The Mail-Journal, Volume 27, Number 23, Milford, Kosciusko County, 20 July 1988 — Page 7

Community corner

As an exchange student — Haffner found Norway less formal than the USA

I By MARK HUFFMAN Staff Writer While Mary Haffner’s Wawasee High School classmates were learning about different countries and their heritage through the pages of geography , and history books last year, she was taking a look first hand. An exchange student from July 29, 1987, until July 6 of this year, Haffner, daughter of Charles and Ann Haffner, attended a high school in Oslo, the capital of Norway. “It’s a totally different system, with classes varying from day to day,” she explains, noting that schedules are made according to a weekly system, rather than the daily schedules US schools adhere to. “It’s a lot less formal in Norway.” While classes are scheduled in 45-minute segments, breaks between the periods give students time to visit, while some days find students only attending classes for a few hours. “There’s seven periods in a day but there were some days when I didn’t have my first two classes so I didn’t have to go to school until 10 a.m.,” Haffner says. The structure of subject testing also took some getting used to, with multiple choice, true and false, and similar formats finding themselves being replaced by essay tests. “There are also three times during the year where we’d have a test that would last all day (six hours),” she remarks. Living with a host family that included a 21-year-old girl who attended the local university, Haffner had the opportunity to experience a different family structure and tradition. “I eventually got pretty used to the day to day life and it seemed kind of strange when I got back to the US,” she says, adding, “The typical food there is a lot plainer. You eat a lot of potatoes and there isn’t any spicy foods.” While boys in the school initially seemed shy around Haffner, they eventually became interested in hearing about the American way of life, while the girls were more outgoing from the beginning. “The boys weren’t as outgoing as they are here, but I think the reason they didn’t talk to me much in the beginning was that they were a little selfconscious about their English,” she says, noting that Norwegian is the native language. “Most everyone there could speak English, but I did want to learn Norwegian so I didn’t feel left out when friends were having conversations among themselves. After awhile I just had to decide to stop speaking English if I wanted to learn Norwegian.”

HHH ■ '? J ■“ w £®®op' WL ■— . T ■ e34~M? 2 1 /? M nW '”■■ UNITED WAY GRANT — Robert Westfall, United Way board member, is pictured handing Sam Lundy, North Webster Youth League director, a check for the purchase of new lights at the North Webster ball diamonds. The North Webster Youth League has a total of 240 participants playing on 19 different teams. * The summer season will conclude on August 6 with an awards presentation. (Photo by Jennifer Woodward)

X- correction' I /hrimpboot I | Sunday Breakfast Buffet i I Is Still Served fl | 9:00 AM. To 1:00 P.M. S VjnbitSi. 457-5900/

■ I r He iHMr Ik A MEMORABLE YEAR — Wawasee High School senior Mary Haffner looks over some of the photos she took during her recently completed year in Norway. The Syracuse resident spent July, 1987, to July, 1988, as an exchange student. - J* Haffner’s family has been involved in an exchange program for several years, with Mary’s sister, Jane, having spent a year in the Netherlands. The family also hosted exchange students from ; Finland and South Africa. (Photo by Mark Huffman)

A Spanish student at Wawasee, Haffner originally intended to go to Venezuela as an exchange student, but after learning she would have to be put on a waiting list< she took advantage of the opportunity to travel to Norway. “I enjoyed it, I made some friends that I’ll always have and I’ll keep in touch with my host family,” she says, adding, “One of my good friends may come to the US to spend a few months with me next year.” While she has no definite plans outside of college, Haffner hopes to travel some more after finishing her senior year in May, 1989. Mobile Meals Drivers Volunteer drivers for Syracuse Mobile Meals have been scheduled for the week of July 25 — July 29. They are as follows: July 25 —July 29 MONDAY - Donna Wolfe TUESDAY — Mary Jane and Ken Bowton WEDNESDAY - Jan Baumgartner THURSDAY — John and Jenny Oswald FRIDAY — Vera Craven

tt fIU r •> t NATIONAL AWARD WINNER — The United States Achievement Academy announced recently the Valerie Lynn Sims has been named a United States National Collegiate Award winner in business administration. This award is a prestigious honor very few students can ever hope to attain. In fact, the Academy recognizes less than 10 percent of all American college students. Sims, who attends Ancilla College was nominated for this National Award by Sister Mary Delores Greiter, a professor at Ancilla College. Sims will appear in the United States Achievement Academy Official Collegiate Yearbook, published nationally. “Recognizing and supporting our youth is more important than ever before in America’s history. Certainly United States Achievement Academy award winners should be congratulated and appreciated for their dedication to excellence and achievement,” said Dr. George Stevens, executive director of the United States Achievement Academy. The Academy selects USAA winners upon the exclusive recommendation of professors, coaches, counselors or other school sponsors and upon the standards of selection set forth by the Academy. The criteria for selection are a student’s academic performance, interest and aptitude, leadership qualities, responsibility, enthusiasm, motivation to learn and improve, citizenship, attitude and cooperative spirit, dependability, and recommendation from a professor or director. Sims is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Sims, Syracuse, and the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Sims, Elkhart, and Mr. and Mrs. Gordan Jain, Knox.

