7/11/2008 - Memories of Minnesota
By Cindy Votruba
The Marshall Independent
Coming from a large city in Germany, AFS student Marc Wegner wasn’t sure what to think of Wabasso at first.
“When I first came, it was, ‘where the heck am I?’” Wegner said.
But once the year at Wabasso High School progressed and Wegner got involved with activities, he got used to living in a small town.
Wegner, along with several other American Field Service (AFS) foreign exchange students, were collecting memories to take home with them Monday as they gathered one last time at the Holy Redeemer Faith Formation Office.
One of the things Wegner noticed when he arrived in Wabasso was the vast country. So did a couple of fellow AFS students.
“A lot of farmland,” Wegner said.
“And really flat,” added Carmen Spichiger of Switzerland. Spichiger stayed in Westbrook.
“Too many fields and corn,” said Jun Kondo of Japan, who lived in Tracy.
Wegner lived on a farm with one of his host families. He was even on the school’s FFA team.
“I just wanted to try it, it was fun,” Wegner said. “We went to state in FFA, it was pretty cool.”
Spichiger said she appreciated being able to take part in sports and activities in school. It’s something she can’t do back in Switzerland.
“I was in cross country, basketball and track,” Spichiger said.
Spichiger said she was also in Westbrook-Walnut Grove High School’s musical production “Kiss Me, Kate.”
Kondo took part in wrestling and track at Tracy Area High School. He said everyone at school pretty much knew who he was.
“Everybody knows the foreign exchange students,” Kondo said.
Kondo said he liked the downtown Tracy area.
“The downtown was pretty,” Kondo said.
After spending a year in Minnesota and South Dakota, the AFS students said they’ll miss the community.
“Just the people and the friends,” Spichiger said.
“I’ll miss my American family,” Kondo said.
Clara Motig of Sweden lived in Clear Lake, S.D., for the school year. She said she’ll miss the area and her host family.
And she’ll miss some part of the American culture, but not all.
“I think people were generous here, they were friendly and open,” Motig said.
Robert Horne of New Zealand and Diego Federsffield of Chile resided in Luverne this past year. At first, Federsffield thought Luverne was “too small.”
“But I thought about it a week after,” Federsffield said. Luverne may be small, he said, but everything was close by.
“The community was pretty good, too,” Federsffield said about Luverne.
Motig said she also had assumptions about the United States and South Dakota when she arrived.
“I judged everything in the beginning,” Motig said.
When you went to a new place, you’re finding the faults, Horne said.
“You know, you’re isolated, even though you aren’t,” Horne said.
Especially in the Midwest, there’s a feeling of togetherness, Horne said.
Families go to church together and volunteer at activities, Motig said. Besides volunteering with her host family, Motig said they also traveled to Hawaii, Florida, Canada and the Black Hills.
Motig and Federsffield took part in sports. Federsffield went to state in tennis for doubles and the Luverne team.
Motig, Federsffield and Horne all got a senior graduation party from their host families.
“Some people showed up that I didn’t know,” Federsffield said.
Before he headed back to New Zealand, Horne and his host family traveled 2,000 miles, through three states, two countries and three time zones in seven days. Horne said they were in Duluth and decided to head to Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, to see a movie and then eat at an A&W.
“And it (the A&W) wasn’t even that good,” Horne said.
Emilere Jules’ mother, Verene, came from Switzerland to join her son in the United States. It was her first time in the country. Emilere Jules spent the year in Willow River, S.D. The mother and son are heading to the Badlands and the Black Hills for a short trip.
“We are supposed to go to the west because I am fond of nature,” Verene Jules said.
Verene Jules said her son and his friend decided for themselves to be AFS students.
“In the beginning, it was very lonely (for him),” Verene Jules said.
Emilere Jules stayed with a family whose children had already left the house. But another AFS student, Taka Ito from Japan, also stayed with that family, Verene Jules said.
“It’s a very nice experience for him,” Verene Jules said.
Reprinted with permission from The Marshall Independent. This article was originally published here.
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