Spanish Outside the Classroom
Contacts with Hispanic Culture and the Spanish Language on the W&M Campus
The Spanish House / La Casa Hispánica
The Spanish House (La Casa Hispana) is located on second floor of Giles Hall in the Randolph complex. This special interest housing is for as many as twenty-four students who wish to improve or maintain their Spanish language skills and gain insights into Hispanic culture. Residents are encouraged to speak Spanish with their housemates whenever they are in the dorm. In addition to the Resident Assistant assigned to the floor by the Office of Residence Life, a language house tutor from a Spanish-speaking is hired by the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures to collaborate with residents in the planning of cultural events such as film screenings and discussion, instruction in ethnic/national cuisine, dances, and group outings. Recent tutors have been from Cuba, Spain, and Mexico.
Applications [PDF] are available through the Office of Residence Life (ORL) and are due in late January.
Students who wish to apply must first have paid the $200 room reservation deposit to ORL by its advertised deadline the first week of February in order to be eligible for an initial interview with the language house tutor and faculty advisor. Interviews take place during the second week of February. Applicants must sign their name at one of the interview times on the sign-up sheet that will be posted on the glass doors outside Washington Hall 210. Students who are accepted into the Spanish House must attend the Room Selection Meeting (prior to Spring Break and before lottery numbers are distributed to students).
Student Organizations at William and Mary
• CPALS (Community Partnership for Adult Learners).
CPALS is a student-run organization that offers free English language classes for the local community. CPALS evolved from a Hispanic Studies freshman seminar taught by Jonathan Arries with support from the Sharpe Community Scholars Program. Classes meet at 7:30 every Tuesday and Thursday evening in Morton Hall when regular classes meet during the fall, spring and summer sessions. Volunteers are welcome to help during the one-on-one tutoring that follows large-group instruction each night. For more information about volunteering, contact Evan Mungo (ecmungo@wm.edu) or Renea Johnson (rjjohnson@email.wm.edu).
• Hispanic Cultural Organization
The HCO interacts with the college community, educating them about the importance of Hispanic culture. It sponsors lectures, film screenings, conferences, an annual banquet, parties, service activities and more to discharge this mission. As a non-exclusive group, the HCO invites anyone to join with a desire to learn more about Hispanic culture.
• Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish Honorary Society)
• Latin American Student Union
LASU is involved with community service projects and initiatives in the Williamsburg community. As a group, we seek to celebrate our diverse latin-american identities together through the Fine Arts. Our goal is to educate the William & Mary campus, the Williamsburg community as well as our ourselves about issues in Latin America and issues affecting the Latino community in the US. Membership is open to anyone interested, and everyone is welcome to join us at meetings and events!
Our email: lasu@wm.edu
Our website: http://wmpeople.wm.edu/site/page/lasu