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Willkommen Schüler aus Bochum!

photo by Photo Provided A selfie taken on the Junior Class Float during the homecoming parade. Both German and American students are having a blast!

photo by Photo Provided Quinn D’Andrea (Left) with his German exchange student Marcell Wittmund.

photo by Photo Provided It’s Germany against the United States in this 1 hour soccer match.

Tuesday October 13, 2015

By Alyse Beauchemin

Vergennes Union High School has taken part in an international student exchange program with Germany for the past twenty eight years. a couple of weeks ago thirty German students from Bochum, Germany made the long trek to the Green Mountain State. They toured local landmarks such as Shelburne Farms and went rafting at Ausable Chasm.  While both Germany and Vermont share the wondrous beauty of nature, the two cities of Vergennes and Bochum are different. Bochum is a large city with incredible architecture and located on soft rolling hills and Vergennes is a small city in the Champlain Valley with views of the Green Mountains, Adirondack Mountains and Lake Champlain. Marcell Wittmund, one of the German exchange students, remarked that the, “terrain and landscape of Vermont differs very much from the landscape of Germany.” Marcell and his host, Quinn D’Andrea, enjoyed  go-carting and attending a high school cross-country meet in Burlington during his first weekend in Vermont.
    According the VUHS German teacher Janet “Frau” Kepes, “VUHS student hosts will travel to Germany this April and be hosted by their German friends who will give them the opportunity to experience German life rather than learn about it in a classroom.” Vergennes students have also toured other locations such as Cologne, Düsseldorf and Münster on past trips. Quinn D’Andrea says he is excited to see Marcell again and, “experience another culture.” Kepes remarks that the upcoming trip to Germany this spring will give her students more confidence and independence. “In Bochum they have to do more things on their own than they might here. They have to use their language and problem solving skills all the time.”
    How does one become an exchange student at Vergennes High School? Students must pass at least two semesters of the German Language class in order to qualify. Students from Bochum who wish to travel to America are selected more along the lines of a lottery given the large numbers of students.  Marcell, when asked how long he had studied English replied that it is a requirement from the third grade on which is one of the differences between the two schools. One Bochum student was intrigued to discover the American tradition of saying the Pledge of Allegiance and said saluting the flag was something that never would be done in any German school.
    The German students were here in the Green Mountain State for two weeks of fun, laughs and bonding with the Little City community. The traditional VUHS experience of Homecoming floats, bonfire and dance was shared with the Bochum students as well as a game of traditional soccer or Fuẞball was enjoyed by the Germans and Americans. the Americans won.
   A very emotional goodbye happened on Monday, September 28th when the Bochum students departed for New York City to spend a few days before heading back to Germany. When Marcell Wittmund was asked if he saw how crazy Americans were and would he return, he laughed and replied that he, “totally would.”
Who knows maybe the students taking part in this international exchange will consider studying abroad in college now that they have been introduced to both countries respectively. But no matter what happens in the future,the exchange, experience and new friendships will forever be a part of these students. VUHS has something very special to say to Bochum students that “our school is your school.” We were honored to have you here and cannot wait to see where this exchange will lead in future years.  

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