El Salvadoran teachers present their culture

Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Updated: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 05:09

Gladis Orellana, a teacher from El Salvador, speaks during the Cultural Presentation of El Salvador Monday. The event was co-hosted by Sigma Delta Pi fraternity and Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships.

Cultural events hosted at UNC give students the opportunity to learn about different ways of life from around the world. On Monday, the Cultural Presentation of El Salvador, hosted by the Cooperative Association of States for Scholarships and Sigma Delta Pi, packed Candelaria Room 2135. Sigma Delta Pi is the Spanish honors society at the University of Northern Colorado.

Rich Becker, a senior Spanish major and the president of Sigma Delta Pi, said he joined the fraternity because he’s always enjoyed the Spanish language and learning about different cultures.

“This was a chance for teachers from another country to come to the U.S. and talk about their culture,” Becker said. “I think it gives everyone a chance to get out of a certain mindset — to break stereotypes.”

The event consisted of a group of teachers from El Salvador who talked about the different cultural aspects, tourism, folklore and food of the country.

The presentation began with Becker giving an opening speech in Spanish and then the English version. Becker said UNC has one of the best chapters of Sigma Delta Pi in the nation. The teachers from El Salvador included Margarito Cruz, Luis Lopez, Sandra Guerra, Vilma Lopez and Gladis Orellana.

According to the UNC Web site, Efrain Garza, an assistant professor of Hispanic studies and the adviser of Sigma Delta Pi, has won numerous awards for his work in cultural studies. Becker said Garza works closely with the students of Sigma Delta Pi to ensure cultural events continue at the university.

“I thought it was awesome — very interesting,” said Krista Griffin, a senior biology major.“The speakers were great, and I definitely learned a lot about El Salvador. I would definitely like to visit after seeing the presentation. I’ve already been to the Dominican Republic, and that was fun.”

With the conclusion of the event, the teachers performed a skit that surprised the audience — an intentionally humorous interpretation of a legend in El Salvador. One of the presenters who wore a mask came out with fake buttocks and breasts. Another teacher, a woman, came out dressed as a man.

Becker said the legend is about a beautiful woman who seduces unfaithful men. She turns ugly and menacing after she leads them to a river to drown them.

“I really enjoyed it,” said Petronilo Chach, a sixth-grade teacher from Pais, Guatemala. “I learned a lot about a culture I didn’t know too much about.”