In the past my family and I have hosted six exchange students
and three that have gone to Gilroy High.
In the past my family and I have hosted six exchange students and three that have gone to Gilroy High. Since we don’t have a student living at our house this year, I was really happy to meet Stephan Christensen from Denmark, who is in my journalism class. I have had the chance to meet kids from all over the world but I haven’t met someone from Denmark and was very interested in how the schools were different.
Stephan is from a small town called Tinglev. With a population of only 3,000 people the school in his town is also very small with about 185 students. Gilroy High, with 2,600 students, is a big change for him.
To be considered for the exchange program, Stephan had to write about himself in English. He also had to have a letter from his mom and a teacher. After that he had to take an English test and a physical to make sure he understood English and was healthy. Both the English test and the physical exam are required by the American Government for all exchange students.
“I wanted to see the world, get new experiences, learn better English, and experience a different culture,” said Stephan describing the reasons he decided to come to the USA. He also feels that to do something like this it has to be something you feel is right.
Stephan says that the USA is the only place he would ever want to go for this kind of trip. “America is the most powerful military nation in the world and so many things come from America. If you would ask anyone in the world where America was they could tell you if you asked anyone where Denmark is most people wouldn’t know,” Stephan says with much enthusiasm.
There are some major differences in curriculum from Denmark schools. In Denmark, they have just one class with about 20 students in it and they stay there. The different teachers come to them. they don’t move around to the different classrooms like we do here. As an American student, I can hardly remember not moving from classroom to classroom. They have no true/false or multiple-choice tests. Also Stephan says that they do more presentations in front of the class than we do here.
“I am glad that here in America we don’t do very many presentations because I really don’t like talking in front of a lot of people.”
He says one of the biggest differences is that the students don’t choose what subjects they are going to study. In every grade they have set subjects, there is no picking to be in this science class or that math class. I think that we are really lucky at Gilroy High to be able to do that so we can have a little variety in what we learn.
A difference Stephan really likes is that we have school sports after school. He says in Denmark that the schools don’t have sports programs. The only way to participate is to belong to a club which is not affiliated with the school. Stephan loves having water polo practice right after school. We are very lucky to have such a great school sports program. I can’t even imagine not having them. I feel they give the school more spirit and just that little extra something so its not just school.
Another thing is that in Denmark all of the schools are enclosed because it rains and snows a lot more there. They also don’t have a dress code at the schools in Denmark.
“We are a lot more open with our bodies,” Stephan says comparing Denmark to the USA.
Many of the students I’ve met from Europe have told me that nudity in newspapers and magazine is not a big deal. Europeans are exposed more to nudity and it is not considered shocking.
Stephan is very excited to be here in the USA and at GHS. He is working on his seventh week and is having a great time. He is on the water polo team and he plans to play soccer. He has made a lot of friends and I am sure with his outgoing personality will make many more before he leaves.
Stephanie Smith, 17, is a Gilroy High School senior. She participates in choir and is on the swim team. Her column is published every other Wednesday. Reach her at te****@ho*****.com.
