Center High School - Yellow Jacket Yearbook (Kansas City, MO)

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Whether it was warm Coke Or just a CQ0p.,,mis.ty day intluly, something could EEL THE DIFFERENCE The Social Life O 8 Design. . .Matt Haun o jenny Wilson 1125, the differ- ence became ap- parent while talking to British student Graeme Rogan at a party. Tifani Moot C125 noticed it in one of the many pubs that freckle the English coun- tryside, and for Matthew Owings f125, the realiza- tion came on a late night train ride from London. Though the experiences varied, the feelings were uniform: this was no ordi- nary place they were visit- ing, and for most people, the trip became some- thing special. For two weeks in july, 17 CHS students and dis- trict teachers and admin- istrators were a part of a different world, as Center kicked off an exchange program with Berkshire, England. One goal of the exchange, which was al- most entirely financed by the district, was to give students an opportunity to experience a culture radically different from their own. The suburban commu- nities of Reading offered many subtle changes to the eyes of these outsi- ders. Ordering a Coke meant getting one with vegetable extracts and no ice. Television offered a mere four channels, as opposed to the dozens offered by American ca- ble companies. Movie theatres offered humor- ous commercials before the main attraction, and though the traffic pat- terns meant driving on the left side of the road, some students found out firsthand that most British families don't drive at all. I noticed that a lot of people walked places, said Nathan Linhardt 4125. They didn't have the big strong cars like we do in America. Part of the program in- cluded visits to British schools, which students found to be a far cry from American institutions. The classes were longer, but you had more time in between, said Rachelle Rollins 1125. You also had built-in free times that were really neat. CHS students were split up be- tween Bulmershe and Lit- tle Heath comprehensive schools, while the adult participants stayed in dorms on the campus of Bulmershe College. As part of the group tours, Centerites were taken to various historic sities, including Oxford University, Westminster Abbey, Bath and the leg- endary Vale ofthe White Horse, a serene bluff of- fering an unobstructed view of the countryside. In addition, some stu- dents made spontaneous excursions into London. But the exchange meant different things to different people. Some went on madcap shop- ping sprees, some fell in love, while others found perfect moments in Lon- don's West End theatre district. To lonathan Lehr f125,one ofhis most mem- orable moments came when his host family told him they knew of no one who actually liked Ronald Reagan. For some students, the best times were spent at social events with their peers. The Little Heath group had a number of VCR parties, while Bul- mershe hosts treated their guest to a number of barbecues and trips to the local pub. At one of these pubs, Moot noticed a dif- ference in the maturity levels of British and American teenagers. The British students act- ed more responsibly and seemed to take things much more seriously, she said. But perhaps the biggest difference was felt by stu- dents who thought they had more freedom and responsibility. Owings, thinking his host would reprimand him for re- turning late from a spon- taneous trip to London, instead found his host to be surprised that they had come back so soon. At the party, Wilson realized that I was on my own, with no parents to answer to. In all, the thirteen days in Berkshire showed these students the con- trast between American and British culture, peo- ple and values. Whether they picked it up through additional responsibility, language variances, or lit- tle things like not having to pay sales tax, the ex- change was a hands-on educational tool for ev- erybody involved. And that made all the differ- ence in the world. - - jeff Field

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