Panamanian artist visits Hawken

Upper School Spanish classes were recently treated to a visit by a native Spanish speaker. Gloria Ritter, a Panamanian-American, visited three of Se+â-¦oras McNamee`s and Williams`s class sections to teach the students about the Latin custom of Quincea+â-¦era, the celebration of a young woman`s transition to adulthood. Traditionally, the girl`s 15th birthday is honored, among a large gathering of friends and family, with a special mass and party complete with a new dress, elaborate food, presents, and cake. Ritter is an artist specializing in ink on paper works, who is active in the Latino community in Cleveland, especially with the Caf+â-¬ de las Artes at the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the organization of the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration sponsored by the Superior-St Clair Development Corporation. Her father, Eduardo Ritter Aislan, was an Ambassador for Panama holding posts in El Salvador, Guatemala, Columbia, Spain, Washington D.C., the Organization of American States, and the United Nations. Accordingly, Ritter`s lived in all of these locales. Visit her Web site at www.gloriakritter.com.