Natalie Guzman is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Trevor G. Browne for AZPreps365.com

For most Americans living in the United States, Hispanic Heritage is celebrated for one month, between September 15 and October 15.

However, for Trevor Browne’s badminton team, it’s almost every day when students celebrate their culture.

“At school, there are always little events, like our M.E.Ch.A. Club,” said junior and badminton player Mariana Quintero. “They’re always doing things to celebrate the culture, especially this month.”

M.E.Ch.A. stands for El Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlán and it promotes Latino and Chicano studies and culture among students of all backgrounds. The club often brings in people of Hispanic Heritage to speak, display movies, and sometimes change the cafeteria food.

The school, located in the heart of the predominantly Hispanic Maryvale community in the westside of Phoenix, has more than 90% Hispanic enrollment, according to U.S News, and has a 97% minority enrollment overall. This enrollment statistic is also reflected on sports and athletics, as most members of the Trevor Browne badminton team are of Hispanic heritage.

When it comes to the month itself, freshman and varsity No. 5 singles player Zeiynap Hernandez said she and her family celebrate the month by cooking traditional Hispanic dishes, such as tamales and pozole, while playing games such as Lotería, also known as “Mexican bingo.”

Most girls on the team, as well as coach Danell McPhaul, speak Spanish at school and at home.

Dania Duran, junior and varsity singles No. 4 player, said the team has helped connect to Hispanic Heritage by speaking Spanish.

“It’s my first language because I came from Mexico and it helps me feel more comfortable,” Duran said.

Hernandez said the one thing their team has that no one else does is their communication.

“The way we communicate with each other, like we’re a family,” Hernandez said. “We all know how to love each other and push each other up when we’re down. We play hard and we work hard.”

Quintero said something similar about family. She said that Hispanic Heritage to her means, “celebrating the culture of family.” Just as fitting as Trevor Browne, badminton considers itself one big family.

It seems odd that Hispanic Heritage month starts in the middle of September, but the connection goes back to most Latin American countries recognizing the date as their Independence. Whereas Mexico’s Independence Day is September 16, for example, both Guatemala and El Salvador celebrate their respective independence days on September 15. U.S. President Lyndon Johnson designated it as week in 1968, and President Ronald Reagan designated it a month 20 years later.

Hispanic Heritage month ends on Sunday, October 15. However, that does not mean these girls will have anything less to be proud of. They celebrated their first win of the season on October 5, beating Carl Hayden 8-1. Trevor Browne still has two more games of the season and then competes at state. Its last game is against its rival, Maryvale High School, on October 17 at Maryvale.