//OPINIONS


While Decatur’s language teachers worry that not enough students have opportunities to study abroad (like Amelia Thomas did in Barcelona, Spain, above), a bigger problem is a disinterest in foreign language study.


immerse yourself


strengthen bonds I


BY SUMAR DEEN sumardeen@csdecatur.net


’m a softie, I’ll admit to it. Te very idea of little fuzzy rabbits and Babmi- esque deers being shot by brutal faceless hunters made me shudder. I don’t eat meat, I try to avoid hitting squirrels on Clairemont Avenue


and I even have trouble killing a spider. But after reading “Open Season” (pg. 34) I had a realization: hunting – or any other activity that I might judge before trying it – is actually a lot more than it appears. For Foster and Crowly, hunting is a thing of togetherness, of spending time with their fathers and friends. How is this any different than the time I spend going on long drives or playing video games with my father? Here’s the answer: it’s not.


52 CARPE DIEM • DECEMBER 2011


BY AMELIA THOMAS dorothythomas@csdecatur.net


learning Spanish in kindergarten. Decatur is one of the few public schools in Georgia that offers foreign language education from such a young age.


S


panish has always been a strong interest of mine. I am fortunate enough to have attended the City Schools of Decatur since Pre-K and began


My sister and I read Harry Potter together almost every night. Tis has opened doors for us to have endless discussions about whether Snape is good or evil, even transcending into debate over what is “good” and what is “evil” in the real world. Sometimes I even find her running to greet me at the door, a sight I haven’t enjoyed since she was quite a bit younger. I also like sitting in the kitchen while my mom cooks dinner (or re-heats leftover Chinese takeout). Tese few minutes, while hectic and often interrupted, can make the difference between a week where we are two people that live in the same house and a week when we are truly sisters. Family holidays spent together are a given and it’s not unlikely that family dinners come to pass – even over cold, left-over pizza. But it’s


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