By Sarah Jacques
Round Table editor-in-chief
On Friday, Oct. 8, students from Alssundgymnasiete Sønderborg in Sønderborg, Denmark arrived to experience life in America through its customs, culture, and people. The students stayed with host families during the six-day trip as they came to learn more about American life.
The host families packed the weekend with fun-filled activities to help the Danes learn about what average American teenagers do in their free time and to make them feel welcomed. Middletown High School junior Maddie Nissel took her student, Mikkel, to Harper’s Ferry, a football game at Shepard University, and a bonfire that was hosted by MHS junior Brandon Stonestreet.
“The hospitality was amazing, and we felt very welcomed,” said Mikkel.
“They are great families, but we were worried that we made a bad first impression because we were tired from the trip,” said Stonestreet’s Danish student Lasser.
On Monday, the Danes made presentations to several classes about life in Denmark with subjects ranging from sports in Denmark to the Danish royal family. “I think the presentations went really well. Our subject was youth culture in Denmark, and the American students really wanted to know what the youth culture there is like,” said student Ditte, who stayed with junior John and freshman Maggie Remsburg.
The trip definitely exposed the Danish to American culture. Though they all had different views of America, they all agreed on one thing: size. “Everything here [in America] is so much bigger – the houses, the cars, the buildings. It’s very cool,” said Danish student Julie, who also stayed with the Remsburgs.
The Danes also agreed that items in America are much cheaper than in Denmark, so shopping was a big part of their trip. “My favorite part about America was all of the cheap things, like clothes, gas, and electronics,” said Mikkel.
America made a huge impact on the Danes, but learning about both the Danish people and Denmark also affected the American students, as well. “I love their sense of style, and I’m jealous of how they get paid to go to school,” said Nissel.
“Everyone’s so modest and polite, and don’t like to talk about themselves,” said Stonestreet about his experience with the Danish students.
On Wednesday, the Danes will depart first to Washington, D.C., and will then return home to Denmark. The students are excited to see the big city, but are sad to leave MHS.
“It’s very sad. We’ve become close to our families and don’t want to leave,” said Lasser.
The students all plan to stay in touch, and some wish to travel to Denmark in the future to stay with their student. “I would definitely love to go to Denmark, but I wouldn’t be able to buy anything since items are so expensive there,” said Maggie Remsburg.
The trip has been an unforgettable experience for both the Danish and American students. As culture from different corners of the world were shared, the students learned about the customs of another country and made new friends in the process.
