sai]
many and Liliana Accorsi
df Brazil came to the Back
Mountain last August as
exchange students. They
will remain here until
July of this year but both
girls are already making
plans to return to the
United States in the
fiiture. They also plan to
visit one another in their
home countries.
Seniors at Dallas Senior
High School, their visit to
this area was made
possible by the local
chapter of the American
Field Service. The two
girls are pioneers of the
firs AFS chapter in the
Back Mountain.
Uta lives with her
family in Schleswig-
Holstein in Northern
Germany near the border
of. Denmark.
Z™MOur home is in a rural
ares near the capitol city
of'Keil,”” said Uta: ‘We do
not have the mountains
you ¢have here but our
climate is like this so I'm
“Not Liliana, however.
She lives south of Brazil in
the suburban area of
Londrina in the state of
Parana. The weather
there is warm, This year
is the first Liliana has
ever seen snow. Last
week. is the first she
learned how to make and
throw a snowball. It was
Uta who taught her.
Both girls came to the
United States by plane
and met with thousands of
other exchange students
from all areas of the
world . at C.W. Post
College, Long Island,
N.Y. Uta and Liliana did
not know one another until
they came to the Back
Mountain. Since then they
have = become. close
friends.
Uta learned about the
her English teacher. She
applied. to the. AES
Chapter in Keil and in
she was accepted and
would leave Aug. 13 for
the United States. )
“1 was excited about
coming but I was sad to
ited
leave my parents and 12-
year old brother.”
Uta explained that
Germany’s school system
is different than here.
Students attend school for
13 years. The system is
divided into four years
elementary, then students
decide on a nine, 10 or 13
year school.
The school Uta attends
is a 13 year experimental
one. Students can leave
after. the 10th year but
while at school work at
their own pace. Uta com-
pleted the 10th year be-
fore she came to America
but when she returns she
will continue for three
years. She will receive no
credit for her year in
America. ;
Uta said the schedules
are similar although she
studied both German and
extracurricular sports
programs such as
American schools but
they have sailing and lots
of clubs.
“When I came to this
area I was impressed by
the huge mountains and
the large cars. I was sur-
prised that the legal
drinking age is 21. In
Germany it is 18.
“I believe that could be
why the young people
have alcohol problems.
They are not allowed to
have it, so they get it
illegally. We have no drug
problems in our schools-
there could be some in the
large cities but not around
us.”
There are no school
buses in Germany. Each
student provides his or
her transportation. Uta
goes by train, then walks
a far distance.
“Our food is different,”
said Uta. ‘‘At home we eat
more bread. Our big meal
is at noon. We have only a
supper, usually
bread, sausage and
cheese. We don’t make
sandwiches like you do
here--we never use two
slices of bread for a sand-
it with a fork.”
Uta plays the guitar and
the piano. Her favorite is
folk music and she enjoys
the high school chorus.
Until last weekend Uta
was living with Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Wadas and
their daughter, Wendy, in
Shavertown. Now she is’
living with Mr. and Mrs.
George Pyle of Dallas.
ARLE DY
\
years before entering the
university,”’ said Liliana,
but our school begins in
mid-February and ends in
November. We have one
week winter vacation in
July and our summer
vacation is December,
January and part of
a
Liliana knew many
Americans who came: to
Brazil = through the
American Field Service.
She learned a great deal
about America from an
American exchange
come to America and live
for awhile so she applied
to AFS in July and heard
immediately that she was
accepted. She left Brazil,
Aug. 17, and arrived in
Dallas Aug. 20.
Liliana didn’t tell her
parents that she applied
and when she was ac-
cepted she was surprised
that they consented.
Liliana has two younger
sisters and a 19-year old
brother, who is now
traveling in the United
Stites : before sneturning
home.” He camé from
Brazil to visit Liliana as a
surprise Christmas gift.
Liliana’s parents.have a
large wholesale cattle
farm. They raise cattle to
sell to large businesses
and also sell some milk.
“We go to school for 12
a.m. to 3 p.m.
February. I completed
my senior year and at-
tended the university for
six months - February to
June. When I return home
I will have to complete
three and a half years for
a degree in business
administration.
“If I had come to
America when I was a
senior in high school, my
year here would count. At
home students attend high
school from 7 "am. to
noon. They don’t go in the
afternoon but they go on
Saturday. There are no
study halls-studying is
done at home. Students
can choose whether they
want to go to school
morning, afternoon or
night but they can’t select
"subjects... There is a
routine schedule . in-
cluding gym.
