Modern Languages & Classics Department

PHILOSOPHY & GOALS

Language acquisition and cultural literacy have traditionally been the two primary purposes of the Brunswick Modern Language Department. Consequently, the overall goal of the language program is to lead students to a level of proficiency that enables them to interact effectively with native speakers, with linguistic and cultural accuracy, in one (or more than one) language. Thus, language instruction emphasizes what we call “Brunswick’s Three Cs”: Communication (with an emphasis on speaking); Cultures (with an emphasis on the contemporary world and cultural comparisons); and Curiosity (striving to make our students lifelong learners).

Similarly, the Classics Department’s principal objective is to teach the languages and literature of the Greeks and the Romans; and, by doing so, to develop a deep and genuine appreciation among our student body for the literary, cultural, and historical achievements of the two classical civilizations.

▶ UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS flew to Qatar in January for a three-day fact-finding mission aimed at gleaning information about sustainable development practices and financial literacy.

Four sophomores and two freshmen were joined by Arabic teacher Mimi Melkonian and Biology teacher

Oliver Bierman-Lytle for the trip to Doha just after exams ended.

Among the sites visited by the group were the National

Museum of Qatar, the Museum of Islamic Art, Education City, and Lusail Stadium and other sites built for the FIFA World Cup.

Students Leo Gazal ’25 and Sayah continued on page 2

Trahanas ’25 summed up their reflections in a letter to Head of School Tom Philip.

“The National Museum, located on the Doha Corniche, is surrounded by a reflecting pool and the Arabian Gulf, with views of the downtown filling the rest of the skyline,” they wrote.

“The museum’s brilliantly illuminated facilities displayed Qatar’s rich history, extending from its nomadic past to its sustainable future, showcasing countless artifacts and innovations. Here, we learned about the financial workings of Qatar’s economy, as well as Qatar’s plans to sustainably regulate and diversify the future of its thriving energy sector.

“The Education City mosque is designed to show the people of Qatar that the country can develop and become more sustainable while preserving its centuryold traditions.

“Overall, our first-ever excursion to the Middle East was a success, as we discovered the new virtues of sustainability and financial literacy through the unique lens of the Arab World,” they wrote.

“There was more to the trip than visiting their plans for a more sustainable future. Instead, it allowed us to recognize that the Middle East is revolutionizing itself from an empty desert into a land of both financial and educational opportunity.

“We were inspired by the variety of technologies enabled by the unique Qatari spirit of innovation in the mind of sustainability.”

Aside from Trahanas and Gazal, students making the trek to Qatar included Grayson O’Hara ’25, Griffin Green ’25, Anthony Sayegh ’26, and John Pavelski ’26.

▶ THREE BRUNSWICK STUDENTS traveled to Utah in early February for the U.S. Schools Arabic Debating Championship — the boys made it to the semifinals as they quickly came up to speed on a new and intense way of acquiring language and debate skills.

The contest was organized by QatarDebate, a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science, and Community Development, in collaboration with the Middle East Center of the University of Utah as well as Arabic and English debating clubs.

The trip took place just a few short days after midterm exams and the trip to Qatar. With limited time to prepare, students made the most of it, hosting Zoom meetings and even staging a practice session at John F. Kennedy Airport as they waited for their flight to Salt Lake City.

James Lynch ’25 said the novice Brunswick team “gained incalculable language experience” in a series of three matches that began with a spirited contest against last year’s champions.

“We learned some valuable tricks that helped us in our subsequent debates,” he said. “Overall, the experience continued on page 3

2 of debating in Arabic was incredible. It helped improve our vocabulary and pronunciation while teaching us how to debate. Moreover, we experienced the true test of language fluency — debating with peers from across the country on some of the most pressing issues of our time.”

Sayah Trahanas ’25 and Leonardo Gazal’ 25 were the other two students on the trip; the three students were advised by Arabic teacher Mimi Melkonian.

Seven schools from five states participated in the tournament. Students also toured the university campus, focusing on its collection of ancient Arabic literature and scriptures.

▶ ELEVEN STUDENTS from the Class of 2024 were inducted into the Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica based on their success in Spanish Honors classes, their teachers’ recommendations, and their curiosity about the Hispanic world.

Honored last fall were Luke Brown, Ben Wu, Luke Hublitz, Thomas Whidden, Bo MacNaughton, Bennett Klein, Jack Morningstar, Luke Dougherty, Sebi DeAngelis, Spencer Segura, and Casey Quinson — all of them now rising seniors.

Eight more students from the Class of 2025 will be inducted this coming September, including rising juniors Subir Garg, Leo Gazal, Jack Sieg, Tyler Lugo, Sebastian Medina, Ryan Ahn, Theo Perkins, and Henry Johnson.

The Sociedad Honoraria Hispánica, also known as the Hispanic Honorary Society, is an international association of more than 3,500 schools dedicated to recognizing high school achievement in Spanish and Portuguese.

“We decided to start the HHS at Brunswick in 2022 in order to recognize the success of students of Spanish and give them a space to continue their exploration of the language and Hispanic culture outside of the classroom,” said Teddy Romeyn, Upper School Spanish teacher. “We also hope that the Society will motivate students to continue studying modern languages not only in high school but also at the university level.”

In addition, two students won first place for their submissions to the 2023 winter edition of Albricias, the biannual student publication of the Honorary Hispanic Society and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish and Portuguese.

DeAngelis won first prize in poetry for his poem, “Freixo,” in which he remembers his grandparents’ house in the coastal region of Galicia, Spain.

Segura won first prize in prose for his composition, “Los dos Darienes,” in which he compares his hometown of Darien to the perilous rainforests of the Darién in Panamá, and the experience of the immigrants who must cross it in their journey northwards.

In addition to celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month and submitting creative student work to Albricias, Spanish students made a trip to the Whitney Museum to see “no existe un mundo poshurucán,” an exhibit on contemporary Puerto Rican art following the devastation of Hurricane María.

▶ FOR THE FIRST TIME in five years, Brunswick’s Orient Express cultural magazine won silver in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s Crown Awards, a nationwide competition.

The magazine won for its 2022 edition, and it was the only Brunswick publication to receive this prestigious award. It was led by Sayah Trahanas ’25 — editor, design head, and president of the magazine — with Arabic teacher Mimi Melkonian serving as advisor.

“We couldn’t have done this without the excellent contributions from both brilliant writers and creative AP Visual Art students from both Brunswick and continued on page 4