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On Oct. 20 at the Galaxy Theater, Kaiserslautern High School
students celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month by mixing the fire of flamenco, the sultriness of salsa, the rhythms of rap and reggaeton and the sounds of the Spanish
language.
The atmosphere in the theater was enhanced by the artwork of the art classes at KHS and the musical mood-making of the KHS Jazz Band.
The National Hispanic heritage month theme of “Embracing the Fierce Urgency of Now,” was poignantly explained by guest speaker Michael McFadden through
examples taken from his formative years growing up in Panama and as a Hispanic with an Irish name, living and working in Panama and Europe.
After Mr. McFadden’s address, the show was MC’d by Kaisers-lautern’s own master of rap and reggaeton Chris Roman. Mr. Roman performed two of his own creations bringing the audience to their feet.
Along with these musical examples of modern Hispanic culture, the students, parents, invited guests and teachers were treated to a cross cultural bonanza of student-performed music and dance led by KHS senior Stephanie McFadden. From the merengue and salsa of Latin America to the flamenco of the mother country Spain, a game of Spanish “Jeopardy” and a skit performed in Spanish, the students demonstrated their incredible talent, as well as their interest and appreciation of the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.
The celebration culminated in a “taste of Hispanic culture” – a buffet of traditional dishes prepared by the students and brought to school for all of the Spanish
students to try. The participation and support of many of the students’ parents made this part of the celebration a great success.
This event was planned, written and performed entirely by KHS students with support from teachers, the administration and the Vogelweh Teen Center.
This year’s Hispanic Heritage Month celebration will long be remembered not only by those who participated, but also those who had the privilege to view this amazing performance.
(Courtesy of Darren Bingham)
