volunteering at Green Angel Gardens in Long Beach, Washington, to explore the concept of com- munity service. they learned during an assembly at Seaside High. Additionally, Haber-Le- high said she ¿nds it import- ant for current high school students to interact with their peers who have advanced to college. Once per year, the Spanglish Club members meet with the Latino Club at Clatsop Community College. The high school and college students spend a day together, sharing their personal stories and experiences, touring the college campus, eating lunch and doing other activities. The most recent trip was scheduled for April 12. Some of the high school students may be the ¿rst per- son in their families to go to college – or even graduate high school, Haber-Lehigh said. “For them to see one of their peers at Clatsop, it’s a huge inspiration or push,” she said. In addition to celebrat- ing the Hispanic culture, Haber-Lehigh also wants her students to become comfort- able with aspects of the Amer- ican culture that may not be normal in their native coun- tries. For instance, volunteer- ism is an honored pastime in America and a part of the cur- riculum for Seaside students, whereas in other countries it might be frowned upon be- cause it is perceived as taking away work from other people, Haber-Lehigh said. In the fall, she took her Spanglish Club members to Green Angel Gar- dens and Sustainable Living Center in Long Beach, Wash- ington, to volunteer for a few hours. “It’s good to show them in a structured environment what volunteering is all about,” she said. Bridging the gap Aside from external ac- tivities, the group also works See Club, Page 11B PROUD SUPPORTERS OF ALL SCHOOL TEAMS & ATHLETES G O GULLS! SERVING THE NORTH OREGON COAST, TEEVIN FISCHER QUARRY IS MORE THAN CRUSHED ROCK! W E ALSO O FFER: • Sand, Bark, Mulch & Soil Amendments • Decorative Rock (including river rock & flagstone) We are also a recycling center for asphalt, concrete, soil & clean wood debris WE DELIVER! CALL FOR A QUOTE! 85029 HWY 101, SEASIDE • 503-738-7328 Seagull Pride • Spring 2016 • Seaside Signal/Cannon Beach Gazette • 3
