World language dept. hosts first “Eat and Greet”

On Friday, Jan. 20, the world language department will host their first ever “Eat and Greet.”

Created with a goal to encourage middle schoolers about the importance of studying a foreign language all four years of high school, the event will give attention to all four languages offered at Westside.

The language teachers, along with over 30 high school student volunteers, will walk middle school students over to the high school at approximately 3:10 on Friday, and then an hour and a half of activities will commence in the courtyard. Activities will include choosing from a variety of international snacks, crafts, scavenger hunts, and a world language jeopardy game.

“We’re just really excited to start this and hope that it’s going to be a tradition that we can continue next year and the year after,” French teacher Sarah Percival said.

Latin teacher Carolyn Harvey is excited to introduce middle school students to the many benefits Latin, as it is the only high school language that is not offered at the middle school.

“Latin helps with beginning the mental fortitude and the study habits that are necessary to go on to higher fields like law, medicine, and graduate studies,” Harvey said. “It helps a student expand their world-view, especially across time.”

Besides helping to prepare them for their first year of high school, the world language department is also eager to give middle schoolers a positive view on the benefits of world language.

“They should see [language] as a lifelong skill,” Percival said. “Not just a box to check, because you never know when you’re going to need it. We want them to realize that it’s a great thing to have as a part of their life.”