December was a big month for the World Languages department at Millburn High School.

Following the introduction of a student immersion program for next year, the department held open houses for all courses and levels of instruction, and finally, held an opening ceremony for the new computer lab.

The lab will be used for Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese, and Latin classes: to hold video chats with guest speakers and foreign students, to do research, to create multimedia projects, to record their speaking exercises and dialogues, and more.

The department, chaired by Abigail Crespo, says those who effectively communicate in more than one language, with an appropriate understanding of cultural contexts, are globally literate and possess the attributes necessary to communicate face-to-face and by virtual means. The language lab will accelerate the accomplishment of this mission.

The department hopes upon completion of study at the high school, students will be able to communicate with proficiency to function in a variety of careers, to better understand cultural differences and to value language learning "as a global literacy, as well as for its long-term worth in fostering personal, work-related, and/or financial success in our increasingly interconnected world."

To celebrate the opening of the lab, distinguished guests (Superintendent James Crisfield and Assistant Superintendent Christine Burton, MHS administration, members of the Board of Education and PTO, world language faculty, and more) gathered for a multi-cultural luncheon, featuring a seemingly endless selection of cultural foods from all corners of the world (made by the high school faculty).

Senior member of the World Languages faculty Ken Rizzuti and the school superintendent cut the ribbon to room 276, officially opening the laboratory for what will hopefully be decades of educational use.

Brannon Cho (cello), Justin Dower (saxophones), Scott Myers (trumpet), and Hannah Park (violin), all 11th-grade AP Spanish students of Maria Vazquez and MHS accelerated music students, performed a program of multicultural music.

Members of the World Languages faculty include: Spanish: Mario Azcarraga, Viviana Canizales, Abigail Crespo, Lauren Hartmann, Gislene Hernando Price, Ken Rizzuti, Maria Vazquez, and Mae Ward; French: Anne Changeux, Valeria Luppino, Ken Rizzuti, and Amii Spear; Italian: Michele Giovinazzo, Valeria Luppino, and Josephine Savino; Chinese: Hua-Mei King; Latin: Antonia de Vegh.