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HomeMy Public PortalAboutExchange StudentsStar News 5/29/85 Auf weidersehen Area students take off on west German exchange tour By Kathy Mullen For The Star -News Almost two dozen area high school students are putting their German language studies to test by visiting West Germany itself. Thirteen Meadows Valley High School students haved joined eight teens from McCall - Donnelly High School for a com- bined 30 -day study trip to Ger- many that began on Monday. Before their departure, MV German teacher Heidi Miller said the group was scheduled to depart from Boise on Monday and was to arrive in Frankfurt, Germany, approximately 24 hours later. They were then to take a train from Frankfurt to Stuttgart, where the McCall group was to be met by their host families. Meadows Valley students were to travel on by bus to the city of Villigen, in the Black Forest. Miller said the students par- ticipating in the trip have been planning and saving their money for some time, some for the past two or three years. "The students here know since they are freshmen that they will have this opportunity some time during their high school years," she said. She said the cost of the trip is about $1,070 per student with the majority of that expense paid by the students' parents. "We get some money from the German government and the students have had some fund- raisers, but for the most part the cost is borne by the students and their parents," Miller said. She added that despite the seemingly high cost, she still considers the study trips the least expensive way to tour Europe. Miller said the trip will be the second time Meadows Valley has participated in the German - American exchange program and the first time for McCall - Donnelly High School. Miller, who will be travelling with the group as an advisor, will be join- ed by Mr. and Mrs. Tom McFad- den, McCall. McFadden is a math teacher at M -D. Miller said each of the students as well as the advisors will be staying with their counterparts in Germany with whom they have corresponded for the past year. She said the German students hosting the Idaho youths will in turn visit here later in the year. In Germany, the visiting students will attend such school classes as music, geography, English, physical education and a special culture - language class designed especially for foreign exchange students. In addition to their in- school training, Miller said, the youths will learn much from living with the German families as well as from sight - seeing and field trips. The group will spend one week visiting Berlin, including some time in East Berlin, and also will visit parliment while in Stuttgart in order to become familiar with the country's political system. "This is not a superficial or ar- tificial thing," Miller said of the study trip. "The emphasis of the program is to build friendships and make permanent alliances." from the experience in whole. Those participating from Meadows Valley are Todd Mc- Carty, folly Durbin, David Walker, Sharla Swift, Ladale Crogh, Stormi Marti, Kayrene White, Doug Wilson, Loreesa Fields, Lori Brown, Denise Walker, Marcy Spalding, and Aaron Tinsely. Students going from McCall - Do telly include: Erik Coats, Pam Kerr, Greg Standley, Debbie Engen, Mary Valdez, Holly Wi:liams, John Bujak and Scott MCI-01 I� The Star-News - 8/22/96 1 sister completes exchange,2nd to start BY ROGER PHILLIPS The Star-News It's a story of pairs: two daughters in two countries in two years, and two nervous, but supportive, parents. Kara and Alison Gantz, daughters of Mike and Marsha Gantz of Don- nelly, are both exchange students crossing paths during their interna- 1 tional adventures. Kara, 18, returned last month from a 10 -1/2 month visit to Osaka, Japan. Her sister, Alison, 16, Leaves for Ham- burg, Germany this Saturday. Mike Gantz admits that as parents, he and his wife were, and are, a little nervous about sending their daugh- ters overseas, but they see it as a positive experience. "We've got to take a few risks and let them experience life," he said. "When we sent Kara over (to Japan) we had some anxious moments. It was probably easier for her than it was for us." Kara's yearning to take part in an exchange program started when she was a freshman at McCall - Donnelly High School, where tier father is a science teacher. She applied for the Rotary ex- change student program, and was ac- cepted for her senior year. When she left for Japan last year, she didn't know a word of .Japanese, but was ready for whatever she might encoun- ter. "I went over prepared to accept anything," she said. "I wanted to for- get my American background and be Japanese for a while." Fortunately, she didn't have to leave all her American background She was able take English-speak- classes at the private school she ;nded, and she spent much of her to helping Japanese students learn Statesman photo by Aaron I Teacher Kazuko Sato, center, discusses newspaper with her touring students from Japan Idaho's 'wide open space' intrigues Japanese Twenty -five Japanese high school girls, who aid $2,(11X) each to tour several American cities nd stay with American families, believe they are ett ing their money's worth. In Boise until Aug. 12, they have been seeing the )cal sights and attending English classes four iornings a week at the Hillview Methodist hurch_ Kazuko Sato, :their English teacher at Senzoku ligh School itt. the Kanagawa Prefecture, said the iris read and write the language fluently, al- iough they have found it very difficult to speak. o she translated the question about the trip's alue into Japanese. Their answer was a collective rin and a nod. Most of the local places they've visited, business buildings, parks, Bogus Basin and other recrea- tional areas are similar to what they have at home. "But we don't have so much wide open space," Sato said. i One tourist attraction, the historic gold mining town of Idaho City, was totally new to the visitors. "We know about American gold miners — also Your western cowboys and Indians," Sato said. "We also know about Idaho potatoes. Potato hhips is a favorite food." They also are familiar with U.S. TV shows. Lit- tle House on the Prairie, Sesame Street and Char - lie's Angels ate popular. Sato said the girls plan to go to college and they want to be kindergarten teachers, business people and nurses. When asked about women and equal right answered "that's a problem. Japanese men help at home." But teachers, she said, are quite equal to rr The students are participants in the Inter program, a privately sponsored tour arr, through a travel agency in San Francisco companying them, in addition to Sato, are hiko Tsuda, who teaches Japanese at their school, and Kunio Takeuchi, a Japanese agent. Diane Clayton, 7216 San Fernando Drive, arrangements for them to stay with Boise families. She said others interested in parti ing in future programs, may contact her 9765.