Foreigners in Our Midst
As most of the student body as probably already noticed, we have been lucky enough to host four foreign exchange students this year. So far they’ve come from Norway, Denmark, China, and Slovakia to experience the day to day life of an American student at Concordia High School. In light of this situation, I have thought of some everyday occurrences at our school that might seem odd or out-of-place to a visitor who is not well accustomed to our culture yet. For example, Mr. Morris throwing a fake temper tantrum and tipping a chair or stool for no apparent reason might seem a bit confusing or even frightening at first. It might take weeks or months to figure out that this seemingly erratic behavior is not driven by actual rage, but by a desire to amuse his class. Also think of the number of times you’ve heard Mr. Berger break out suddenly into song, mutter angrily in German, or shout “HUGE E.C.!” A visitor might be confused by this occurrence until they realize and embrace Mr. Berger’s quirkiness and brand of humor, as we all do. Lastly, what would a guest in our school make of the slang and idioms in our everyday conversations? The phrase “Don’t worry, he won’t bite” suddenly sounds a lot more disturbing when you forget to not take it literally. So as we spend the coming months with these guests in our school, consider what you say and do and ask yourself “Could this be taken in a weird way?”
Siri McGuire
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