Spanish organizations and activities
Spanish Club
Augustana’s Spanish Club is a student-led co-curricular program which explores the cultures of Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. Students participate in club dinners, cooking lessons, movie nights, dance lessons, field trips and other cultural activities. The Spanish Club participates in regional celebrations of the Day of the Dead and Cinco de Mayo. The club is open to all Augustana students, regardless of Spanish ability.
Spanish Club has a online magazine El Campanario, in which students have an open space to express themselves and write about current cultural events, politics, science, health, and entertainment in the Spanish-speaking world, as well as about activities happening on campus and the Quad Cities area.
Latinx Unidos
Latinx Unidos is a student-led organization which celebrates and educates the campus about Latino/Hispanic cultures. Actively involved with the local community, Latinos Unidx members volunteer with local schools and youth groups. It is open to all Augustana students.
SAFARI
A student-initiated social awareness organization, SAFARI: Student Advocates for Awareness of Refugee and Immigrant Issues, works both locally and nationally to make a difference in refugee and immigration issues, to support fair and humane policies and to avocate comprehensive reform to the national immigration system. This student group works together with other local organizations to help support area immigrant communities and to educate the Augustana campus about immigration and refugee issues.
Spanish Learning Center
The SLC is a program in which advanced Spanish students help beginning and intermediate students. Opportunities abound for students to work as tutors, or receive specialized training from Augustana’s Reading/Writing Center to become writing specialists. With open hours during the week as well as scheduled tutoring sessions the SLC gives Spanish majors and minors the chance to use their skills to help other students.
For students in 100 and 200 level classes the SLC provides free tutoring, composition review and assistance, and language practice.
Tertulias
The tertulia is a hallmark of Spanish and Latino culture, a gathering of friends to discuss everything from art to politics. At Augustana the tertulia program allows students to practice Spanish in a low-stress environment by organizing chat sessions with international Spanish-speaking students. Small groups of students gather to practice speaking and listening skills, to learn about their international classmates and to discuss everything and anything. Tertulia sessions are free-form discussions in which students not only practice Spanish but also learn about the cultures and people of different nations in the Spanish-speaking world.
Hispanic Film Festival
Each January the Spanish department provides an escape from winter by sponsoring the Hispanic Film Festival. Free showings of original language films from Spain and Latin America provide students and the broader Quad City community with the chance to travel to far-off lands, to explore different cultures, and to witness some of the most innovative cinematic storytelling around today. With the boom in Spanish and Latino directors, like Pedro Almodóvar, Alejandro Alménabar, Alfonso Cuarón and Guillermo del Toro, this festival is able to consistently introduce students to cutting edge cinema with a Latin twist.
Spanish in the community
The Quad Cities region has a vibrant Latino community, providing Augustana students with opportunities to volunteer and work beyond the borders of campus. Students can find an avenue to explore their bonds with Spanish and with Spanish speakers through campus and local organizations as well as through ongoing connections with the local community.