Last Friday the Upper and Lower Sixth Spanish students visited Ampleforth College for their annual Spanish day. The day was divided into 4 main lectures encompassing several different aspects of Spanish culture. Our first lecture was given by bull-fighting expert Don Hurley, he told the group about the symbolism involved in the fights. There is much controversy surrounding the Spanish bullfights, however Mr Hurley explained to us how the Spanish people viewed the bull, or el toro, as one of the most beautiful animals in the world and they respect it greatly.The next lecture was in Spanish, a bit of a challenge but everyone in the group managed! We were told about recent developments in Spanish Women’s Rights as it is still a very important issue there. The Spanish equivalent of the NHS, el Ministerio de Sanidad, has recently released several adverts demonstrating the effects of domestic violence on families. We also touched upon the fact that the Spanish government is considering allowing succession of the Spanish throne to pass to women as well as men, as are the British government.After a delicious tapas lunch we were given a quick tour around the school campus and then were back into the lecture theatre. Next up was a talk on the art of flamenco. Describing to us the different elements that make up a flamenco performance including the guitarra, the dance, the rhythm and la voz, the voice. Our final lecture was given by a former member of the Basque National Party. This was very interesting as our lecturer was extremely passionate about the subject and concluded that regionalism is a positive movement for Spain. We finished with tea and biscuits, it was a perfect end to a wonderful day. Thank you so much for Senorita LeClerc for taking us and Ampleforth College for having us, we had an amazing time!
Report by Laurel Kemp (Lower VI)