Columbia Pacific News Letter
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY
…
By Don Sheneberger
Don is hosting Inuk from Greenland this year. Inuk attends Tillamook High School.
When I was asked to write about being an AFS host parent I was a little taken aback at being asked to write about something so important in my life and yet so personal.Then I recalled that my priest says, “If we don’t ask them to come they won’t come”so here I am.My first involvement with AFS came over 20 years ago as I worked with exchangestudents at Tillamook High School. Later I became more involved with ourTillamook students as we chauffeured students to meetings and activities in the area.I enjoyed working with students from Egypt, Thailand and Costa Rica during thattime.The moment that changed my life was one evening at local meeting when a friendsaid “I think this would be a perfect placement for Don.” My first excuse was, “Myhouse is too small.” Later I tried, “I’m single.” Excuses crumbled and five monthslater Adel from Egypt joined my life.Other students came my way during cell phone conversations while driving 75 milesan hour down a California freeway or by way of email while in Alaska or Paraguay.Each new student increased my family connections and truly made the world asmaller place. I’m still a chauffeur but I have many memories of how AFS hasenriched my life. Cacho once announced that we had a visitor “the only mammal thatcan fly” in the house. He laughed while the bat flew around my head. Meng wasable to meet Isaac when Isaac returned to visit Tillamook. Gabriele perfectlymimicked me and other teachers (sometimes behind their backs). Julian carved a CheGuevara jack-o-lantern for Halloween while Pat’s artwork was the envy of otherstudents. Inuk says with disbelief “You fell asleep during the best movie of all time.”Everybody moaned when I started a sentence with “Let me tell you a story.”These stories have all become an important part of my life story but more importantare the connections with other cultures and families. September 11, 2001 was anattack upon everything that AFS stands for. In the days following I received emails,calls and letters from around the world inquiring on my safety and extending love.The end result is that I cannot read the news dispassionately anymore because eventsin countries around the world now have a human face and family connected.
October 2004
Volunteer News
VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION
Lucy DeLaval, Manager of AFS VolunteerRegistration recently sent out a memoinforming us of the status of volunteerregistration. It is as follows:“Currently there are over 3,000 volunteersthat have started the registration process withAFS-USA. But we are still 2,000 short of our goal of 5,000 by October 31, 2004.AFS-USA is continuing to work on theprogramming of the volunteer registrationwebsite,www.afs.org/usa/volreg. In processis the ability for volunteer leaders to viewtheir volunteer’s progress through theprocess. The racking has also been expandedto other key volunteers such as clustercoordinators and Area Team leaders.Also new to the website is a volunteerorientation. This orientation answersfrequently asked questions and also includesthe AFS mission and history.Chapter or Cluster Coordinators have aspecial view where you can view thevolunteers and their status in your chapter orcluster. To update affiliations to utilize thisview contact Bernice, our volunteercoordinator or our Field Staff.There are now two staff members workingfull time in Portland to update records andkeep paper work moving.Where we are at now:2800+ volunteers are in process375+ are fully registeredThe goals are to have all current volunteersregistered by October 31, 2004 (this is aminimum of 5,000) and to have 500 newvolunteers registered by December 31, 2004.So in order to meet these goals we need allvolunteers to complete their registrations andsubmit their volunteer agreements. If youhave any questions regarding volunteerregistration please feel free to contact Bernice(BMSchuch@aol.com) or Christine Stevens(cstevens@specpoly.com) or go online atwww.afs.org/usa/volreg. Thank you toeveryone who has started the registrationprocess and thanks to everyone for thepatience during the programmingchallenges!”
OUR VOLUNTEER TRAVELERS
Don Sheneberger
went to Sardinia thissummer to visit Gabriele, his 2003-2004student. “It was a great summer withlots of time for the beach, tours, andrelaxation,” says Don. “Food and wineplayed a part of nearly every meal, and Idon’t think I can throw away a cork anymore after seeing the cork-makingprocess.”
Bernice Schuchardt
spent 4 weeks inItaly in July visiting Daniela Timon(Italy 1978-79 Asti, Italy), GiuliaPertusati (1993-94) and her family (inLivorno and Olgia, Sardinia), and ClioGrossi (2003-2004) in Monza, Italy).She was also in Sardinia the same timeas Don, but they were unable to gettogether.
