Article by Madison Callinan ’18:
Kellenberg Memorial celebrated their annual Language Week January 26-28, 2016. A different language was highlighted each day in an effort to bring about cultural awareness, interest, and exposure to diverse activities and song. The spirit and enthusiasm of each club encouraged other students to learn and use new words and expressions. “It was nice to hear different languages in the halls,” remarked junior Alice Tartaro.
On Tuesday, January 26, the sounds of, “¡Buenos Dias!” echoed off the lobby walls as the members of Spanish club, wearing huge sombreros, cheerfully greeted arriving students. On morning announcements, club correspondent, Vanessa Jimenez, translated the introduction and weather in Spanish.
The Latin club members, sporting gold-leafed wreaths and ancient warrior helmets with red feathers, welcomed students on Wednesday, January 27. “Salvete!” was the greeting and inspirational stickers with Latin phrases such as carpe diem or, “seize the day,” were given to the students. Jordan Bernhardi represented the Latin scholars and reported flawlessly in Latin on the Firebird Network.
The highly anticipated Language Jeopardy took place Wednesday afternoon. The four language clubs; Spanish, Latin, French, and American Sign Language, faced off in an intense competition played similarly to the television show. Team captains picked categories with specific monetary values ranging from 100 to 500 points. The final trivia question is a team effort, with points wagered. The determined amount of money would either be won if they got the question correct or lost if they got the question incorrect. This year, the Latin Club was victorious with the high score of 2,400! Sophomore Rachny Civil remarked, “Language Jeopardy is a great way to bring all the language clubs together and enjoy the varieties of cultures.”
Wearing traditional berets, the French club enthusiastically met students in the lobby Thursday morning and handed out stickers with French expressions. Later, senior club representative, Victoria Lucas, effortlessly broadcasted notices and the day’s weather in French. Kellenberg’s Language Week concluded with a multi-lingual prayer service in the Maria Regina Chapel. Students from various grades and backgrounds gathered together to recite the Hail Mary in several languages, such as Spanish, Latin, French, Greek, Arabic, Polish, and German. Despite phonemic differences, praying the Hail Mary unified us in our love for Mary and God. It was incredibly reverent and peaceful.
Overall, Language Week was an exciting cultural experience that exposed the Kellenberg community to some of the diverse cultures, activities, and music of the world.