Just outside of Chicago, there is a 6,000 acre preserve that houses something magnificent. As East Central College Engineering/Math Academic Advisor Linda Arrington puts it – it merges science and architectural beauty.
“We raised funds for two years to go on this trip. It is something students really looked forward to,” said Arrington. It’s called the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, and it is home to Tevatron – the largest proton accelerator in North America. After the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, it’s the second largest in the world. According to its website, the purpose of the facility is to expand humankind’s understanding of matter, energy, space and time, capturing imaginations and inspiring future generations. During Spring Break, students from East Central College took a peek inside. “I learned there are a lot of things particle accelerators can do for us,” said engineering student Zachary Bartels. “We were told someone was working on a particle accelerator to harden asphalt quicker. I had no idea.” Though Tevatron was shut down in 2011 after 26 years of colliding particles, the facility is still home to seven other particle accelerators used for research and development. “This visit was pure science,” said Arrington. “Students were able to see the scale and scope of the super magnets the accelerator used. They also got to experience what it would be like to work in an environment where exciting and innovative research takes place.” “The trip gave us insight about the applications of a particle accelerator,” said engineering student Cody McWay. “While learning about these applications, we observed how we, as future engineers, could possibly be integrated into that environment. A plethora of electrical, mechanical and civil engineers are necessary for the physicists to be able to build these machines and study how these particles interact at velocities near the speed of light.” Students also visited an Exxon Mobil Refinery in Joliet, Illinois during the trip. “This was a rare opportunity,” said Arrington. “A refinery is not usually open for visitors. Students got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see major unit operations in real-time.” By: Miranda Durbin
Earlier in the year, students were curious and frantic about their options regarding the ACT due to the recent budget cuts to Missouri schools. Ultimately, however, at New Haven, the ACT or ACT WorkKeys was offered to the entire junior class for free. The district paid for the testing, allowing these students to have the opportunity to take the ACT without having to pay out of pocket. On Wednesday, April 3rd, a majority of the junior class took the well-known ACT test. Some of the juniors chose to take the ACT WorkKeys instead of the traditional ACT, but this was taken on an earlier date: March 27th. On the day before spring break and the day of the testing, many of the juniors’ teachers opted out of giving the students homework, knowing that they would be tired and unable to concentrate due to the difficulty and stress of the ACT. The class participated in two surveys to paint a clear picture of their feelings: one before the ACT and one after. Each student was asked how they felt about taking the ACT, if they planned to take it again, and also about how they prepared for the April 3rd testing date. Before testing, Claire Laune commented, “I am nervous and scared at the same time.” Kamryn Poe reflected, “I am so nervous to take the ACT. I know I can take it again this summer, but in order to get into some colleges and get scholarships, I need to get over a 24... I just don't know how I will do overall!” Alex Trentmann, who had previously taken the ACT before the April 3rd testing date, mentioned, “When I first took it, I was not looking forward to waking up at 6 in the morning to go all the way to Washington High to take it. I feel like taking the ACT is a great way to show colleges what you can do.” After testing, students were asked again how they felt about the ACT. Diana Ribera said, “I feel relieved that I don't have to worry much about it anymore. I mean, I want to take it again so I feel like I'll be more prepared then I did the first time.” Callie Weatherly commented on what stood out to her the most on the ACT, “I have never been good at reading-- I have to read it several times to understand most times-- but on the ACT, you don't have time to read and reread.” Callie also mentioned some advice to students planning on taking the ACT at some point in their high school careers. “Keep an eye on the clock, time yourself. If you are taking more than a minute or so, you are probably making it too complicated. Remember that all the questions are worth the same, so answer as many easy questions as you can before doing the hard ones. It is alright to guess!” By: Kamryn Poe Franklin County R-II holds a quarterly reading night for all its students and their families. Family