American Field Service Exchange Program - Overseaer Yearbook (New York, NY)

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JUDY WOLD The beautiful Swedish mountains-so typical of those seen by the Swiss Thief River Falls, Minnesota AFSers. .K One last, longing look at the beautiful Swedish countryside-is that a ASW6diSh farmer hard at workin his garden. German AFSer? I3I

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Switzerland, a little country with a population less than that of New York City, was the home for fifty-one overjoyed AFS students in the summer of 1959. The most striking feature of Switzerland is the cleanliness of the houses and the large nwnber of flower boxes at the windows overflowing with red geraniums. The old town quarters of the cities with their narrow winding streets and the old architecture of the buildings and cathedrals are indescribably beautiful. Of course, the Alps are not to be overlooked. Their majestic snow-capped peaks glimmering in the sun are breathtaking. The Swiss people are friendly and courteous and, as each one of us experienced, very easy to like and hard to forget. Though they speak four different lang- uages, the Swiss people are closely bound together by a common loyalty and strong feeling of patriotism. Language differences seem to make little difference in their relations. Switzerland is a country of ever-changing scenery. To go from the hot, dry Wallis to the beautiful snow-covered Alps and sparkling mountain lakes takes but a few hours. The political structure of Switzerland is most interesting. The Swiss people through the years have adhered strictly to a policy of neutrality, although at times it may have seemed rather difficult. The entire country can be mobilized in twenty-four hours, ten jet planes patrol the country at all times, and the Alps are heavily fortified. The Swiss Army could hold off any invader for two years. Our last week in Switzerland' was a memorable one for all. We gathered in a city in the eastern part and during the week visited many places, the most out- standing being the Pestalozzidorf, a home for orphans in the foothills of the Alps. Our Swiss group has asked to express our deep thanks to jurg and Hanspeter Mul- ler for all their time and work in planning such a wonderful program for us. We would also like to thank Peter Ludwig, Helene Cart, Jimmy Humbert, and all the local Swiss chairmen for making our summer such an unforgettable one. Our feelings are best expressed as told by a fellow AFSer. He said, I think that Jimmy Humbert best said it when I first met him and told him I was going to Switzerland. jimmy said, 'All these kids are lucky, but you're the luckiest.' We all agree.