LOSS OF LANGUAGE

It is always a great time to learn a language. The benefits include friendship, cultural knowledge, and the acquisition of the language itself. These are also the pleasures of the German language. Although it may look complex, and honestly weird, it is such a rewarding experience. I myself have made countless friends from German class, many of whom I am still in contact with today. One such person, Ryan Watrobski, has described German class and the German language as, “One of the only classes that I look forward to every day.” The first thing you notice about the room when you walk in are the three clowns, all in various positions. When I first walked into the room, I thought, “What is this? What have I gotten myself into?” That was when Frau Klann looked at and said, “Willkommen zu Deutschklasse!” I did not know what to think. I didn’t understand what she said, but it was very welcoming. It set the atmosphere

ANOTHER for the class for the whole year and even years to come for me.

DEAD The first thing that comes to mind when anyone mentions German class is

LANGUAGE schultüte. Schultüte is an annual tradition in “die Deutschland” where children are given a cone made of paper, plastic, BY or cardboard on the first day of school. Now, don’t judge a cone by what it’s JASHHVANTH made of. Admire it for what’s inside. Five types of cookies line the inside of the TAMILSELVAN cone for us to eat. That is always the first thing that comes to mind when German class is mentioned. The tranquility of the schultüte will always be remembered by my fellow classmates and me. The next idea that comes to mind when anyone mentions German class is the holidays. The biggest one is Karneval. This is an annual holiday that occurs on the Monday before Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday). This is the biggest holiday in Germany, even today. It starts on the eleventh hour, the eleventh second, the eleventh day of the eleventh month of the year. It is said to begin at this time because it brings luck to the people of Germany. It is also said that Karneval is a time for the people of Germany to break their rules and create new ones that can be cherished for the rest of the year. This is also the most cherished holiday for the students of Deutschklasse as well. At the end of it all, we get specially made donuts, and we get to make party masks at the end of it. The second holiday that comes to mind is, of course, Weihnachten mit dem Weihnachtsmann. Christmas will always be a very special holiday for everyone in the United States. But in Germany, it is even more celebrated and even more special. The last, but certainly not least, image that comes to my mind is Frau Klann. This teacher is so dedicated to her work, it is genuinely impressive. At the beginning of the year, she told me she had four Kahoots in total. By the end of the second week of February, she had 79 total. She also told me that it will be around 100 by the end of February. She makes presentations for us, videos for us, makes sure that we learn the culture of Germany as well as the language. She makes entire stories in German just to teach us the language. We even made masks in honor of Karneval and the fun it symbolizes. It is a treat to see her teach

us; and speaking of treats, she gives us treats as well. The schultüte is something that was introduced to fellow German students by her. She gives us Krapfen, a type of German donut, right after Karneval. She also gives us treats and fruits right before Weihnachten. It is amazing that she cares so much about us and is willing to give so much time and attention just for us.

Unfortunately, I may not be able to see her next year for German IV. Unfortunately, many people are not talking about the German language as they used to. German in our school is slowly dying. It first begins with the German IV students. Then German III, German II, and then no more German class. This is such a sad sighting because this class has played such a vital role in my high school life. It made me laugh, made me think, and most of all, made me learn at very important times. Even hearing about how German IV may not be there for my senior year gets me on the verge of tears. It is depressing for me and all the other future German IV students. As Ryan Watrobski said, “I felt like German as a language is overlooked by both Spanish and French.” And this is indeed true.

But, this can be changed. There is still time to make a change, to make a dent in the class numbers. If all current German III students can sign up for German IV next year, then the language will continue to survive. I urge all other students to try German I because it is a fun and leisure class where you can learn the traditions of Germany and also learn the language. I urge you to at least consider German I, and sign up before it is too late. Sign up before a language and its traditions succumb to its death in the new halls of North Royalton High School.

Inkwell

NRHS’s premiere literary and art magazine is now accepting submissions for the Spring 2021 issue.

All art submissions are eligible for the Spring 2021 cover.

Please submit typed poetry, short stories (fiction and nonfiction maximum two, single-spaced pages or roughly 1400 words), photography and artwork. MUSTMUST submitsubmit ELECTRONICELECTRONIC versions of work (exceptions for art) to:

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Include your full name with all submissions by Friday, March 5, 2021. SeeSee Mrs.Mrs. LeathermanLeatherman with questions.