As winter finally comes to a close, an annual tradition returns to Ridge High School: World Language Month. In the span of one month, students are able to learn about each language offered here at Ridge.
World Language Month began on the Tuesday after HSPAs, and continued until the final school day in March. For three days, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, and Latin students allow for their peers to get a taste of the culture they learn about in class.
Spanish students begin the celebration. During their days, they wore the colors of the Spanish flag, break piñatas, and held a salsa-making competition. This year, the Spanish students were able to participate in La Tomatina, a simulation of the festival of the same name that occurs in Spain.
“La Tomatina was really cool! It felt like we were really there, but without the mess,” exclaims Rob Long’17. The use of similar traditions allows for students to feel connected to their language beyond the classroom.
Immediately following the Spanish students were the French. Some of the activities they offered included waiter races, a monument cake-making contest, and a French breakfast complete with crepes and baguettes. Lianna Schimoun’16 states, “I thought French week was fun. We definitely put in more effort, and we had a lot of fun making the decorations.”
The fun continued with the Italian students, who are some of the most passionate about their language. Most of their activities involved the Italian cuisine, including desserts and, of course, pizza. Since the food often influences the culture, the Italian students were able to perfectly illustrate the importance of both concepts.
The Japanese students then educated the school about the unique Japanese culture. Their festivities included making sushi and selling Japanese candy. This year, Japanese students had the ability to host exchange students visiting America for a few days. These exchange students were from a choir that had come to visit several cities in the United States, and also performed in the PAC.
Finally, the Latin kids entered with shields and parades. They also offered chariot races, which are a popular activity for many students who wish to recall ancient history. Since so much of Latin is rooted in mythology, the school was decorated to match mythological creatures and legendary places in many stories.
For the freshmen, World Language Month was a unique experience.
Long states, “I’m so glad I got to do this. It was a lot of fun.”
Many had the exciting opportunity to participate in their language more deeply than in previous years in middle school. Since it is a yearly event, students are able to experience it every year they are a student at Ridge.
Schimoun adds, “I think it’s good because people get exposed to other cultures.” That mentality drives the entire month, and the teachers also encouraged all students to go out and experience other cultures and foods. As Ridge awaits another March, students can only anticipate even more entertaining activities to take part in to connect with their foreign language’s culture.