Foreign-exchange luncheon a hit

The scent of homemade cheesecake awaited Mrs. Ehmann's foreign exchange students as they made their way down the hall. Greeting them with applause at the door to the leadership classroom, 30 American students stood enthusiastically calling out the names of their foreign picnic partners.

Once each foreign exchange student was paired with a group from the class, they were led to their designated tables. The eating areas were decorated in themes ranging from Halloween to Harry Potter, and as the guests of honor took their seats, pizza was served.

Several minutes of general conversation allowed for introductions, as desserts such as chocolate-covered strawberries were scrumptiously devoured. Cultural barriers were dissolved as the students came to agreements on world issues like which country has the best ice cream and the buffest guys (Germany pulled away with vanilla, while America dominated the second round). The Americans were also given a lesson in language, learning phrases such as "Where's the party at?" in Swedish, completely butchering it with their American accents.

Leadership student Tyler Nelson visited with Hiromi Yamamoto from Japan and said he couldn't imagine the situation being reversed. He was extremely impressed by her boldness and mastery of the English language. As surprised as Miriam Berten from Germany was to find her exchange destination to be Alaska, she was equally astounded and excited by the overwhelming spirit at Colony High.

The second annual Foreign Exchange Luncheon was an enormous success as new friendships were formed over traditional American food.

The exchange and American students alike enjoyed each other's company while they shared knowledge of their diverse cultures.