Tehachapi News

All > Schools
Student ambassadors explore differences during European tour
Topics:
Posted by editor Tue Nov 30, 1999 00:00:00 PST
Viewed 1019 times
0 responses 0 comments Upon their return from a three week tour of Europe, three Tehachapi High School students are sharing their educational experience with a new appreciation for their status as U.S. citizens.

“I really appreciate all the freedoms we have here. It’s all the little things we take for granted,” said 16-year-old Jeff Waldram, one of 40 Kern County area student ambassadors selected to participate in the People to People program.

The international travel program was started in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower who believed that if people could visit each other’s homes, attend their schools and see their places of worship, then misconceptions and resulting suspicions could be overcome, in times of war as well as peace.

Waldram was joined by fellow THS students Stephanie Hirsch, 16, and Blaine Hartsock, 15, for their first and agreeably once-in-a-lifetime European tour.

The teens visited France, Italy and Greece, spending time with host families in groups of two or three other students from Kern area schools.

In addition to the exhaustive selection process, the group went through extensive research and training sessions to help them prepare for the role of “ambassador.”

“In France we really just felt like tourists until we reached our homestay families, then it started sinking in,” said Blaine.

She also said she did a lot of smiling and nodding to breech the language barrier. Although the complexities of language occasionally proved challenging for the group, Jeff remained unphased.

“I really want to learn French now,” he said. “I’m glad I knew as much as I did, but I learned so much more just being there.”

The group said they initially began to notice the small cultural differences when they kept asking for the location of the restrooms, only to discover the term “water closet,” or “WC,” is the more recognized term.

The teens also noted that smoking was prevalent even among middle schoolers, and that apparently Europeans don’t drink as much water as Americans.

“At my homestay they’d put one little pitcher of water on the table for dinner, and I’d think, well that’s enough for me,” Blaine said.

The others agreed that whenever issues of etiquette arose, their comfort level was maintained through solidarity. If a refill was needed, or a certain menu item was turned down, as a general rule, they stuck together.

While the teens said that they were pleasantly surprised by the similarities between themselves and their European counterparts, the young ambassadors noted a few prominent youth-related differences.

These included the prevalence of cigarette smokers, the loosely enforced drinking age, which is 18, and an apparent comfort with public nudity that belies America’s body-conscious tendencies.

“Paris was sort of like Las Vegas. They had handouts and giant posters of naked people. It was really awkward,” Blaine said.

According to Stephanie, in Greece, speedos must be worn by all men at a public pool. She also said it was not uncommon to see “grandmas wearing bikinis.”

The girls also found out that language, including nonverbal gestures, can vary greatly from culture to culture.

Blaine said that when someone flashed the peace sign while taking pictures near the Parthenon, a guard became visibly upset.

They later discovered the gesture has vulgar connotations in some non-American cultures.

While each member of the group had their favorite experiences, they all expressed some disappointment that they didn’t get inside the Vatican after a long wait in line.
“Apparently a lot of people want to get into the Vatican,” Blaine said.

Clearly, Stephanie gained a newfound appreciation for historical architecture.

“You don’t really know how amazing it is until you see it,” she said of visiting St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome, as well as such historic Parisian sites like the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower.

Blaine said she particularly appreciated the antiquity of Greece, where she visited the origin of the Olympics.

“The world is very old, wrinkly and stuff,” Blaine said.

The group also experienced some new cultural traditions, including learning nine different Greek dances.

Utilizing their newfound diplomatic skills, they admitted that the steps were very similar, but the timing and choreography made each one unique and apparently quite difficult to perform.

They were also exposed to Italian patriotic pride, with a prolific display of Italian flags being flown, worn and waved during the World Cup Soccer Tournament.

During an overnight stay at an Italian convent in Naples, where the group was asked to be in their rooms by 7 p.m., an unexpected fireworks display surprised them around 10 p.m.

Since it was July 4, the youthful Americans experienced their own spark of patriotic excitement and possibly a flush of homesickness. They said they were never able to find out if it was an Italian holiday or traditional event.

One of the many highlights of the trip included a scavenger hunt, which began at the Spanish Steps in Rome and ended at the Trevi Fountain, encouraging them to practice their communication skills.

Venetian glassware and handcrafted masks were popular keepsakes acquired by the girls.

Jeff proudly wore his comfortable looking, pompom-adorned Greek slippers to the interview and said he’s considering wearing them back to school.

He said they are similar in appearance to those worn by guardsmen and the folk dancers they met in Greece, but that he brought them home mainly because, “I thought they were cool.”

With scholastic activities, including numerous sports, mathletes, choir, language clubs and music, these well rounded students can now add seasoned traveler to their already impressive resumes.

“Travel broadens the perspective in terms of understanding world issues. It broadens the understanding when we see the other sides of those issues and it makes for more educated people,” said Tehachapi Unified School District Superintendent Marian Stephens, in an earlier interview. “What they bring back will be invaluable.”

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation