By Quinn Lyons ‘25
In your senior year at Brother Rice, there are many classes that are labeled as difficult, and even classes you are advised not to take. Not only are most high school seniors itching to be done with school, the last thing they want is a class that seemingly takes years off your life.
One of those classes is Spanish IV honors, one of our school’s dual-credit classes. This means that students that pass also get credit for college. It seems like such a great deal, but at what cost?
When asked about why he chose the class, senior Joe Bowen had some choice words. It seems as though Joe regrets his decision of taking a fourth year of Spanish.
Bowen said, “Spanish is always something that has not come naturally to me, so originally, I wanted to challenge myself for the future; however, after choosing my senior year schedule, I knew there were some classes I regretted taking. Even though these classes are preparing me for the future and teaching me life lessons, the time constraints and hard work I put in is not always worth it. Considering it is my senior year, I wanted the end of the year to settle down and relax as I am going through the college process, however, it’s been nothing but more work.”
The class came and went and as the year went along, students enhanced their Spanish skills tremendously. However, it all came down to one dreaded final assignment, one presentation that can make or break your year.
This presentation is an overview of everything we have learned in the year. It has to be 12 to 15 minutes long, and it needs to be entirely in Spanish. You can’t have notecards or a script, only a slideshow with minimal words to guide you.
To most, 12 minutes doesn’t seem like that long of a time, but to Spanish IV honors students, 12 minutes might as well be 12 hours. We asked senior Paul Baker how he felt about the final presentation.
Baker said, “It is ridiculous. I have given my heart and soul to this Spanish class and really showed up every day ready to learn. How do I get rewarded? A 12 to 15-minute presentation that is seemingly the hardest assignment I have had at Brother Rice. I think that for such a tiring assignment, we should at least get some kind of an award.”
Senioritis is a condition most high school teachers are well aware of. In the Brother Rice community, it is very much alive. The disease has spread to just about every senior in the school, making it almost impossible to make it through a full day of school.
One senior is more familiar with senioritis than most. He believes that it is a very serious problem that teachers need to pay more attention to.
Senior Joe McGregor said, “So many teachers pile on so much work at the very end of the school year when I have no motivation left and just want to graduate.”
However, there is definitely one bright spot in our Spanish class. After all the hours spent preparing for the final, students can look back and be grateful for their time spent in Room 205 because of the teacher, Ms. Angelica Alvarez.
Ms. Alvarez is highly regarded as many students’ favorite teacher. She shows up every day with a smile and does her best to make our Spanish class a good time. Ms Alvarez is a staple in the Brother Rice community and is one of the reasons our school is so great.
Senior Gavin Arnold said, “Ms. Alvarez will always hold a special place in my heart. She has taught me so much, not only about Spanish but about life in general. I will never forget the valuable lessons I learned from her, and the wonderful memories we shared together.”
Ms. Alvarez does her best to teach Brother Rice students to be good people in and out of school. One of her most important lessons is “Real Men of Rice treat women with the respect and dignity they deserve.”
All jokes aside, Spanish IV honors is one of my favorite classes. I have learned more Spanish this year than the last three years combined. To Ms. Alvarez, thank you for being such a great teacher and taking pride in your job as an educator. I will be forever grateful for the times spent in Room 205.