Reading Night is a time for kids to read, make crafts, and have fun. It is a chance for students to further their education while experiencing it in an enjoyable, new way. Each Family Reading Night has a new theme planned for the families. From superheroes to snowmen, building to bears, the children are always learning something new. Guest readers come in to help encourage the theme, too! From Captain America to the Big Bad Wolf to our United States Military Veterans and First Responders, all kinds of characters come to help encourage the children to read. At the end of each event-- after the games and reading-- kids get to take home a free book courtesy of the Franklin County R-II PTO. Books range from kindergarten reading level to 8th grade. Refreshments are served by the R-II STUCO and attendance prizes are given out. The attendance prizes usually reflect back on the theme of Family Reading Night. The last event theme was centered around building-- building blocks, clay, and group activities. The prizes consisted of Legos, and special guests even showed up to hand them out. Family Reading Night is a very family-oriented event and is great for children of all ages to enjoy. “I love that families come together to promote a love of reading for their child,” Mrs. Angela Mense, Parent as Teachers (PAT) educator and Title 1 Reading aide, commented. “It's a great way to spend an evening of quality time together and show your children that reading is fun and important.” Family Reading Night was described as a “special night.” What does that mean? Mrs. Samantha Unger, Franklin County R-II parent, expressed how she felt about this night. “It’s a special night to do fun things at school-- to make school fun. It’s an opportunity to do something with my family… out of the ordinary routine.” Family Reading Night is important to families because it does bring them together for a night, while also giving children a chance to learn. “I think it is important to spark an interest in reading at a young age,” Mrs. Mense offered. “[Family Reading Night] has [also] given me a chance to share important messages through reading. I love seeing all of my students and their families enjoying their time together.” Mrs. Unger likes Family Reading Night because, for someone who works long hours most nights, it's nice to have “more family time.” She also shared that it “helps [her] kids want to read and adds to their imagination.” According to Teresa Poe, coordinator for the events, “Family Reading Night allows our small community to come together to build positive relationships between home and school. It gives parents, grandparents, teachers, community leaders, and students a fun, friendly atmosphere to get to know each other. It makes school a place where we can come together and show our students that we not only care about them, but their families as well.” Family Reading Night is a good way to get children interested in reading and to encourage families to get creative. It also takes reading to new levels and makes it fun for the whole family. There will be an upcoming event in the near future. By: Callie Weatherly
The class of 2019, current juniors, are preparing for their senior year. With emotions flying every which way, the majority of the class is looking upon this transition with nothing but positivity. Although senior year is typically portrayed as a “blow off year” on TV and in movies, the majority of the class plans to take dual-credit college classes worth both college and high school credits. While not everyone is taking that route, the remaining students still plan on challenging themselves with weighted classes such as Calculus, Chemistry 2, and Honors English. The majority of next year’s seniors plan of participating in a variety of clubs, such as FCCLA, FBLA, NHS, and STUCO. Many also plan to take part in sports as well, including cheerleading, basketball, baseball, softball, track and field, and cross country. When asked about their expectations of senior year, many gave a variety of answers. Some hope it will go by fast, while others feel as if it's going to feel like forever. Others hope for it to be fun, yet challenging. As Kamryn Poe put it, “I expect senior year to seem long, but I hope to have a great time with my classmates. For most of us, this is the last chapter in our story to all be together. I hope we can enjoy that.” Many might find that she is right-- for the majority of us, it will be our last chapter together as a class. We have been there for each other through everything-- from family struggles to ACT stress to sporting competitions to weekend hangouts and everything in between. We have made many great memories together, memories we will take with us even after we graduate. Some of our favorite memories together, not as a class but as friends, include: CeCe Malone stated, “the summer is always fun. Last summer, I went to Six Flags multiple times, and just being there with my friends and