The ACU chapter of the Spanish honor society Sigma Delta Pi published its first annual Spanish journal, Hispaniola.
Written entirely in Spanish, the journal includes a combination of poetry, short stories, articles, essays and photography submitted by students, faculty and community members. Even Dr. Robert Rhodes, provost of the university, provided an essay discussing the benefits of speaking two languages. ACU alumnus and artist Rolando Diaz, based in Dallas, designed the cover art.
Dr. Beatriz Walker is the adviser of Sigma Delta Pi.
“We have had contributions all the way from Argentina from a Bible student who is doing mission work there, so we are very pleased about that,” said Walker, associate professor of Spanish language and literature. “But most of our contributions came from members of Sigma Delta Pi and other students on campus who are interested in Spanish language and culture.”
Walker said the purpose of the journal is to show the importance of learning a second language and to celebrate the beauty and culture of the Spanish language.
“We want to stress the importance of second language acquisition,” Walker said. “When students leave this campus, they are going to work in Dallas, in New York, in California. Anywhere you go, you are going to work with people of different backgrounds. It is very important to learn a second language and to learn about other cultures.”
Walker said the vision is to prepare students to go out in the world and show who Christ is in the way they live and that understanding other cultures is part of what Sigma Delta Pi hopes to accomplish through the journal and through teaching foreign languages in the Department of Language and Literature.
“The funds were provided by the Department of Language and Literature, and we are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate the encounter between different languages and different cultures on our campus,” said Emily Kruse, vice president of Sigma Delta Pi.
Hispaniola will debut at 5 p.m. March 19 in the Campus Center Living Room. All students and faculty are encouraged to come and participate in the presentation.
“This publication has been an opportunity for current and former students to demonstrate strong language proficiency as well as share experiences of the Spanish-speaking world,” said Kruse, senior management major from Dallas. “We hope that this volume of Hispaniola is the first of many literary and artistic collaborations in the future.”
