SOAR competes in the Mente y Cultura contest today

By Staff

SOAR High School begins the first round of the Mente y Cultura Jeopardy Competition today with members competing in a Jeopardy-style trivia contest on their knowledge of Latino, Chicano, and Hispanic culture and history.

The Lancaster team – made up of Cielo Corona-Castro, Solash Corona-Castro, Delilah Vazquez, Isaac Afre Gutierrez and Roman Menjivar – has spent months preparing for their all-district competition. They will be tested on dozens of questions spanning categories such as notable inventors and historical figures, influential politicians, celebrities and cultural icons, geography and national flags/symbols.

Roman Menjivar, the only freshman on the team, said he’s excited for today’s event at the Antelope Valley Union High School District boardroom because he’s increased his knowledge of his heritage.

“I like learning about Latino history and expanding my knowledge in all areas,” he said.

Like Menjivar, senior Cielo Corona-Castro said the competition is a celebration of heritage and a chance to showcase all their hard work leading up to it.

“It really shows our effort and the practice we’ve done to get to this point,” she said.

SOAR will compete against other high schools in the district with the top five finishers advancing to the next round. The finals will then take place at Eastside High School on Friday, October 2 , beginning with a pre-bowl fiesta at 5:30 p.m. featuring food trucks, student performances and district programs.