riding all those rides was definitely something I want to remember all my life.” Devin Bruckerhoff mentioned wanting to remember his camping trips with his friends. Joseph Rethemeyer simply stated that he wanted to remember the solar eclipse. “Mrs. Taylor making Miranda Durbin cry by playing Beethoven one-handed while eating a salad,” Desiree Strehlau explains. Julia Unnerstall shared, “My favorite moment of all time is when Kamryn Poe fell over the collapsible fence at the Owensville tournament freshman year. Coach Scheer was laughing too hard to ask if she was okay. I almost fell over in laughter! Best moment of my life!” Kamryn Poe said, “I can't pick one memory. I want to remember every second that I have had with these amazing people over the last several years. Whether that be Levi, Claire, and I hanging out at our sisters’ middle school volleyball games or Lexi and I going to the movies... I want to remember all of the good times because of the wonderful people in those moments.” Miranda Durbin, on the other hand, doesn’t want to remember a particular moment, but the educators themselves. She shared, “I want to remember my teachers. Each and every one of my teachers has left an impact on my life, and without them, I wouldn't be the same person I am today. They've pushed me to do better when I thought I was doing my best; they've taught me more than general education, they've taught me right from wrong; they've shown me the person I am capable of being; and they have each left me with important lessons that I will use throughout my entire life. Without my teachers, I wouldn't live the life I am today. My teachers are the most important part of my education, and I don't want to forget them or what they have taught me throughout my life.” When it comes to the fears they have of their final year, many reported feeling nervous about the harder classes. Some are also worried about senioritis kicking in. Many are also worried about applying for colleges and things like whether they will be accepted into their top picks. Some of the most popular top picks for colleges among the class of 2019 are:
The future careers the class is considering go from truck driving to the medical field-- both human and animal-- to the teaching field. Some even consider a career in law enforcement, government, and political careers. As you can see, the class of 2019-- next year’s seniors-- have big plans for next year. The world is at their fingertips, and they hope to make the best of it. We, here at NHHS, wish you the best of luck.
The New Haven Athletic Booster Club is holding a Drive 4 UR School fundraiser Saturday, April 21st, from 9am-3pm in the New Haven Lumber parking lot. The booster club will receive $20 for each driver with a limit of one driver per household with the same address. There will be no follow-up phone calls, emails, or regular mail from Ford after the test drive. Program details can be found at here. Many hands-on activities for children will highlight the Earth Day celebration at East Central College on Saturday, April 28. The free event will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Donald D. Shook Student Center.
Children will have the opportunity to plant seeds, dissect owl pellets, play with water bugs, create fairy gardens, dive into strawberry DNA, build bird feeders and much more! Donations of old crayons will be accepted at the event, as well as HALO blankets. For more information about Earth Day activities visit eastcentral.edu or call 636-584-6627. By: Diana Ribera
Brian Azevedo is the NHMS/NHHS go-to guy when it comes to all things IT, or internet technology. He graduated from Mountain Grove High School in 2002. From 2002 to 2007, he went to Missouri State University for Electronic Arts. When asked why Mr. Azevedo wanted to work in New Haven, he responded with, “I moved to Hermann about 5 years ago, and I had heard good things about the school in New Haven.” Mr. Azevedo was asked what inspired him to become a school staff member, and he said, “Both of my parents were teachers, so working in a school was something that I was interested in from a young age.” He was questioned about what exactly he does for NHMS/NHHS, and he said, “I make sure that all of the various technology that we use here at the school are working correctly, and I help to plan what technology or services we might use in the future.” Mr. Azevedo said he really enjoys being able to help someone when they are having an issue, or trying to figure out how to do something involving technology. Outside of work, he is really passionate about playing music. He learned to play guitar and piano when he was younger, and it is something that he still really enjoys. He also loves anything to do with 3D designs. When asked about his family, he said, “My wife and I have been married for 7 years and we met while we were both going to college in Springfield through mutual friends. I have a daughter named Lilly who is 4 and a son named Eli who is 1.” He was questioned if he had a pet peeve, and he said, “I don't like when someone isn't willing to try to learn something new, or when they decide that they can't do something before attempting it.” One quote he likes is by Henry Ford: “Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young.” Thank you, Mr. Azevedo, for representing the Tradition of Excellence in our school! By: Lexi Oetterer
