B2
News
Blue Mountain Eagle
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Exchanging ideas and culture
By Angel Carpenter
Blue Mountain Eagle
JOHN DAY – Google
Translate has been a useful
computer tool for some lo-
cal families hosting Chinese
students for the past three
weeks.
It’s helped 11 students,
ages 15 to 17, and two teach-
ers from Shiquan in Shaanxi
Province, China, communi-
cate with their host families
in the John Day area.
The students have been
busy, taking a few lessons
in Spanish, art and welding
at Grant Union Junior-Se-
nior High School; horse-
back riding at the South-
worth Ranch in Seneca; jet
boating on the Snake Riv-
er; touring Eastern Oregon
University (EOU) in La
Grande; and visiting the
water park in Boise.
Grant School District
No. 3 Superintendent Curt
Shelley, assisting the visi-
tors, said the students and
teachers are enjoying their
stay.
Speaking of the stu-
dents, he said, “They’re
loving the freedom to
make individual choices,
and they’re very polite, re-
spectful and appreciative
- there are a lot of people
vested in these kids (par-
ents and grandparents) and
backing this experience.”
Wang Sigi
“Katty”
Favorite
activity in
China: TV and
computer
games
Favorite
activity in
America:
Chatting
with our host
family
Favorite
American
food:
Spaghetti
Cultural
difference
you’ve
noticed: In
China, we like
to eat hot and
flavorful food.
There are
more sweets
here. Also
people like
cold water
here – room
temperature
in China.
Chen Yu
“Mary”
Favorite
activity
in China:
Reading
Favorite
activity in
America:
Trampoline
and sleeping
(We have
many
activities here
and feel tired.)
Favorite
American
food: Pizza
Cultural
difference
you’ve
noticed:
Americans
pay more
attention to
hands-on
practice
(such as
welding),
and we learn
about things
from a book.
Eleven students and two
teachers are also staying
with host families in Bak-
er City with Baker School
District
Superintendent
Mark Witty overseeing the
group there. Witty preced-
The Eagle/Angel Carpenter
The Chinese foreign exchange students gather outside Grant Union Junior-Senior High
School in John Day last Wednesday. The group planned a trip to Jack Southworth’s Seneca
ranch for lunch and horse riding that day. See more photos at www.MyEagleNews.com.
ed Shelley as Grant School
District superintendent.
They said the long-
term goal is for Chinese
students to attend Grant
Union for the 2016-17
school year.
The hope is the students
will go on to pass the Ga-
okao, China’s national
college entrance exam,
and return to attend EOU,
or another U.S. college of
their choice.
Part of the envisioned
plan includes some Grant
Union students eventually
visiting Shiquan for about
two weeks.
The idea for the for-
eign exchange program
began when Witty partic-
ipated in an administrator
job-shadow exchange with
Dong Cai’an, an elemen-
tary school principal from
Shiquan.
Dong visited John Day
for 10 days in January, and
Witty spent 10 days in Chi-
Huang Bijie
“Jessica”
Favorite
activity in
China: Walking,
time with my
parents
Favorite
activity in
America:
Trampoline
and shooting
Favorite
American food:
Soup
Cultural
difference
you’ve noticed:
People line up
in places such
as the water
park (and are
polite)
Huang Jiale
“Thompson”
Favorite
activity in
China: Soccer
and basketball
Favorite
activity in
America:
Hang out with
others and
visit with them
Favorite
American
food: Salad
Cultural
difference
you’ve
noticed:
Eating habits
– using forks
instead of
chopsticks
na in March.
While in China, Witty
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had a close view of the stu-
dents’ rigorous schedules.
He estimates only 55
percent of Shiquan students
make it to high school (for
grades 10 through 12). The
rest move on to jobs that
don’t require higher educa-
tion.
High school students be-
gin their day at 7 a.m. for
exercises together and have
classes until noon. After
a two-hour break, classes
continue until 5 p.m. fol-
lowed by a tutorial from 7
to 10 p.m.
“If they’re a se-
nior, they’ll have study
hall with teachers at the
school on Saturday and
all day on Sunday,” Witty
said.
Witty said he and Dong
see wisdom in the planned
exchange program for
the opportunity it will
give to all the students
involved.
“Ultimately, it allows
our students to get a pic-
ture over time,” Witty said.
“For the Chinese students,
it’s a good way to see
how Americans actually
live and an opportunity to
practice English. We get a
similar opportunity to be
exposed to another culture
and ultimately to recognize
that we’re very similar –
our hopes and dreams are
similar.”
Witty said he and Prin-
cipal Dong developed a
friendship and a trust and
from there created the ex-
change program.
The Chinese students
are in John Day for a few
Tang Yulun
“Jerry”
Favorite
activity
in China:
Basketball,
computer
games
Favorite
activity in
America:
Basketball
Favorite
American
food:
Hamburgers
and
sandwiches
Cultural
difference
you’ve
noticed: In
China, the
environment
is more
polluted,
in America
it’s a good
environment.
Gao Anjie
“Summer”
Favorite
activity
in China:
Sports and
reading
books
Favorite
activity in
America:
Going for
walks
Favorite
American
food:
Spaghetti
Cultural
difference
you’ve
noticed:
Daily life
in America
is more
relaxed. In
China, we
have much
things to do
every day.
more days before traveling
to San Francisco to see the
sights then fly home.
They will visit the Grant
County Fair this week.
Susie and Jason Sny-
der, of John Day, have had
their college-age children
home this summer and are
hosting three Chinese boys
from the exchange pro-
gram.
“We are having a ball
with them,” said Susie.
Their family recently in-
vited friends Bill and Lori
Wyllie and their two Chi-
nese girls over for a spa-
ghetti dinner.
“They were out playing
hide-n-go-seek and red-
light green-light,” Susie
said. “We sat out on the
deck, and everybody had a
great time; they’re very en-
ergetic and open to trying
new things.”
The two families have
made plans to hike Straw-
berry Mountain and vis-
it Ritter Hot Springs
together.
Susie said she’s been
learning some Chinese
words for “please” and
“thank you,” as well as oth-
ers.
“They’ve been very
gracious,” she said. “You
can tell when you said it
wrong – they laugh, and
we laugh right along with
them.”
“Alone we can do so little;
together we can do so much.”
- Helen Keller
There are endless benefits to becoming a
volunteer. Whether you can donate hours or
minutes, you are valued. Join us on August 20th
at 5:30 pm at The Outpost in John Day to learn
how your special skills can help Grant-Harney
County CASA.
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Call Bob Blake anytime at
541-575-1170
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(541) 575-0632
TO FIND OTHER
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Schedule an appointment today
(541) 382-3100
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