Did you know that Monza hasthe largest enclosed park in the world?
Maggie Frieske
and her husband Robare presently in Thailand visiting someof our Thai teachers. Below is a pictureof Maggie, one of the teachers and Rob.
THANK YOU, VOLUNTEERS
Thank you to all the volunteers who workedthe Arrival Orientation in Camas. A specialthanks goes to Christine Stevens for settingup the leaders, Ruth Ladage and the CamasWashougal Chapter for the food, and ourwonderful Support Coordinators for settingup the student groups. The orientation was asuccess and a great way to start the year.Don't forget the next orientation at CampAdams on October 16 and 17! See youthere. Jean Goecks, OrientationCoordinatorTHANKS to Pam Bartel, a member of IOFEvergreen Court in Vancouver. Pam hasarranged for the Evergreen Court to furnishpumpkins and carving tools for our pumpkincarving activity at Camp Adams. Pam isalso a coordinator of the IOF BOWLINGleague where our kids bowl. She is also aliaison for the first time this year. Thank you, Pam and IOF Evergreen Court.
THANKS TO ALL PENDLETONROUNDUP HELPERS
By Ron Combs
“I want to thank all my chaperones anddrivers. All of you made this trip a greatone. All of the students seemed to have agood time. I want to thank each of you!Francisco Garcia, Jeff Larson, Shelly White,Christine Dahldren, and Mark Gardner.”
AFS expresses a big thank you to Ron Combs the coordinator and Greg Kott for taking registrations
.
Student News
RUSSIA AND AMERICA – TWOGREAT COUNTRIES“Together we stand, divided we fall”
By Valera Gladyshev (Russia)
"Russia and America are two huge and powerful countries in the world. But theywere treated in different ways of actingand living."
The world contains of various countries that arevery unique in their own way. I was born andraised in the city of Cheboksary, Russia. Russiais a huge country with its beauties andattractiveness. Everything is gorgeous about mymotherland: starting with nature and continuingwith people. I have traveled a lot but I havenever visited the United States of America.This year I was given a great opportunity to goand study in Washington State, North America.Many times I tried to imagine how it would look like and how people are different or similar tous. Although Russia is my home, my love andmy family, I still found some courage in myself to leave for one year and come to see and geteducated in the
United States.
"We all different but we still havesomething common.
"
While I was in Russia I was taught that Americawas a very strong and a powerful country, everyman is fortunate to be free and choose what isright for himself. When I first crossed theboarder of the United States I was amazed howmany nice people there are. At that moment Iremembered about Russians. Our people willtry to help others with everything they have, weare very welcome nation. For us the guest ismore important than ourselves. While I waswalking down the corridor every detail seemedto me different: shops, cafes, people, buildings,etc. But it was a good change for me toexperience.My host family is wonderful. They provided mewith their acceptance, love and warmth. Rightaway they started taking me to other cities,places of interests and their family members andfriends. All of them are very sociable andinteresting people to talk to. It reminded me alot about my home in Russia: the sametenderness and kindness. But the difference wasthat they live in a big house whereas my familylives in the apartment building, because in mycountry it is very expensive to afford a goodhouse in the city. Also it is more convenient topeople to stay in the town, rather than move intosuburbs. On the countryside people havecottages where they stay over the summer andon holidays but they do not live there at all time.Another aspect that was bothering me was mynew school. I knew it would be small and verydifferent compare to mine, but I was ready toface the hardships. Russian schools are notdivided into elementary, junior high and highschool buildings. All students from first gradetill eleventh are in the same school. We share allour holidays together with the small kids, helpthem to get ready for parties and also be theirfriends. Here, on the other hand, students of certain ages are in one school and others are inseparate. But this is not the only difference.Another object is that American students aregiven an opportunity to choose their ownclasses, which makes it a little easier for them if they know their future major. Our schools, oncontrary, teach us everything there is possible.The teachers explain that this kind of studymakes students more open-minded and they canhold a conversation on any topic. That is truth, Iagree, but if student chooses to be lawyer thenhe does not need to learn sciences andmathematics. This is why American highschool education is more suitable to students.But our system of education is very strong andreally makes students memorize everything theylearn.