Students all across the United States had the opportunity to submit photos to win a cash prize in the Walsworth Photo Contest. There were two students that entered from New Haven High School: junior Miranda Durbin and senior Michelle Bahena, both from the Yearbook class. The students that entered had to be at least 13 years or older and attend a middle school, high school, or college. The photos had to be in by March 30. There are different categories that the students could have entered their photos in. The categories are Academics, Club/Organization/Community Service, Feature/Portrait, Junior High/Middle School, Photo Illustration, School Spirit, Sports Action, Sports Reaction, Student Life, and Yearbook Life. For each category, there is a $100 VISA card prize for the winner. “I entered five photos, and I wanted to enter because it's a really great opportunity to share my photography with other people,” said Miranda Durbin. “The photos I entered are mostly focused on one person, such as one that I entered of Diana Ribera while she is posing at the top of a cheer build. They tell their own story, and I think those stories need to be shared.” Michelle Bahena was asked what she entered into the contest and why. Her reply was, “A shot of Abe playing the M&M game at leadership week because I liked the angle and his expression, and a shot of tug of war because of the students' expressions.” Good luck to the photos that were entered into the Walsworth Photo Contest! New Haven School District #138 Job Posting Position: Special Education Teacher
Qualifications: Must hold proper state certification Reports To: Special Education Director To apply for this position, visit https://newhavenschools.tedk12.com/hire/index.aspx. Coaching positions are available.
By: Jake Wilson
As the month of April begins, practices for the New Haven summer softball team have begun. The team is made up of incoming freshmen through seniors that are interested in playing for the high school team in the fall. The head coach will be New Haven High School principal Chip Stutzman. New Haven softball has continued to see year-by-year improvement and will look to improve even more throughout the summer in preparation for the school season. Here is a look into their upcoming summer season. One of the big changes to the schedule this summer will be that they will not play in the Washington league. Instead, they will play double-headers against area travel and high school based teams. There are also 2 tournaments scheduled that the New Haven Youth Softball League plans to play as if they were varsity level. Coach Chip Stutzman stated, “Our ultimate goal is to get better. If we are a better team and better individual players at the end of the summer, we will have reached our goal. Playing 19 is going to be a challenge, but we feel like by predetermining several games as JV games, it will help create playing time for those who did not get into game 1.” There were 19 girls that signed up for the team this summer. There will be 4 incoming seniors, 3 juniors, 6 sophomores, and 6 freshmen. Incoming senior Olivia Williams commented, “I am extremely excited for this upcoming summer league season. We have a lot of really talented freshmen playing this season. I really enjoy having Mr. Stutzman as a coach. I feel like his coaching methods will make us better not only as a team, but as individuals too.” When asked about the potential impact of the many underclassmen, fellow incoming senior Kamryn Poe replied, “I think that we have really improved since I first started playing on our school summer league team. The [underclassmen] are doing great and I am feeling good about the upcoming season. We have so much talent in all of these girls-- it’s bittersweet seeing them do so good because this is my last year to play with such an incredible team.” The future looks very bright for New Haven softball. Good luck this summer, ladies! By: Lydia Otten
