For the week of October 2-6, the German II class held a week-long celebration to honor German Reunification Day.

Reunification Day, Oct. 3, 1990, was the day that the former East and West Germany reunited as one country after over 40 years of being separate following World War II. The German II students and their instructor, Mrs. Lori Pierce, planned different activities each day for the student body to participate in.

Evan Bridges, MSMS senior, commented on the festivities.

“It’s fun, and I get to blast German music in Hooper on a speaker. Man, what isn’t there to love about that? Exactly, German week’s perfect.”

On Monday, German students invited the student body to dress in black, red, and yellow — the colors of the German flag.

Tuesday, MSMS students celebrated in a similar way to how Germans celebrate Reunification Day. Each area in Germany is invited to come to a different German city each year and highlight the cultural aspects, food, and positive things about their area in Germany. Similarly, the German students placed a large map of Mississippi with county divisions marked on the wall in Hooper Academic Building. Since MSMS represents a diverse group from various locations throughout Mississippi, students were invited to write interesting facts about their hometowns and place it in the appropriate location on the map.

Wednesday was Teach German Day. The German II students wore a special pin that day, and students could approach them and learn a few German words or phrases if they wished.

Senior Olga Goupalova elaborated on what she finds interesting about the German language.

“The reason I wanted to learn it was because of the way it sounds. They’re very disciplined and orderly in Germany, and their language is like that as well,” Goupalova described.

German will be the fourth language Goupalova adds to her linguistic repertoire, in addition to Russian, French, and English.

On Thursday and Friday, the German students sold German chocolate in Hooper Lobby in honor of German-American immigration. The student body enjoyed sampling German chocolate flavors of dark, white, raspberry, pumpkin spice, hazelnut and others.

Senior Sarrah Der-Ballout identified it as her favorite part of German week. “Oh definitely the Süßigkeiten [German for “sweets”]!! By far the highlight of my week!”

Mrs. Lori Pierce, instructor of German, Latin and French, elaborated on what she finds most interesting about Germany and its language. “I like the people. I find the people very easy to talk to, very relatable. I enjoy visiting with the people, and learning and just talking to them.”

Pierce explained that her French students will be holding a French Week, which will include crepes, during the second week of November.

While no Latin Week has currently been planned, the Latin students will go to the Latin Convention, which will involve dressing up in togas, racing chariots, battling it out as gladiators, and participating in Latin Quizbowl.