Horton Hears A...HOLA! (The Hispanic Outreach and Learning Assistance Program, that is!)

Horton (Jordan  Buhle, ('15) holds a flower during a Bi-lingual presentation of Horton Hears a Who

Every year the Ripon Public Library pays homage to beloved children's author, Dr. Seuss, and this year was no exception! On Thursday, March 1 from 3:30pm-5:30pm the Ripon Public Library hosted a birthday celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss, his famous cat, and the many beloved characters he brought to life though his children's books. Seuss fans of all ages packed the basement of the Library to enjoy an abundance of Seuss related activities, including trivia, birthday cupcakes, life size interactive games, puzzles, board games, crafts, and even a chance to meet the great Cat himself!

Ripon College student, staff, and faculty volunteers joined ranks with the Friends of the Ripon Public Library, Ripon Education Association and Ripon High School to make the event a big success!

HOLA (Hispanic Outreach and Learning Assistance, a student run program through the Ripon College Office of Community Engagement) provided a very special treat for the occasion, in the form of Suess-tastic theatrical entertainment! Members of HOLA and Spanish professor Geoff Gauvara-Geer utilized their spanish language skills and love of children's books to present several of Dr. Suess' "best" works as performed works...using both English and Spanish to tell the tales. Along with a dramatic reading of One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, the highlight of the evening was a delightfully fresh take on the book, Horton Hears a Who. 

Members of the RC campus community act out a scene from Horton Hears a Who

Ripon College students started HOLA several years ago in the year 2000 when they noticed that the number of hispanic students in the Ripon School District had quadrupled in the 10 years before. Further research determined that across the nation less than 10 percent of families needing English as a Second Language (ESL) services are being served. The essential goal of the program was to assist Hispanic families as they integrated into the Ripon community by creating connections between people through active volunteer service by Ripon College students.

 Today they are doing just that. Besides acting as a resource for families seeking assistance with ESL services in the Ripon Area, HOLA works to build a community of native English and Spanish speakers who have mutual respect for each other's language and customs, and strives to create a safe

Murray Stoffa ('13) reads One Fish Two Fish to an enthralled audience while Dulce Andrade ('13) looks on.

place to begin a language transcendant dialogue about issues in our community that affect everyone, regardless of our language or culture of origin.

The impacts of the HOLA program go beyond quantitative measure. Ripon College students who are active in volunteering with HOLA have identified several benefits available to those volunteering, saying that HOLA fosters their communication and leadership skills while providing opportunities to learn more in depth about Hispanic cultures and language from neighbors and partners who have first hand knowledge of them.

If you are interested in finding out more about HOLA or getting involved in your community,  please contact us here at the Office of Community Engagement by calling 748-8153 or email us at oce@ripon.edu. We would love to hear from you! 

Murray Stoffa ('13), Dulce Andrade ('13),  Jordan Buhle ('15), Viviana Lecchini (Spanish TA), Geoff Guevara-Geer (Spanish Professor)
Kaitlyn Welzen ('15), Elizabeth Pedroza ('15)