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Students will visit Medford's Italian sister Idea is to open up their minds about the world By ALEX BREITLER Wineries, castles and even a chocolate factory await 23 Medford high school students swinging into Europe next month. The trip will add a chapter to Medford's nearly 40-year connection with its sister city, Alba, Italy. The cities exchange high school students every other year, and in March it'll be Medford's turn. Juniors and seniors from North and South Medford high schools will stay with host families and experience Italian culture first-hand. The three-week trip kicks off March 20. "We've had kids that traveled for the first time and went back to spend more time in Europe," said Liz Smith, president of the local Sister City Association. "It's a wonderful experience. It's more than a vacation, and they don't realize that until they get back." The students will divide into two groups and even get a trip within a trip -- one group will venture into southern Italy, while one will head to Paris, France, tagging along on a field trip for Alba high school students. The trip is designed to open up students' minds about the world. "They just think this is all there is," said Liz Kellogg, a South Medford Spanish teacher and one of two chaperones for the trip. "When they go somewhere, they're going to learn to be more tolerant of differences, I hope." The exchange follows a trip by Alba students to Medford last fall, so many kids already know their host families and Italian peers. Students will write in journals and attend school for a few days. This helps expose them to life in Italy, Smith said. "They get a deeper understanding of what's going on in the world," she said. The tradition of student exchanges between Medford and Alba's high schools has been strong since 1985, though the cities became sisters back in 1960. Today, the student exchanges are the most vibrant element of the cities' relationship. "It has been the heart of our program for 10 years," Smith said. Alba sits in northwestern Italy, in the foothills of the Alps. "It's a beautiful little city," Smith said. "The people are very proud of their tradition and history. Everyone seems to be so warm and friendly." The trip doesn't come free for students -- an auction coming up March 6 will be a big money-maker, as is a Christmas tree pick-up service. A few students even sold Italian Valentine's cards this month. "That makes the trip affordable for anyone who wants to participate," Smith said. But there was prep work to be done besides simply fund-raising. Trip-goers attend orientations on Monday nights where they learn about customs, the geography of Italy and a bit of language -- enough to get by with non-English-speaking host parents. Students even watched "Life is Beautiful," the recent film about a Jewish Italian family during the Holocaust. The point is to make students "good ambassadors," Kellogg said. That's shouldn't be difficult, according to Smith. "It's a great group of kids," she said. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA