Fitchburg High School - Boulder Yearbook (Fitchburg, MA)

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Since it was dark we had to use . . . t Stephanie Page and Sean O'Connell hop down the field in hopes of winning the sack race. — » Half the senior class pull with all their might during the Tug of War. 1 0 - ■ Student Life

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SCHNAPPSCHUB A Glimpse of Germany IN DEUTSCHLAND The exchange program originated as a result of Spectro, a company located in the 'sister-cities' of Kleve, West Germany and Fitchburg, MA. This year was the programs trial run. Although there were some difficulties, it was considered to be a great success. Hopefully it will be continued in the future. Not many are given the opportunity to visit a foreign country and establish lasting friendships with people who otherwise would have been complete strangers. And for such an affordable price; $300 for three weeks in Germany. One stipulation, someone comes home with you for three weeks. Not a bad deal! In the beginning, I was somewhat nervous. I had traveled, but never out of my own country, and never with people I was hardly familiar with. Not to mention all of the controversy overseas involving terrorism. Meetings were held routinely in preparation for the trip. Soon those unfamiliar people became known as friends. As time went on more friendships were made and others strengthened. On July 17th, with a slight 7 hour plane delay, our plane was Germany bound. The flight was long (and for some an experience in itself!, but when landing time approached we were all in the windows eager to take in as much of our new home as possible. Even though we had been awake for roughly a day and we were t The Fitchburg Exchange Program to Kleve, Germany. From F.H.S. are Bonnie Stone, David Petley, Valerie Marble, Pam Herick, Sheila Daoust, Brenda West and Jill Marceau. - Take my picture! Exchange students on a hike through the Netherlands. arriving at 2:00 p.m. in the middle of their day. Arriving in Amsterdam airport (seven hours late) we found our German exchange partners just as tired as we were, waiting patiently with a yellow rose for each of us. Jet lag would soon set in! The trip included many exciting highlights as well as educational trips. In Germany we toured Kleve, the city in which we stayed, hiked through parts of the Netherlands, visited Amsterdam, shopped in Holland and Brussels, toured museums in Amsterdam, visited Government establishments in Bonn, and much more. At home we traveled to Boston, Maine, Cape Cod, Concord, New York, and we even toured Fitchburg! One of the things people asked me upon my return, Was it really different over there? Yes and no. I found the people to be very friendly. The highways are outrageous. How fast can your car go '?' that is your speed limit. The music is mostly in English for example Madonna and Rod Stewart. In Gennany their T.V. only receives three broadcasting stations, they view many American programs: Dynasty and Dallas. The Germans eat a lot of bread, and are typically very neat and organized. Many of the people smoke cigarettes. The discos are great and the parties are better. I guess you'll have to decide for yourself how different it was. For me, this exchange program was a terrific experience. I am greatly satisfied with the way I spent my summer vacation this year. To be honest, there were some points in the trip where I was completely frustrated and very homesick but I got over them. Looking back now at my trip I find nothing but happy memories. Thinking of the friends I've made and the times we've shared brings a smile to my face. Hopefully someday I will return. by Pam Herrick Student Life

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i The other half of the senior class pulls with all their might. i Doug Grutchfield and Cindy Coleman lead Jane Baho and Roland Kolata in the sack race. T.LC The Senior Reception started off witfi a bang when we because of the date change, but actually, it was a successful occasion. On Wednesday, all tickets were sold and all waited in anticipation for the Senior gathering. Unfortunately, some Seniors and Faculty mennbers could not attend because of previous engagements, but most found their way to Crocker School, on Thursday, September 18. We began our gala occasion at 4:00 with a game of volleyball. After all our competitions, we finally got the hang of hitting the ball over the net, more people arrived, and we began to have some real fun! The Senior Reception started off with a bang when we had our first game. Students ran over to the field and picked teams for a watermelon eating contest. Stuffing pieces of the sticky, red watermelon into their mouths, a team consisting of Senior boys, quickly slurped up the juicy fruit and won the race. After, we had the three-legged races. (To tell you the truth, the sack races were almost nonexistent because we lacked a vital part of the race — the sacks. However, a friendly custodian found some sacks and we were able to continue with the traditional game). We practiced hopping around with our partners and then the real challenge began. Seniors and teachers jumped, ran, and rolled in every fashion in hopes of getting to the finish line first. Using every ounce of their strength, all the Seniors participated in the Tug-of-War. There were many fierce, high-spirited competitions: Boys vs. Girls, Teachers vs. Seniors. Everyone pulled the rope with all their might to be on the victorious team. Once in a while, one dirty team would let go of the rope, and the poor opponents landed with their faces on the ground. After these games, Seniors went off in all directions: some ended up in he gym playing hoop and climbing the ropes, while others played volleyball against the good-natured faculty. When Mrs. Zeiner called the Seniors to eat, we ran as fast as we could to get in line for an appetizing meal of Kentucky Fried Chicken. student Life 1 1