Alton High School - Tatler Yearbook (Alton, IL)

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WELCOME TO AMERICA! - Maria catching up on current events - Maria Pena Where is the teacher? She's late! These might be the words of Maria Pena, 17, of Bogota, Colombia. At Maria’s school in Colombia, the students don't change classes, the teachers do. Maria, a senior, would put on her school uniform (which all public and private schools have) and sit in the same class all day. Although this may seem boring to the rest of us. Maria has other things to look forward to at the end of the day. Clubs, parties and dances are what Maria misses. Fabian Fjaelling What AHS student enjoys windsurfing, listens to the Eurythmics and hails from Goteborg, Sweden? The answer is Fabian Fjaelling, the exchange student residing with Mr. Ron Kelly, a teacher at West Middle School. Fabian enjoys these hobbies and many more. Fabian, 17 years old, lives on the southwest coast of Sweden. He attends the gymnasium, or upper school, in Kungalf, about five miles from his home. He attends school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and studies 11 subjects. In his school, classes last anywhere from 20 minutes to two hours. Fabian admits that the clothes worn at AHS are similar to those worn at school in Sweden. After school, Fabian and his friends either study or just socialize together. In his spare time, Fabian enjoys sports. He likes volleyball and is a member of the AHS football team. He also enjoys listening to Billy Joel and Imperiet, a Swedish music group. Fabian is also learning how to play the piano in his free time. Overall, Fabian is enjoying his year at AHS immensely and keeping busy with football, schoolwork, school functions and making new friends. NO! THIS ISN'T DISNEYLAND! It’s the Kelly basement health spa! The Kelly famil) collies 10 Exchange Students

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 • - • r : TS EXPERIENCE LIFE AT AHS Gunter Perl “Soul Music, Chocolate chip cookies and Union Station.” These are a few parts of U.S. culture that have impressed AHS Exchange Student Gunter Perl from Munich, Germany. Gunter remarked, “People are more open in America than in Germany.” He has found it easy to make friends, and he especially enjoys the less formal relationships between student and teacher in the U.S. In addition, Gunter enjoys changing rooms and buildings between classes, for in his school in Germany, students stay in one room all day. He is taking five courses this year; his favorite is Architectural Drafting at the J. B. Johnson Center. In Gunter's school in Germany, the day ended at 1 p.m., which gave him time to enjoy windsurfing and racquetball. He played basketball in Germany also. While in America, Gunter has visited St. Louis and Union Station. He also took a date to the Homecoming Dance. On the whole, Gunter feels his stay in America has been enjoyable so far. Gunter is staying with the Andrew Batchelor family during his visit. Soren and Cunler in the AHS “pit before school Another difference between the countries, Soren has found, is the family situation. In the U.S., the family is more caring and interested in where the members are and what they are doing. Soren remembers going out in Denmark and not coming home for two days. He has also noticed that many families in the U.S. give gifts for no real apparent reason. In Denmark they do not. Soren is very talented in gymnastics and is involved in Mid-America Jets on Belle Street. After graduating from AHS, he is planning on getting a job in Denmark with his reference of living and graduating from high school in America. The Danish people think highly of their students who graduate from American schools ... They feel that they are better educated and more mature. Soren feels that it isn't the people, it’s the cultures that make Denmark and the U.S. different. TEENAGERS ARE TEENAGERS ... No manor what nationalit) the) all onjo talk-ing on the phone Gunter with his personal escorts Soren feeding the famil fish Exchange Students 9 Guntrr with his Hosl Tamil)

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AMAYA TELLECHEA- ERORECA When Maria came to America it was not what she expected. She adds, “Money and a car are a need to have fun; in Colombia there is always a party or a dance.” Maria is prepared for the winter weather, although she has never seen snow. It is always cold in the Colombian suburb where she lives. Maria leaves a big family back home including two brothers and one sister ... She is staying with the Kenny Lenhardt family, a graduate of Alton High. When Maria returns to Colombia in June, she is planning to attend college. Amaya Tellechea-Eroreca is from Salamn-ca, Spain, a town of around 200,000. Her American family is the Miguel Raya family of Alton. She often refers to Racheal and Tony Raya as her sister and brother. In Spain, she lives with her parents and two brothers in a big flat on the new side of Salamnca. Amaya’s school is very different from AHS in that Amaya stays in the same room with the same students while the teachers move to each classroom. Everyone in school has his own partner whom he works with. Her school has no sports teams so when she came to her first football game, she said, “It was very different because football in my country is soccer.” Amaya hasn’t graduated from high school in her country yet. After she graduates here she will go back to Spain and attend college. She wants to attend Salamnca University and study classical languages. Amaya likes to listen to music, and her favorite group is Depeche Mode. Her favorite book is Lord of the Rings, and she enjoys going to the movie theater. She went sightseeing in St. Louis and especially liked the Arch. Amaya’s parents are very supportive of her coming to America. She was in the hospital while applying for the AFS program and her father filled out the papers while she answered the questions. Soon after she was accepted. Amaya misses her family very much and says her greatest problem is learning English, but she’s trying very hard to overcome that. PHOTOGRAPHS BY: THE ED RICE FAMILY, KAREN CONNER, LAUREN BURTON, AND AMY COOK. INFORMATIONAL BACKGROUND COURTESY OF THE REDBIRD WORD REPORTERS: KAELA BERRY, DERRICK JACOBS, JENNIFER HARPOLE. REBECCA PLUNK, KATHY ARNOLD AND TODD THOMAS. with host family, (he Rayas Exchange Students 1 1 Santa visits the area exchange students at the Kenny lenhardt home over the Christmas Holidays Maria with Lenhardt family dog f A may a in the “AHS PIT' before school