Exchange student a citizen of the world
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Philipp von Jagow
Philipp von Jagow (left) receives a pin from Heppner Chamber
of Commerce President John Edmundson.
By April-Hilton Sykes
poorer people, a gardener and
Philipp von Jagow is a citizen
hire a caterer to help with big
of the world. In his 17 years, he
events.
has lived in Washington, D.C.,
Because of security problems
Bonn, G erm any, Madrid,
Philipp cannot ride the bus,
Spain, Sao Paulo, Brazil, and
walk or bicycle home from
lone, Oregon.
school. His mother takes him to
Philipp came to lone shortly
school and picks him up every
after Thanksgiving and has
day as a caution against kid­
been living the past two
napping for ransom, although,
months with the Jim and
says Philipp, the German
Monica Swanson family as an
government wouldn't pay. The
exchange student of sorts.
family employs a security
While he isn't with an ex­ guard and Philipp's parents
change program, he learned of
sleep in a bedroom with ar­
the Swansons, who have
mored doors and his father
hosted many exchange stu­ drives an armored car. Many
VOL. 115_______ NO. 4_______ 8 Pages Wednesday, January 24, 1996,_______ Morrow County Heppner, Oregon
dents over the years, through
homes like the von Jagows'
his godm other. His god­ have barbed wire around the
mother's son, Thomas Voeged- grounds.
ing, spent a year with the
Since Philipp's arrival in lone
Swansons two years ago on a he is delighted to be able to do
year-long exchange. Philipp some of the things that he can­
doesn't know Thomas, but
not do in Sao Paulo, like driv­
contacted the Swanson family
ing. He was able to get his
and asked if he could stay with driver's permit, which is not
them during his summer allowed in Brazil until 18 years
vacation-which is December of age. He also enjoys walking
and January in Sao Paulo,
alone and at night without be­
which is now his home.
ing anxious. He likes the wide
The Swansons agreed, and,
open spaces and the arid
after a 28 hour trip, which in­ climate in Morrow County. In
cluded missed connections and
Sao Paulo, the heat and humid­
kind of an interrogation by ity are so extreme that people
customs officials at Miami,
have to rest in the middle of the
Philipp is now a member of the day and must change their
Swanson family, which also in­ shirts two, three or even four
cludes son, Luke, 16, and times a day. He also com­
daughter Adrienne, 13.
mented on the absence of smog
‘ Philipp was bom in Washing­ and air and water pollution in
ton, D.C., where his father was lone. Philipp told the Heppner
an ambassador, but when Chamber of Commerce Tues­
Philipp was three months old, day that Brazil has no anti­
the family returned to their pollution laws.
homeland of Germany. The
Americans eat a lot more fast
family lived in Bonn, Germany, food than Brazilians and less
for five years before moving to fruit and vegetables, but, he
Madrid, where they lived for added, dinner is much the
Morrow County Court (l-r): Dawn Boor, Stormy Howard, Beth Hermanns and Queen Brenda Holtz
three years. Philipp started the same and the Sw ansons
were crowned at the annual Town and Country Banquet.
first grade in Spain and the von have''wonderful food” .
Jagows returned to Bonn when
Philipp noted that school is
he was eight. They lived in much less challenging than in
Bonn for another seven years, Brazil, where only the "hard
private. Bom and raised in East ther this goal. "I think coopera­
Marie Key, lone, has tossed
before
moving to Brazil in 1993. subjects like math and physics”
Texas, she began her career tion and support between all
her hat into the ring in a bid for
Besides
G erm an, Philipp are taught, and says he gets a
working
for
her
father
in
his
departments of county govern­
election to the post of Morrow
speaks
English
and Portu­ little bored with the school
varied commercial ventures. ment results in better service to
County Treasurer.
guese.
While
in
Texas,
Key
also
took
routine here. In Brazil the
the public, and since I am also
Key has been a resident of
In Sao Paulo, Philipp's school schedule is not the same
over
three
years
of
accounting
part
of
the
taxpaying
public,
Morrow County since 1978
father, Peter, 57, is consulate every day. Philipp attends
and business courses at the col­ that's important to m e.”
when the family moved from
general, which is somewhat school from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.,
lege level. She has been em­
Currently Key is in the pro­
Kinzua due to the closure of
ployed as the office adminis­ cess of forming an election like a mayor or an ambassador. along with 2,500 other
Oregon's last company town.
trator for Morrow County
committee, which to date in­ German business ow ners, students, and then comes
She and husband Joe raised
teachers and others come to home to rest. Another group of
four children, two graduating Public Works Department since cludes: Richard Johnson and
him for assistance. The job of 2,500 students attends his
July 1993.
