Students whisk around the gym salsa dancing to the rhythmic Spanish music playing in the background. The smell of paella mixes with guacamole and sets the mood for the Spanish Cultural Night tomorrow.

The goal of Spanish Cultural Night is to expose Spanish students about the culture behind the language. This night has been a Harker tradition since 2008 and takes the effort of both Spanish faculty and the students from the Spanish Honor Society to plan and host.

Spanish students have been planning this event since January and hope to have as many people as possible come to learn about Spanish culture. The entire night consists of paella, salsa and guacamole, performances, and a salsa lesson from AP Spanish teacher Abel Olivas.

“I am excited for the salsa competition because I will see all my friends dance and I get to learn more salsa,” Olivia Esparza (9).

This event is open to all current and previous Spanish students, whether or not they have studied recently, or when they were younger.

“The idea is that in the classroom, we are learning the Spanish language. A lot of the time it’s just a lot of practicing and speaking, but the cultural aspect of it is the part that’s the most fun,” Spanish Teacher Diana Moss said. “In hispanic culture, dancing, music, fiesta and eating is a big part of the culture, and so the purpose of the night is to expose them to how much fun it really is. This is trying to replicate the fun part of learning a language.”

Join the Spanish National Honor Society and other students for a night of Spanish culture starting at 4:30 p.m. in the gym.