"We are completely different."
These are the differences and similarities I haveexperienced already during my staying inAmerica. I am certain that there are more of them to come. I know that in the United Statesthere are various holidays which are celebrateddifferently from ours. But at this moment I amenjoying every minute of my staying inAmerica. There are more hardships and greattimes to come, and I will gladly share them withmy host family and my new friends. And we'reboth open and friendly, maybe that 's whatkeeping us together!!!!!
(Valera Gladyshev attends Onalaska HSin Washington state and her host familyis Cathy & Pete Murphy.)DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MYSCHOOL IN SWITZERLAND ANDTHE ONALASKA HIGH SCHOOLBy Nicole Bieli (Switzerland)
“Drrrr, drrrr, drrrr it is 7.30 in the morning and Ihave to get up for school. It is very unusual toget up so late in the morning. In Switzerland Ihave to get up one hour earlier, the first bigdifference between the Onalaska High Schooland my school in Switzerland, but I really likethis difference.A week before school started, I went to choosemy classes. In Switzerland we cannot chooseour classes. We all have to take English,German, French, history, geography, math,physics, biology, chemistry, arts and sports.The classes last here for about one and a half hours, in Switzerland we have only 45-minuteclasses, and we also do not have every day thesame classes. We have sometimes only fivedifferent classes a day and sometimes ninedifferent classes a day. So sometimes we canleave school at 12 o’clock and sometimes weleave school at 5 o’clock. I like more to havedifferent classes every day because it does notbecome boring so fast, but I think you can learnfor example a language much better when youhave it every day for so long than only threetimes a week for only 45 minutes.There are always all the same people in eachclass, and we do not mix grades, all people inone class are in the same age. So mostly peoplego together to school for about nine years butsometimes you go to different levels of school.We have three different levels of school, andafter five years the teacher decides which schoolyou will attend.At my first day when I came into my biologyclass, I was really shocked because there whereabout 40 people in one class. In Switzerland theclass limit is about 25 people a class. I also wasastonished when in the first period all peoplestood up to look at the American flag andstarted to say something. I like it because it is away to show how proud you are about yourcountry.I come to school by car with my host sister whois two years younger than me. That is veryweird for me because we can only drive a car atthe age of 18 and I’m not allowed to drive a carin Switzerland yet. We mostly come to schoolby bus or train in Switzerland. I really enjoygoing to school by car because it its much easierand you do not have to walk so much.Another difference is the school colors and themascot. We do not have any color or a mascotfor our school. And we also do not havefootball, soccer, volleyball or basketball gamesagainst other schools. I really like this kind of school because you are like a big family whotries to do the best for the own school.We finish school after nine years and then wecan go to a higher school or we can have aposition as an apprentice. It is more common tohave a position as an apprentice than to go to ahigher school and after that to go to universitybecause it takes really long till you earn money.After the nine years of obligatory school, we donot have a ceremony with special robes and aprom. I really like this way to leave a schoolbecause of this way you always have somethingreally big at the end of your school time toremember. We also do not take senior picturesand we do not have a yearbook either.So, I really like this kind of school. I think youhave the better chance to learn what you reallylike to learn and so school becomes moreinteresting for everyone to go.
Nicole Biele attends Onalaska HS inWashington State. Her host mom isMary Glenn.CONDOLENCES
Our condolences go out to
Mariana Vargas
, whose grandfatherpassed away in mid-September.
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to
Lucrezia Scattu
she is on the Franklin HS
Varsity
Dance Team.
NURULLAH’S WEB PAGE
Did you know that Nurullah Unukur has awebpage with photos from the Pendletontrip?
Remember the space is an _.(Underscore)
of 00
2004 October Newsletter
1,501 Reads
Info and Rating
| Category: | Uncategorized. |
| Rating: | |
| Upload Date: | 08/09/2007 |
| Copyright: | Attribution Non-commercial |
| Tags: |
Leave a Comment