Ballet Folklorico: Students turn unwanted items into value

Daniel Mendoza, Photo Editor • February 13, 2024

One man’s unwanted item is another man’s treasure. Ballet Folklorico takes on this message by hosting a rummage sale. During this sale, members gather unwanted items to then table for students to buy and repurpose. The money raised for the event not only promotes waste reduction but also helps support the club financially. “We wanted a way to try to fit into the sustainability, recycling and resume that we try to focus here at St. Edward’s,” Ballet Folklorico Director Rosalinda Valdez said. “We thought that might be a cool way to get people to donate their items instead of just throwing them away.”

Many Ballet Folklorico members express their enthusiasm for the event with many encouraging passing students to check out the sale, jamming out to Spanish music, and gladly assisting students with questions. “It’s been great seeing many people come and support Ballet Folklorico, seeing people come look at what we’re offering, and being excited to be involved in the community,” sophomore Luis Rios said. “We chose the location to be inside Ragdale due to weather concerns and it is a populated area where a lot of people will frequently be.” (Daniel Mendoza / Hilltop Views)

The rummage sale was held in Ragdale Lobby. Tables were filled with clothes, glassware, decor and household items. This was a smart tactic to attract students toward the event. “I really liked trinkets, so I was immediately captivated by the table filled with little glasses,” sophomore Reena Gopal said. “It was very eye-catching. I originally came this way to get lunch from SoCo but I saw that sign (Ballet Folklorico poster sale) and I got distracted.” (Daniel Mendoza / Hilltop Views)

Once students found items that appealed to them, Ballet Folklorico members began to assist students for checkout. The forms of payment for students were flexible and affordable. Payments such as Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, cash and even Topper Tender were accepted. (Daniel Mendoza / Hilltop Views)

The previous semester, Ballet Folklorico tried to hold the rummage sale event, though due to the weather conditions the club had to cancel the event. In the end, this excited Ballet Folklorico to give the event another try in the spring semester. Postponing the event also gave the club extended time to collect more unwanted items for the sale. (Daniel Mendoza / Hilltop Views)

Valdez and her students have been preparing for the sale for quite some time. Most of the preparation consisted of collecting the items for the rummage sale. “What we do is we encourage students to clean out, make donations to the group,” Valdez said. “We ask them when they go home for break to ask family members as well as staff and faculty, hey if you need an excuse to get rid of something, we definitely take those donations.” Ballet Folklorico looks forward to fundraisers like these, so they can use the money towards their performances by helping buy shoes, costumes, skirts or other elements. (Daniel Mendoza / Hilltop Views)

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