On Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, a group of students from the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science traveled to Starkville to compete in a language expo held at Mississippi State University.

The language expo was an opportunity for students from all over the state of Mississippi to come together and learn more about other languages and show their skills and love for their target language(s).

“The language convention was really fun! It was really nice to see the beauty of language and how it excited everyone in all different aspects. The comedy act, dancing, singing, poetry, and facts were fun and informative towards all the other languages!” senior Sarrah Der-Ballout said.

Students at the expo were also offered the chance to meet some language professors who teach at Mississippi State University and learn more about the language programs offered at the university.

“Everyone was so nice and I had a wonderful time talking to the language department of Mississippi State,” junior Sera Hepner said.

An additional, optional portion of the language expo was the chance to compete. In order to compete, students could present something in a physical manner, recite something in their speciality language or give a verbal performance, or even present something like a research topic.

“I had a ton of fun. Speaking in my target languages to the professors I met was an exciting and unique experience. I may never again get the opportunity to sing Ave Maria in Latin to the professors that may one day teach me higher Latin,” junior Elle Smith stated. “I went because languages are a part of me. They are who I am, and they are the defining aspects of many of my life choice. If there is a linguistic convention, you can bet I’ll be there. It was such a wonderful experience.”

This was the first year of the convention, but this is an annual event that will continue to be held at Mississippi State University