In January of this year, Mary Help’s Linguistics Club traveled to Columbia University to participate in NACLO, the North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad. NACLO is a contest in which high-school students solve linguistic puzzles, and in solving these puzzles, they learn about the diversity and consistency of language, while exercising logic skills.
Tested skills in the competition ranged from the ability to piece together sentences in ancient languages to discerning the meanings of monastic sign language. Overall, the competition sought to measure students' ability to analyze complex data and language, skills that are crucial for a career in computer science. Following the event, students treated themselves to a delicious meal at Koronet Pizza, pausing for a quick photo outside the restaurant.
The Linguistics Club would like to offer a special thank you to Mr. Bliss, the club's moderator, and to Mrs. Evans, for escorting them on their trip!