Southwestern Community College’s Spanish Club, “Conectando Mundos-Connecting Worlds,” is holding a week of cultural celebration with lecture events, music, food and dancing. The event is planned to emphasize the importance of language, learning and cultural understanding and to promote diversity.

“The primary objective of the celebration is to offer students and the community an opportunity to deepen their cultural understanding by exposing them to the rich language, tradition and cultures of Latin America and Spain,” said SCC Spanish instructor Patricia Hackett. “Each program will be presented in both English and Spanish so that everyone will feel welcome at each event and there will be something for everyone.”

On Wednesday, April 20, there will be a lecture and panel discussion titled “Spanish or English — The Future of Media in Western North Carolina.” The event, held from 7 to 8 p.m. at Bradford Student Hall on the SCC campus, will feature representatives from Enterese Magazine, independent Spanish newspaper La Voz, the Smoky Mountain News and the Sylva Herald.

Thursday, April 21, is the main event day as the SCC auditorium opens for student projects, live music and theater, and flamenco dancers from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. A demonstration, instruction and lecture on flamenco will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m.

On Friday, April 21, celebrations close with a fiesta in SCC’s Bradford Student Hall. A potluck dinner will be held from 6 to 6:30 p.m. and there will be a lecture on the needs and challenges of a Latino service center from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. Free salsa dancing lessons begin immediately thereafter.

For more information, contact Hackett at 828.586.4091, ext. 475, or by email at phackett@southwest.cc.nc.us.