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--> Senior Kristina Land, 17, spends a moment on the quad at Ashland High School. Ashland Daily Tidings/CHRIS MILLER Two teens, two nations American, Swede switch continents with Rotary's help By Amber Fossen Ashland Daily Tidings One of the best ways to explore another culture is to dive right in - as any foreign language teacher will tell you. That's exactly what Ashland High School graduate Jazzmin Parker, 19, and Kristina Lind, 17, a senior from Frams Fchartau High School in Skondal, Sweden, decided to do through the Ashland-Lithia Springs Rotary Club youth exchange program, which gives students an up-close-and-personal account of another culture. According to Lind, the cultural exchange is an opportunity to learn more about how other students live and to quiet misconceptions. "I thought the people here would be like Ricki Lake," Lind admitted. "(But) They're very friendly here. In Sweden, I would never talk to people in lines, but here everybody stands around and talks," Lind said. Ashland's sociability isn't the only difference Lind has noticed. American schools are substantially different from Lind's educational background in Sweden where students are grouped in small clusters. AHS has given Lind the opportunity to mix with a variety of students on various subjects each day. Although many AHS students have aired complaints regarding the new schedule, Lind likes the chance to see new faces. "I like the system here," she said. "They're (AHS students) excited that I'm from Sweden." Lind noted that she's taken advantage of the opportunities American schools offer, such as joining the AHS Crew Team. Extracurricular sports are not offered through Swedish schools. "We don't have anything," she said. "You (Americans) have so many more activities." Parker, on the other hand, was surprised to find out how academically demanding French schools are. "The schools are very different indeed. The schools here are all academic. There are no fun classes like theater, dance, music or sports. Nothing like that . . . which makes me feel bad for the students here. I know that in Ashland, I was the biggest theater student there could be and it brought me so much joy that I was more inspired to do the academic work," Parker said by e-mail from Vierzon, France where she is staying with a host family. The two students will not receive credit during their year abroad, according to rotary officials. Also, neither can hold a job under the program's rules. The goal of the program is help students learn the language while bringing the world closer together. This year alone, more than 7,000 students worldwide have participated in the program. As with Lind, Parker chose to live a year abroad to expand her cultural horizons. Inspired by AHS French teacher Lauren Schaffer, who taught Parker the beauty of the language, Parker decided to improve her language skills and stretch her wings in a cross-seas adventure. "I love the language more than anything and the thought of being fluent even now brings me goosebumps," Parker said. "I also know that you can spend your whole life in Ashland, it is so beautiful. And while I may do that, I needed to see the world first" In addition to adjusting to completely different learning environments, both exchange students had to deal with the difficulty of leaving family and friends behind. A task that's proved much harder than either anticipated. "Really think about what it is like to be away from your friends and family," Lind said. "It is hard to know absolutely no one. It is hard to feel like an outsider," Parker added, noting that she is still in an adjusting phase. And while participating in the exchange program may make students long for a familiar face, both students recommend the exchange program with a little advice. "Study your country because people ask about it all the time," Lind said. "You will learn the best and worse of yourself so be prepared. Know that you are ready to spend a year away from everything you knew and just be flexible. Try as hard as you can to go with the flow and not let anything get you down. It's your exchange and it will only be as good as you make it," Parker said. Parker and Lind will return to their homelands in late June or early July. To learn more about the Ashland-Lithia Springs Rotary Club youth exchange program, contact Katharine Danner, exchange coordinator, at 482-2302. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: Webmaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing