Students experience France firsthand

When 25 Buffalo High School students landed in France this spring, they didn’t have long to wait long for their first culture-shock moment.

“As soon as we got off the plane you could tell right away that you’re in a completely different place,” said junior Grant Merz.

What was the giveaway?

“The cars,” said Merz. “The first thing you saw was the small cars.”

“I wasn’t expecting to see any big Ford F-150s, but there were no trucks at all,” said senior Hailey Hathaway-Oxley.

In the ensuing 11 days, during which students visited some of France’s most famous sites, spent a week with French host families, and accompanied French students to school, the opportunities to soak in a different culture went far beyond automobiles.

“Going to France was always a childhood dream of mine, so I think that was probably my favorite part, just getting to fulfill that,” said junior Charliese Sorsoleil.

A mutual exchange
The trip, from March 25 through April 4, was the second part of an ongoing annual exchange between BHS and St. Front school in Bergerac, France, that began in 2011. French language students from BHS hosted 27 French students and three teachers from Bergerac in October, then took their turns as guests in the spring.

“These trip experiences are a lot of work to plan, and can be very stressful, but I feel that they are well worth it for students,” said BHS French language teacher Jason Swanson, who led the trip along with teacher chaperones Lisa Nordmeyer, Tara Rosh and Ashley Lostetter. “There is only so much culture and life experience I can bring to the classroom. These trips allow life-changing experiences for so many of the students who travel with us.”

The group spent two days in Paris visiting the Eifel Tower, Louvre art museum, Champs-Elysées, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame Cathedral, Montmartre district, Sacré Coeur basilica, and nearby Versailles.

“I really liked when we were in Paris, just like seeing all of the sights. That was my favorite part,” said Hathaway-Oxley.

Merz said his favorite locations were Versailles and the Catholic churches.

“They’re all beautiful on the inside. They’re way different style than here,” he said. 

The group even attended a Good Friday service at the newly restored Notre Dame.

“I’m not a big religious person, but that was one of the most beautiful buildings I think I’ve ever been in. Probably the most beautiful, actually,” said Sorsoleil.
Hathaway-Oxley particularly appreciated the opportunity to visit Notre Dame.  

“My family’s Catholic, and I was in the musical last year, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ as one of the gargoyles. So it felt really cool to like actually go there,” she said.

Family stays 
In addition to big city experiences, students also spent a week with their host families in Bergerac, which has a population of just over 27,000.

“The family stay experiences are the most important, by far,” said Swanson. “There have been life-long connections that some students have made through this exchange. I have had former students return to France to continue these connections, and students and families return to Minnesota to attend weddings, meet their families and children, etc.”

While the students who went on the trip are in the French 3 class, they found the speed of the native French speakers daunting. All agreed that the experience helped their comprehension.

“Now I can hear things a lot better after listening to people talk to me a million miles an hour for 11 days,” said Merz. “That was really good. I think my understanding of the language and the culture is way better, just hearing it and seeing it firsthand.”

Hathaway-Oxley agreed. 

“I used to have to translate to English in my head, and I still have to do that sometimes with some of the stuff that we’re actively learning in class,” she said. “But basic things, now I just know what they mean instead of having to translate it back.”

School differences
A visit to their French hosts’ school revealed significant differences in educational methods and structure. The school day extended from roughly 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with long breaks between classes and about an hour and a half for lunch.

“The breaks between are really long,” said Hathaway-Oxley. “It’s like, ‘Just get it over with!’” 

Another difference was that students stay in the same classroom during the day, while teachers rotate.

“So it felt really devoid of life in those classrooms because there was no decoration or anything,” said Hathaway-Oxley. “Here, Mr. Swanson’s got a lot of stuff in his classroom and it feels more personal.” 

The school structure also affects other areas of life for young people.

“My host family was telling me about how they can’t even have jobs as teenagers because their school schedule is so grueling,” said Hathaway-Oxley. “They can’t drive until they’re 18. So they were telling me, ‘Oh, you have so much more freedom in the States.’”

Additional learning
While students experienced various levels of connection with their hosts, several have maintained contact with French counterparts.

“I still have contact with Leo,” said Merz. “We talk a bit. They’ve said that if I ever want to come back they’d be more than happy to have me. And he was talking about possibly studying in North America post-college. So I’ve got a really good connection.”

Other highlights of the trip included visits to the medieval town of Perigueux, the Château de Tiregand, and a day trip to Bordeaux. Students also studied the history of the British and French presence in the region over the past 1,000 years.

What was the best part overall?

“Just the adventure of it, going somewhere new,” said Merz. “I thought it was an awesome trip, and I would definitely do it again.”