This year, students and staff celebrated World Language Month at Ridge High School in early March.  In an effort to increase awareness of the rich, diverse culture learned by our students enrolled in world language courses, students showcased food sampling and cultural traditions in various areas of the school.

During Spanish Day, teachers encouraged students to participate in a salsa making challenge.  The salsa challenge was judged based on taste and the winner received extra credit as an added bonus. This year’s winner was Ved Bhagat, who concocted a mouthwatering salsa that captured the judges’ tastebuds.

Additionally, students chose to emblazon their faces with the colors of Spain’s flag, red and yellow, and wore corresponding clothes to match. The liveliness in colors and food samples truly added to the excitement. Thomas Mazumder ’17 affirms, “I’ve really enjoyed taking part in World Language Month over the last four years.  Cultural awareness is very important and any chance we have to celebrate languages, foods, and traditions from around the world is a benefit for our school.  Also, I’m glad customs like the salsa making contest have become mainstays in Ridge and give us a little something to look forward to every year.”

Italian Day marked another wonderful opportunity for students to add some cultural flair into the school day.  From warm fresh baked cookies to the garlic and cheese pizzas’ aromas spreading through the hallways, faculty and students were treated to the familiar tastes from Italy. Dylan McCauley ’18 states, “Italian week was one of the best weeks of my life.  Italian week allowed everyone to experience the diversity of Italian culture.  In my class, we participated in traditional Italian dances which was a great way of teaching students how interesting the culture truly is.”  Dylan and other students thoroughly enjoyed being able to celebrate a culture they are proud to study.

All in all, World Language Day at Ridge was an absolute success this year.  The conglomeration of passionate students and faculty, excited to share the Spanish and Italian cultures, truly represented cultural diversity.  Until next year, Ridge High School will have to wait for another great week of cultural festivities.