“We do not have foot-
ball or some of the sports
you have here but we have
soccer. You've heard of
*Pele’’?”
Like Uta, Liliana met
with all the other ex-
"IR
change students. She was
excited about coming to
America having heard a
lot about it. She was
familiar with mountains
but central heating was
new to Liliana. At home
they have only air condi-
We don’t dress up to go to
school but wear jeans
most of the time. Dressing
up is for evening.”
Uta said in Germany
school is a working place
and America it is known
as ‘“‘the. place for
sneakers”
homes are built of brick
not wood.
Liliana said it is more
difficult: to get to places
here. At home she can
walk to most recreation
places, which is conven-
ient since legal driving
age is 18.
Their social life is
different. They have no
school dances, home-
coming, etc. but go to
parties at friends home or
at clubs.
Like Uta, the Brazilians
have their big meal at
noon. In the morning they
have very strong coffee
and a very light break-
fast. They eat a lot of rice,
beans, garlic, onions,
meat and some vege-
tables. In the evening they
have’ a light: supper of
salads or rice--nothing
heavy.
“We have no drug
problems in our schools,’
said Liliana. ‘There are
drugs in the large cities
but not in our rural area.
!
\
When both girls were
asked why they wanted to
return to America in the
future their reasons were
similar. Uta said ‘‘Not for
anything materialistic but
for meeting new friends,
learning new ideas,
hearing different
opinions.” Liliana said
“To meet more people,
learn their customs and
language; to become
involved and build a new
life.”
Both agreed that their
year has taught them that
despite different customs,
foods and language,
people are the same; that
prejudices have been dis-
solved and they know
America better.
“It will be harder to
leave here than it was to
come,’ said the girls.
The lawyer and the doctor
and other professional
men have often a touch of
civilization.. The banker
and the merchant seldom.
--Jim Tully.
opens
Tobi Grossman,
director, announced the
1982 spring Calendar of
Art Gallery. Opening the
spring season will be an
exhibit of art works
created by the members
of the Art Gallery. This
annual show opens with a
special reception Jan. 31
at 2 p.m. The public is
invited to attend.
Also included in the
schedule of events are
several Children’s
Gallery tours; a Juried
Photo Exhibit, sponsored
by the Back Mountain
Cultural Center; an
exhibit of etchings by
Barbara Zeller; craft and
art workshops and the
annual College Miseri-
cordia art department
student show. In addition,
Art Gallery is planning a
bus trip to the Barnes
Foundation in Phila-
q
PAGE FIVE
delphia, with the addition |
of a side trip to Longwood
Gardens. :
Planned for May is “A |
Celebration of Friends’
an exhibit of photographs |
of Northeastern Pennsyl-
vania by Mark Cohen
commemorating the 300th |
birthday of the Common-
wealth. This special show |
of the work of a native son |
will close the Spring |
season. 0
The Art Gallery is |
located on the 4th floor of
the Administration
Building and is open from |
Sunday through Friday
from 1 pm. to 4 pm.
daily, and closed on legal
and school holidays. For
more information about
any of the classes and
programs call the Art
Gallery at 675-2181, Ext.
247, or the Continuing
Education office at 675- |
2181 Ext. 331. ]
Moon Lake Park is now
accepting reservations
for the large picnic
pavilion and the group
camping area.
Reservations and |
further information may |
be obtained by calling the |}
park ‘office, Monday |
through Friday, 8 a.m. til
3:30 p.m.
TYLENOL
Regular Strength
Tablets
“eo
in
\&
0
Capsules,
Barnside Inn
Burger King
Dante’s Den
Doubleletter Tennis
Dunkin Donuts
Josef’s at the
Julia's
Labrador Ski
Larioni’s Lounge
MBC Lanes
Penn Cann Speedway
Pettinato’s
The Lantern Inn
The Office
The Weather Vane
at Whites Crossing
The Wine Cellar
Tom & Jerry's
Wall Street Exchange
Wendy's Old Fashioned
Hamburgers
West Side Theatre
ZLanziber Cafe
WITH
Agolino’s Char Grill Mr. Cook's Aladdin Lounge
Al-Maurs Nardone’s
Amigos x Pavlumbo’s
Barrels, Whiskey & Rhyme Penn Cann Speedway
Biscotto’s Pizza By Pappas
Burger King Pizza Roma
Colone’s Roberto’s
Country Cousins
Dunkin Donuts
Gateway Twin Cinema
Kanter’s Fruit Baskets
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Mo-Ritz
Modern Lanes
Hamburgers
MAIL COUPON TO:
Please send me
DINE-A-MATE