German Exchange at South

A select group of students at South have signed up to house German Exchange Students on their trip to the states. So for the next few weeks, a group of unfamiliar people will walk the halls of an unfamiliar school. 

They are from Annweiler,  a town of around 7000 located in the southwest region of Germany. It is a vastly different place both culturally and physically and they are here to immerse themselves in the culture and see life from a different angle. 

Colin Cuzner, Junior, spoke about his experience hosting someone from a different country and said, “It’s been great… it is interesting to see how they live their lives, and that is what everyone involved is hoping for.”

The whole program is meant to let future generations see what life is like across the pond, so to speak. 

Kansas City is recognized by many as a cultural focal point in the states, and therefore could be considered one of the best places to learn about this country.

Abby Miller, another signee for the German Exchange program said she plans to take her new friend to Worlds of Fun. Of course, that’s not the only spot. The Kansas City Chiefs game on Sunday (a game in which the Chiefs won 33-28 against Baltimore) was a popular choice among some of the signees.

But that didn’t appeal to all,  so some signees took to the mini golf course in English Landing park, or even the Sporting Kansas City soccer game. 

More local forms of entertainment were also mentioned, such as the South Football games and Soccer games. And after all that, a few signees this year and the past year took their guests to Five Guys and various Barbeque spots. 

The cultural differences aren’t just apparent in food and sporting events, however; Cuzner also said that sometimes, the language barrier can be difficult and that you have to learn to respect values as well as their privacy.

The cultural differences don’t dampen the fun too much, though, and Cuzner also claims his guest from the year prior talks to him often and wants to return to the states. 

Speaking of the year prior, the class of 2019 and former German Exchange signee Clara Lazen said her experience was “eye opening” and “a bit of a culture shock.” When asked if she would do anything different, Lazen said she would “try and let her guest have more of a say in their activities”

The German students leave for their home Sunday, Sept. 29.