ADVENTURELAND'S New Owners Offer You PAT-ONE-PUCE And Ride All You Want Wednesday, July 27 — 6 P.M. To 11 P.M. Come And Experience Our New, Clean, Friendly Family Environment At A BARGAIN PRICE! Go-Carts And Bsunpor Can Jlfof Included NORTH WEBSTER, IN Open Daily Noon-11 P. m>. 219-834-2554

Class of 'B3 looking for students

Wawasee High School Class of 1983 will be holding its five year class reunion on August 13. The following people need to be

I' ®CL \] ■ 1 ■ HISTORY OF AMISH PEOPLE GIVEN — The Syracuse/Wawasee Rotarians met Tuesday, July 19, in the Beacon Restaurant in Syracuse at noon for their weekly meeting. Guest speaker for the day was Samuel Yoder, a retired professor at Goshen College. He gave the Rotarians a report on the history of Amish people and their religion and customs. Pictured above are Ron Kerlin, program chairman, and Samuel Yoder, guest speaker. (Photo by Lewis Immel.)

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Wk ■ * ■ . S 3 u r '* *lll' v i ly W jfite KEYSER SPEAKS TO KIWANIS CLUB — Dori Keyser, student assistance director at Goshen High School, was the speaker Saturday morning at the Wawasee Kiwanis Club meeting at Gropp’s in Syracuse. She has been involved in setting up student assistance groups at Goshen and around the area. They have four different kinds of groups. One kind is “A Concerned And Affecting Others Group.” It is made up of students who have problems with alcohol and who have developed a chemical dependency. < It has been discovered th it alcohol and chemical dependency problems tend to run in families. Such chemicals as valium and codeine are especially dangerous to a person who may have a physician who prescribes them for pain. Some doctors over prescribe and some even give open end prescriptions. Groups of 10 students limit are fortned and are conducted by Keyser and others. They are support groups of a kind developed to fill the needs of the participants. One group is called “Recovery.” It is made up of children of alcoholics. It is an after-care program. Another group is called “Grieving and Adjustment” group. Out of over 1,200 students at Goshen, some 70 students in the last couple of years have availed themselves of such group help. Shown with Keyser is Phil Hoover, Kiwanis president.

located. If anyone has an address, please call Kim Weisser at 457-4774. Joel Bales, Paula Barker, Con-

nie Borders, Liza Clark, Deanna Collins, Amy Cook, Martha Cruz, Michelle Enyeart, Phillip Felaman, Cathy Fifer, Tom Freiheit, Travis Galloway, Greg George, Melody Gray, Travis Harris, Randy Hawn, Kenneth Herman, Sandra Hernandez, Dottie Howard, Steven Huffman, Pat Knight, and Kenneth Long. Also Terry Maggart, Kevin McDonald, Sheila Hurd, Sylvia Morris, Dave Roberts, Jeff Ruch, Jeff Sabby, Carrie Shoemaker, Kris Sipress, Lesha Smith, Ron Spunar, Brian Stidams, Steve Street, Doug Stump, Jim Thompson, Ralph Turner, Dale Uhl, John Willard, Donny Yakem, Eleanor Pischke, Kim Weitas, Fred Biasing, Wes Bryan, Bob Clark, Rick Conway, Ron Harvey, Chris Hockstetler, Thomas Lapensee, James Lapensee, Ricky Shepard, Troy Stephenson, and Tom Welker. If anyone has been missed they are asked to call. Those that has received invitations are asked to send responses back.

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Wed., July 20,1988 — THE MAIL-JOURNAL

Kiwanians hear report on international confab

Lakeland Kiwanis Presidentelect Roger Coldren and Curtis Jordan, lieutenant governor-elect of Kiwanis Indiana District Land of Lakes Division, described procedures at the Kiwanis International Convention, July 3-7 in Seattle, Wash., for Kiwanis Club of Lakeland, North Webster, on Monday morning, July 18. Coldren explained that the training seminars will be helpful to him in planning ahead and getting members involved in club activities. Each Kiwanis club was challenged to start at least one new project next year.

LOUISA'S LETTER

Dear Louisa, Five years ago I married this man against my parents’ wishes. They said he had a bad reputation but I didn’t believe anything they said. I found out later that what they said was true but I loved him so much I thought he would change for my sake. Well he hasn’t changed and I am worried all of the time. He gets drunk, he won’t work and I don’t know what will happen to us. I have left him twice but both times he has persuaded me to come back. What must I do? I still love him but I know that both of our lives will be ruined if I stay. I am a good secretary and can always

< ETe/wty <Jwl you/t fiends wisk you a kappy biMkday today. afeo wisk you a speedy /tecovefty. Trinity Lutheran Church ill Missouri Synod 4th And Martin • Ligonier ||| Invites You To Worship Sunday Church 9 A.M. Bible Class 10:15 A.M.

Jordan pointed out that 3,598 clubs with 5,480 delegates were represented at the convention. International President Anton Kaiser of Bethpage, N.Y., presided. Gene Overholt of Plymouth, Mich., and a former resident of Huntington, was elected as president of Kiwanis International and his term will begin October 1. The convention rejected an amendment to increase international dues but passed an amendment allowing an increase in dues for local clubs if desired. The major emphasis theme for the next Kiwanis year is “Achieving by Believing.”

get a job. Distressed — N.J. Answers: I always believe in giving people a second chance and I believe in trying hard not to get a divorce but there comes a time when divorce may be the lesser of two evils. A young woman, who has high standards of living, morally and otherwise, is very foolish to remain tied to a man, who has no idea of changing his low ideas and habits. If this seems hopeless, I think a clean break would be to your best advantage. Louisa Address letters: Louisa, P.O. Box 532, Orangeburg, SC 29115.

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