Foreign Exchange Students Make A Splash In America

By: Camden Leary

You’re walking through the hallways between passing period and suddenly you are thirsty. What do you do? You walk up to the water fountain and drink like you always do. But what if that water fountain wasn’t there? These are the problems that we don’t have to face, but for the new foreign exchange students, a water fountain is something totally foreign to them.
“The first time I tried drinking from a water fountain was during break in English with another foreign exchange student Elise. We didn’t know what to do so I just opened my mouth and tried to make the water in my mouth. Everyone around us thought it was really funny,” according to Remi Perrot a junior here at EHS from Angers, France.
Perrot is not the only foreign exchange student that isn’t used to the gleaming, water filled boxes. Lisa Knopp, a junior from Kiel, Germany went about her first encounter with a water fountain a little bit differently.
“I watched other people drinking from them first. So, one time when I was alone I tried drinking from them. Well, let’s just say I looked like I took a shower after that. But don’t worry, it’s easier now!” said Knopp. America has come as more of a surprise to Knopp and Perrot.
“Everything is different. There are so many things I never thought could be different. I especially miss German bread though,” Knopp said. Besides our bread, some things aren’t living up to what life in America was thought to be for the foreign exchange students. Eating out and microwaveable meals are something that both Knopp and especially Perrot have been forced to get used to. They have also had to deal with the constant questions from peers and teachers hounding them about what it is like in their country or how to insult someone in their language. Then there are the stereotypes that everyone, not just foreign exchange students, have to deal with.
“I think it is interesting that people think Europe is like “old” and we don’t have the same things as the United States,” Perrot informed us. Even though both foreign exchange students have faced these new and exciting challenges they are making the best of their experience and we hope they have the best time they could possibly have in the United States.
Knopp and Perrot are also joined by Elise Augland from Kristiansand, Norway and Cecilia Grassi from Milan, Italy.