School experience a lesson in American life

Students from Eutin, Germany, have been attending high school in Lawrence for the past month. Seated from left at Free State High School are Eva Wendt, Falko Degner, Anna Koch, Henrike Bohl, Merten Stender and Oliver Kardell. Teacher Birgit Steingraeber-Klinke is behind them. Four other students, Antonia Julitz, Jana Klausberger, Nils Ole Daumann and Nils Meyer, attended Lawrence High School for the month.

Farewell Reception

The 2007 student delegation from Eutin, Germany, a Lawrence Sister City, will attend a farewell and annual membership reception organized by the city at 7 p.m. Thursday in the lobby of the Lawrence Arts Center, 940 N.H.

The public is invited along with past exchange participants, host families and anyone who has visited or lived in Germany. It is also a chance to learn more about the Sister City program.

Fresh from a recent Free State High School awards assembly, six German exchange students still had wide eyes.

“People are more outgoing,” said Eutin, Germany, student Eva Wendt. “In Germany, you don’t stop someone and say, ‘Hey, I like your bag.'”

That friendliness is one thing the group of 10 students say they love about their month here in Lawrence, Eutin’s sister city.

Six students have attended Free State, and four others have spent their October at Lawrence High School. Teacher Birgit Steingraeber-Klinke has accompanied them for most of the trip. They have stayed with host families here as part of a program that sent Lawrence students to Germany last spring.

The Eutin students, who have been studying English since fifth grade, say school in the United States – with a wider selection of classes, such as photography and weightlifting – was a major adjustment.

Another striking example of school culture shock was Free State’s morning assembly, during which cheerleaders performed back flips and students sang the school fight song.

“In Germany, everybody just stands and watches, but here, they’re cheering,” Henrike Bohl said.

The students said some aspects, including, dinner time with their host families, was another adjustment.

The students, who depart this week, have visited the Statehouse in Topeka and spent time in Kansas City and also took in a Kansas University football game at Memorial Stadium.

“We don’t know tailgating. We don’t have that at our soccer matches,” Falko Degner said.

Anna Koch, Merten Stender and Oliver Kardell spent the month at Free State with Degner, Bohl, and Wendt.

Antonia Julitz, Jana Klausberger, Nils Ole Daumann and Nils Meyer attended LHS for the month.