October is Hispanic Heritage Month and as part of the celebration, Columbus hosted a salsa mixer on October 5. The event was planned by the World Languages Department and the Student Activities Committee to celebrate the shared hispanic culture. They invited Salsa 88th St. Studio to host a private salsa lesson for 48 seniors from both schools. Each senior was paired randomly with a Columbus student for the class. 

“It was really fun learning to dance because I feel like it’s something we all should know how to do,” senior Andrea Comas said. “I also made friends with people I didn’t expect to.”  

The class began with a lesson on the basics of salsa, and later progressed to dancing with partners. The dancers learned a routine and practiced it with their partner. Prior to the completion of the class, the students all danced in a circle, while exchanging partners as the dance went on. 

“The circle at the end was my favorite part because we got to dance with almost everyone,” senior Alejandra Alvarez said. “It was nice to see how we were all so confused upon entering the class, but towards the end we got the hang of it.” 

Throughout the class, the girls were referred to as the “salsa queens” and were gifted crowns in appreciation for their attendance. 

The salsa lesson was followed by a traditional hispanic meal. The dancers all ate together and enjoyed the cultural food they were provided with. It was a way for students to continue bonding and celebrating their hispanic culture.

“Overall, I’d say it was a great experience and the perfect way to celebrate where we come from,” Comas said. “I hope we can do more things like this in the future.”