by Al Liu
Aah, the sounds and sights of summer: basketballs pounding on concrete, bees buzzing in the garden, tiny droplets of water flying from oscillating swimming pools. How about a change to the tunes of a marching band, shouts and cheers of "Ein Prosit!", or centuries-old castles towering into the clouds. Perhaps the eleven MUHS students travelling to the Federal Republic of Germany from June 4th to July 2rd will encounter these new horizons and dimensions. Along with German teacher Dr. Sylvester Kreilein, the "delegation" will be going to Ingolstadt, Bavaria, to complete a newly formed exchange between MUHS and the Christoph-Scheiner-Gymnasium. A group from their school just recently completed an exciting four-week visit to Milwaukee.
The idea for this exciting trip began last semester when Dr. Kreilein began a correspondence with a teacher from the Gymnasium, a selective and rigorous college-preparatory school much like MUHS. As the notion of a possible excursion formed, several meetings were held for interested students and parents. MUHS students, consisting of one freshman, seven sophomores, two juniors, and one senior, will be housed by various families, most of whom had sent their son or daughter here last month.
The German hosts will be on a two-week-vacation when the students arrive, so they may accompany them on their journeys throughout Bavaria and Austria. Dr. Kreilein intends to lead short tours to Nuremberg, Wuerzburg, Innsbruck, Salzburg (the birthplace of Mozart), and of course Munich, only an hour' s trip from Ingolstadt. If time and funds are sufficient, a visit to Berlin and/or Prague, Czechoslovakia would also be highly desirable. In any case, the group plans to see parts of the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), as a different perspective on the German way of life. The second two weeks will be spent at the Gymnasium, as the students will attend their choice of classes from 8 A.M. until 1 P.M. With this method, they can seize the opportunity to improve their fluency and comprehension, as Dr. Kreilein noted.
Scott Leif, junior, stated, "I’d like to break off a chunk of the Berlin Wall and bring it back with me as a remembrance of this trip. I would also like to visit the German bars and experience the beer festivals".
Dr. Kreilein added, "We want to eat, drink, study, and smell the German experience, and to gain a first-hand encounter with the changes in the Germanys. I intend to speak German with our students so that their conversational skills will be increased."
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