Saturday, April 28, is the date for prom 2018. The doors open at 8 P.M., then the coronation will begin at 11 P.M. Juniors and seniors are the only classes that can attend prom, but they can ask a freshman or sophomore. Traditionally, when you attend prom, you do something special first, like going out to eat or taking pictures. So, the juniors and seniors were asked this year what their plans consisted of. A majority of the students said they will be taking a party bus to The Cheesecake Factory, going to a nice dinner in St. Louis, and going to Chesterfield to eat at Charlie Gittos. They also said they will take pictures somewhere. Diana Ribera, junior, responded with, “It may seem weird, but Alex Trentmann, my date, and I are either going to Red Lobster or Olive Garden and having a double date with my parents. I wanted this year to be simple and it was a cute idea. My mom also thought it was cute.” Emma Engelbrecht, senior, also said, “I believe we are going out to eat and taking pictures and then we will probably go to someone's house to kill time.” When Grace Soete, junior, was asked what she is looking most forward to at prom, she commented with, “There aren't many events around here that we can get dressed up for, so I'm excited to wear a pretty dress and get my hair and makeup done.” Senior Natalie Hoerstkamp said, “I am looking forward to hanging out with my closest friends and showing off my dress.” Junior Joseph Rethemeyer plans on going home and going to bed after prom. Junior Alex Trentmann also said that he is going to hang out with his girlfriend before going home, after prom. Liz Hughes, senior, said, “If I could change one thing about prom, it would be that we have our prom at a cool venue in St. Louis.” Have a fun and safe prom to all who is attending! By: Dominick Cox and Christian Price
Mr. Stutzman is a principal at New Haven High School. His real name is Chip Stutzman. He was born in Natchez, Mississippi and he has two daughters. This is his 11th year of being the principal, after three years of being assistant principal. Before working at New Haven, he was a principal at Gasconade County R-l School District. He loves sports and he has two girls that play fast-pitch softball. He played baseball, football, basketball and ran track but mostly baseball and football. He has never been interested in video games because he would rather spend time outside. On hot summer days he likes to relax, watch his daughters play softball, and go fishing. As a principal, he likes to help the students reach their potential. Mr. Stutzman said that the best thing about New Haven is the traditions. By: Aaliyah Bates & Ella Kuhlmann
Mrs. Westermeyer works in the New Haven Middle School. She works Monday through Friday. She teaches Reading and English for both 7th and 8th grade. She teaches because she loves to teach. Her best friend is her husband, Todd. Keifer said that she is a nice teacher. Tressa Carver said that she is an awesome teacher. She is nice and helpful on vocab when you don't understand. Jarlin Alvarez says Mrs. Westermeyer is a very patient, caring teacher. She always makes sure that her students understand the lesson. Evan Warmbrodt said that she is a good teacher that cares about her students, and that they get good grades. She tries to help student in anyway she can. Her whole name is Julie Ann Westermeyer. She loves to spend time with her family outside when the weather is nice. Julie’s favorite book is Mercer Mayer little kid books and the Junie B. Jones books. This summer she will spend time in Fort Myers Beach, Florida and in between she plans on organizing her English and Reading unit. She plans on purging her house of all the extras. She has been to Europe twice and she traveled a lot when she was younger, but she wants to explore the National Parks and western United States. Julie really enjoys students who come to school and ready to learn. Outside of school she drives her kid to practices, games, and tournaments. When she isn’t doing that she enjoys being home. She cannot speak other languages. She has two kids, Ellie and Ryan, that are a perfect balance to her family. Ellie is a freshman, and Ryan is in fifth grade. By: Olivia Williams
From Friday, the 23rd, to Wednesday, the 28th, a group of Germans from our sister city of Borgholzhausen visited New Haven for a rededication ceremony. While they were in town, the Bürgermeister (German word for mayor) of Borgholzhausen, Dirk Speckman, visited with the German 2 class. Leonie Niemeyer and Sandrina Lupp-- students from our sister city-- also visited with the class and answered questions. The following statements came from the class’s Q&A with the visitors. First, Bürgermeister Speckman was asked if he had visited any other cities in the US besides New Haven. He stated, “When I was here in 1997, I flew into New York and spent 6 or 7 days in there. I also visited Philadelphia, which was cool to see the bases of the American Foundation.” He also mentioned that he had visited Chicago, the cities of Seattle and San Diego on the West Coast, and the Lake of the Ozarks. Leonie visited St. Louis and stated “We saw the Arch and rode the trolley. I fell asleep.” When Bürgermeister Speckman and Leonie were asked if anything about New Haven surprised them, they agreed that they were both surprised it was so hilly here. Bürgermeister Speckman was asked what his favorite thing to do in the US was. He said that he enjoyed driving around and looking at the countryside. He also mentioned he liked visiting with old friends. Leonie