Eilene Wheeler, Boardman,
from lone High School.
consulate
general entails long school in the afternoon. After
Key says she would like to
Marie Boor and David McNary,
Key has accumulated over 30
hours,
many
meetings, dinner resting Philipp has band and
lone, Deane Seeger, Irrigon,
years of experience working in encourage positive change in
parties,
travel
and entertaining. piano practice.
and Corol Mitchell and Lynnea
accounting and office adminis­ county affairs, and believes that
Philipp's
mother,
Henriette, 55,
Students have sports three
Sargent, treasurer, Heppner.
tration for a variety of business fostering cooperation between
attends
functions
with
her hus­ times a week for 45 minutes,
county
departments
will
fur­
enterprises, both public and
band and organizes many din­ but there are no organized
ner parties and receptions. school sports in Brazil, so
While this may seem like a Philipp has really enjoyed be­
glamorous life, it entails much ing manager for the lone
hard work and exhausting basketball team. "H e has them
schedules. Philipp says that she spoiled,” said host dad, Jim
once organized a dinner party Swanson. In Brazil some of the
to which 800 people were in­ wealthier people join sports
vited. Only 400 showed up. clubs, with basketball, swimm­
The president of Germany was ing pools, tennis courts and
one of the guests and Peter's soccer. But at a cost of $10,000
father prepared for the event to $50,000 for a lifetime mem­
for a year. The function was in bership to a club, the von
celebration of the national re­ Jagows don't belong. For fun,
unification of Germany which many people go to the beautiful
is on October 3. It is not un­ Brazilian beaches, visit friends
usual for 80 to 100 people to at­ at their homes or go to bars.
tend a dinner at their home, Philipp says he thinks the
says Philipp. The von Jagows drinking age in Brazil is 16, but
have a housemaid, which, he it is not enforced. He says that
says is common, even among the police can be bribed to
imes
Morrow County Fair, OTPR Court crowned
Key files for county treasurer spot
Heppner FFA Greenhands elect officers
overlook speeding and drunk
driving tickets. Philipp cracked
up the Chamber audience say­
ing that police in Germany or
the U.S. would barricade a
pothole in the road, while
Brazilian police would probably
stick a tree in it.
Black beans and rice, the na­
tional dish, and fruit can be
bought at a reasonable price,
but housing, clothing and elec­
tronic equipment are very ex­
pensive. Philipp says that a
stereo system that would sell
for around $300 in the U.S.,
sells in Brazil for around $1,000.
He bought a FAX machine dur­
ing his stay, to take home with
him.
Philipp says that a lot of Ger­
mans live in Brazil, many com­
ing during World War II. The
second biggest Oktoberfest,
besides Munich, is in Sao
Paulo. A great many Japanese
also live in Brazil, he adds.
Philipp really took to small
town life and, adds Jim, was
fascinated with the population
of lone. Jim says that he took
a photograph of Philipp next to
the lone population sign. After
he got the photo back, Philipp
crossed out the 275 population
and changed it to 276. "This is
a nice community with nice
people,” remarked Philipp. "In
Sao Paolo 200 people would fit
into a concert hall.” Sao Paulo
has about eight and a half
million people.
During his stay in lone,
Philipp went pheasant hun­
ting, played trumpet in the
lone pep band, helped Joe Mc-
Elligott feed cows, rode with
Gary Rea on a wheat truck,
transporting wheat to Board-
man, and rode on a tractor with
Todd Lindsay. "I like the coun­
tryside,” he says. "I'm tired of
the big city.” Philipp also put
in some time washing dishes at
Beecher's.
The Swanson family took
him to Newport to see Keiko
(the $9 million fish, jokes
Philipp), to Seattle, Portland,
Salem to see the capitol, Bend
to go skiing for the first time,
Corvallis to see Oregon State
University, and Pendleton.
Philipp will go to Seattle again
this Sunday and then will fly to
Los Angeles Tuesday and,
perhaps, visit Disneyland and
MGM Studios. Next Friday he
will be on his way back to
Brazil.
Philipp's parents are also on
vacation, but in Germany,
where the family's three other
sons live. Son, Moritz, 29, is a
lawyer in Berlin; Friedrich, 27,
is a businessman in Stuttgart;
and Konstantin, 23, studies law
at a university in Berlin.
Philipp has not yet decided
what he wants to do with his
life, but says he definitely does
not want to become a diplomat.
He is interested in a career with
travel, but in the meantime is
considering attending the
university at Heidelberg. He
also like the campus at OSU
and, who knows, may even
return to the U.S. someday.
15% off All Insulated
Coveralls in stock,
FFA Greenhand officers have been elected at Heppner High School. Pictured (left to right) are:
front row- Donald White, chapter historian; Shane Matheny, sentinel; Jared Eckrnan, president;
Royal Robinson, vice president; and Kristi Worden, parliamentarian; back row-Larry Woodall,
secretary; Elliott Strouse, representative; and Brian Knowles, treasurer.
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1-800-452-7396
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Lexington 989-8221
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