This past Friday, students studying Spanish or French at Haldane High School took an overnight field trip to the Taconic Outdoor Education Center. This annual event, called "Immersion," brings students together to experience different cultures.

The opening presentation was a special one. It was the private screening of a new documentary entitled The Linguists. The film is about the world travels of two scientists as they document dying languages. The students were also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with the co-director, Seth Kramer. According to the film, there are 7,000 known languages around the world and one language disappears every two weeks. This means that by the end of the century, half of these languages will have been lost. Although originally scheduled to be in Pakistan, Seth Kramer of Ironbound Films, which is based in Garrison, was happy to be able to visit with students. This film and the Haldane Foreign Language Immersion Program are important to the students in helping them understand the need for cultural diversity and the effects of losing these cultures and their languages.

Ms. Griselle Cordero, a graduate of Haldane and a native of the Dominican Republic, presented a slideshow of the island, which included photos of the beautiful beaches and life on the streets, incorporating her own thoughts about the scenes shown. She also shared photos of her family and gave a strong description of the country's sensations. She spoke about the culture and development of her language. Ms. Jennifer Windels, an elementary school teacher at Haldane, also presented a slideshow about the Dominican Republic. She discussed her missionary work on the island and her experiences with the people there. She spoke about the living conditions and poverty that are common in the Dominican Republic. The presenters gave the audience a strong insight into life in the country from two different perspectives. It was interesting that Ms. Cordero gave her presentation in English while Ms. Windels gave hers in Spanish.

Students of French were greeted by a gallery of African paintings and artifacts. Sarah Cagianese, recent graduate of Boston University in the field of International Relations and French and African Studies, asked each student to choose a favorite piece of art. She began her discussion on surrealism, colonialism, and negritude in French, and recited a poem by Robert Desnos. The students listened carefully as she described her personal experiences in Niamey, Niger, and her travels through Benin, Togo, and Accra, Ghana. Questions and answers concluded this dynamic presentation.

The first musical presentation at the event was by a Cajun duo called "Cleoma's Ghost." A slideshow presentation described how and why French Canadians migrated to Southwest Louisiana. The evolution of Acadian life and culture was discussed. Haldane students then learned a few Cajun dance steps and the music began. The most prominent Acadian instrument is the fiddle, but there is accordion influence as well. Students were selected to keep time on the triangle and scratchboard, two percussion instruments.

Later, the students experienced more unique and extraordinary music, this time Peruvian "Chicha" performed by the amazing "El Super Grupo de Nueva York," which included several members of Haldane Spanish teacher Ms. Ortiz' family.

As is traditional, students enjoyed wonderful authentic cuisine from around the world prepared by Mr. Mike Gasparri and his staff at T.O.E.C.

A very special thanks goes out to the Haldane School Foundation and the Haldane Board of Education for providing the funding for this event. It was organized by Philip D'Amato, Kathryn Robb, Eva Cagianese, and Giannina Ortiz, all language teachers at Haldane Central School.