As Cherry Hill West students, we all know that there are many exciting events that we wait for in anticipation, such as the Music Trip, the Bridge Building Contest, and the Six Flags Trip, just to name a few. However, by far the most exciting event in the World Language department is the World Language Cook-Off. This year, the Spanish Heritage 5A and 5AP, French I and 5AP, Italian 2H and Italian 4AP, and upper level Latin classes were all a part of the cook-off.
Tables were set up in the atrium, and students from various classes were given the task to prepare their foods and present it in a fashionable manner for the judges.  Faculty and staff members participated as judges, asking questions and trying out what each table had to offer.  Many students brought laptops and presentation devices to make their food displays more interactive and informative.
One group cooked steaks made to order right from a little grill. Another Latin table even displayed a Latin restaurant area made up with mats and cushions. In a broad over-view of the Atrium, one could see the variety of food was amazing, yet capricious at the same instance with varieties ranging from a Tunisian National Dish to Latin-American Empanadas to Roman “egg drop” soup. Throughout the day, judges circulated in and out of the Atrium and compared tables based on their presentation of the food, the main courses, and the best representation of their respective cuisine. For a bystander, the event was an excellent occasion for many groups of students to work together to present a project. Senora Rivas-Mintz shared that, “I love, love, love this event. It is all about happiness and the joy of life. The logistics for the World Language Department are insane. Often we ask ourselves: Why are we doing this again…? Then you see the product, feel the energy, taste the food and all is just fine!”   To a reporter’s eyes, the World Language Cook Off was a fabulous event and a great success.