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La Gira de los Latinos en West (the Latinos at West tour) is back with new and improved dances! On October 12, 2023, around 40 Latinos and Latinas came to schools around the Cherry Hill district, such as Rosa, Clara Barton, Kilmer, Kingston, and A. Russell Knight, to put on a show about the Spanish culture. All schools commented positively about La Gira and congratulated everyone who helped set up the show. Although this may seem like a regular annual event hosted by the Latinos at West Club, the comparison of La Gira back then and today is stunning and shows how much improvement there’s been in the Latinos at West Club.

The Latinos at West Club began twenty-one years ago, in 2002, when special homerooms and the Heritage for Spanish Speakers class were first introduced. The club only had seven students; that number has been duplicated by eleven! Sra. Rivas-Mintz, the Venezuelan teacher who runs the Latinos at West Club today, is proud to say that there are now 77 students who are involved in learning Spanish culture, dance, cuisine, and more. After nine years of the club’s existence, La Gira was introduced and brought to the attention of many schools interested in a short and entertaining show about Spanish culture. Although this year’s tour was a success, the outstanding group always faces a few obstacles.

Almost every single school had some sort of issue, but the Latinos and Latinas managed to adapt very quickly and were quick to solve problems. But for example, the bus was packed, to begin with, and 40 kids plus equipment and a few broadcasting kids were way too many people for one bus. In Kilmer, the show was during the elementary school kids’ lunchtime, which was a little odd, but it wasn’t a big deal. However, in Russell Knight, one issue was that the elementary school took too long to sit everyone down, wasting a little time off the show. The bus at Rosa was also 10 minutes late, so the show was short. Nevertheless, the kids still enjoyed the experience! However, the group’s most challenging obstacle was not forgetting a single thing.

Sra. Rivas Mintz states, “We had five tours, and we could not forget a single thing or else it would mess up everything.” There were signs, instruments, and a lot of props that were brought to the show. Losing one of these things would be complicated and confusing to resolve. 

However, this year was undoubtedly one that will not be forgotten. While there are more tours to come, it is crucial to recognize the effort and dedication the Latinos at West Club have offered. But other than that, all schools are excited and thrilled to see what’s next for Latinos at West Club!