Student leaders from the National Hispanic Honor Society (NHHS), Student Council (StuCo) and National Art Honor Society (NAHS) came together on the evening of Feb. 27 to host a Lotería Night, bringing the school community together for an evening of fun and cultural celebration.
In the days leading up to the event, StuCo President Masdon Woitena wrestled with uncertainty, unsure of how many people would show up. But as the night unfolded, his worries were quickly replaced with relief and excitement.
“When you’re planning something like this, you always get scared—what if nobody shows up?” Woitena said. “The stress and anxiety start taking over, and you don’t know what’s real anymore. I’m just glad as many people came as they did.”
The event was a blend of NAHS members’ artistic skills, NHHS’ cultural prowess and StuCo’s experience with activity planning and organization.
“I just love the collaboration between them,” StuCo advisor Juanita Delgado said. “It was incredible to see different groups come together to make something special.”
As the day went on, the turnout became clear, catching the organizers off guard.
“It wasn’t until later in the day—right before the school day ended—when everyone was saying, ‘Oh
yeah, we’re going, we’re going,’ and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, did we print enough cards? Do we have enough food?’” NHHS President Natalie Sanchez said.
Sanchez’s fears came true when they ran out of playing cards during the event and had to find a solution.
“We had to adapt really quickly,” Sanchez said. “People were playing two cards at a time, so we had to limit it to one card each. We just had to navigate it as best as we could at the moment,” she said.
It was only until afterwards that the organizers realized the night’s success.
“There were so many people, and I kept hearing people talk about it afterwards. That’s when I thought, ‘Okay, we might have actually done something really good here,’” Sanchez said.
The game night’s success posed the idea for Lotería Night’s continuation for the years to come.
“I would love for this to continue, but I get it—new officers want to bring their own ideas,” Woitena said. “I didn’t become president just to copy what was done before me. If it happens again, I’ll be so happy, but if not, I respect that too.”
The event also saw attendance from prospective students.
“I really love that incoming freshmen were there,” he said. “They got to see our school, meet people they’ll be with next year and experience that family vibe we bring to these events.”
Looking back, the overwhelming turnout and positive reception made all the last-minute worries worthwhile.
“It was worth it—all of it,” Sanchez said. “We got to educate so many people on a game that’s really important to Hispanic culture, and seeing everyone come together for it was amazing.”