and Bürgermeister Speckman were asked if there were any big differences between the US and Germany. Leonie mentioned,“The school is very different and the school system is also different.” Bürgermeister Speckman said, “Sports plays such an important role in this area and in school.” He went on to talk about how, in Germany, there are no school-sponsored sports, only club teams. He also said handball is big over in Germany, and it is almost unheard of over here in the US. Bürgermeister Speckman was asked about the landscape of Germany. He stated, “The north of Germany is extremely flat. We always say you can see today who is coming to visit tomorrow. The area of Borgholzhausen is a little bumpy and hilly. The south of Germany is very hilly and mountainous.” Leonie and Sandrina were asked if they played any sports in Germany and if they have jobs like many high school students here in America do. Sandrina stated, “Yeah, I play volleyball but it doesn’t belong to our school. It’s separated. I think German kids work during holiday. Leonie works during weekends but it is not very often.” Leonie and Sandrina talked about some fun memories they had here in America. Sandrina said, “I was with Sarah [McKernan] at a competition of her boyfriend for shooting. In Germany that isn’t allowed.” In Germany, you cannot buy a weapon until you are 21 years old. She went on to say, “We went to a very big shopping mall.” To end their time in America, many of the Germans went to New York City. We wish them safe travels back to Borgholzhausen! By: Lexi Oetterer
The Young American Creative Patriotic Art Competition is a contest in which students grades 9-12 could create artwork that they believe expresses patriotism. There are four students that have entered the contest from New Haven High School: seniors Emma Engelbrecht and Michelle Bahena, and juniors Allie Young and Cecelia Malone. Cecelia Malone was asked why she entered the contest, and her reply was, “I felt like I needed to. My grandpa was really proud of the country he served.” The deadline for district level entries was March 31, and the judging will be done by April 10. If they win in the district level, their artwork will continue onto the state and national judges. At the district level, you could receive $50 for third place, $75 for second place, or $100 for first place. The overall winner will receive a reward that totals up to $21,000. There are of course some requirements for the artwork. The pieces cannot be in digital or photo form. All artwork has to be on paper or canvas between the sizes of 8” x 10” and 18” x 24”. Participants must use pencil, pen, ink, crayon, watercolor, acrylic, tempera, oil, pastel, or charcoal. Artwork cannot be framed, but should be in stretcher frames, on canvas board, or matted on something white. The completed entry form and a typed explanation of why the artwork expresses patriotism should be on the back of the artwork. Senior Emma Engelbrecht was asked what her favorite part about creating her contest piece was, and her reply was, “Seeing it all come together, and see it start to resemble what I had pictured in my mind.” Good luck to all the participants who entered the contest.
By Savanna Hanna
The New Haven High School choir and band performed at East Central College (ECC) for their district performances. The choir sang on Thursday, March 22, and the band played on Friday, March 23. The choir, led by Mrs. Katherine Taylor, sang “Be Still Nightingale” by Jerry Estes and “Winter Wolf” by Amy F. Bernon. The band, led by Mrs. Mandy Koch, played "Whispers" by Sandy Feldstein and Larry Clark, as well as the song "Triumphs!" by Joshua V. Hinkel. When at ECC, each of the performances was judged on a scale from 1-5 (1 being the best and 5 being the worst.) This scale was used for their practiced songs as well as the sight reading portions. Both the choir and band received a 2 rating. Angel Koch, an alto of New Haven’s choir, was asked if she was nervous to go to districts. She replied, “I mean, I was a little nervous, but after we got on stage it felt like we were just back in our choir room [at the high school].” She was also asked how she thought the choir did as a whole performing their songs. “I feel like we did good with our songs, but we could have done better with sight reading.” Angel added, “Even with us getting a 2 [rating], Mrs. Taylor was really happy. She told us good job and everything, which I think added more confidence to the rest of the choir.” Kamryn Poe, a soprano in the choir, was asked how she would summarize her feelings throughout the day at ECC. “Before we performed, I was really nervous. This being my third year, I should know what to expect, but it always seems different. However, once we got on stage, I let those nerves pass and just focused on the choir. I knew we could do this. Afterwards, I knew we could’ve done better, but this was the first time in a long time that we had brought the entire choir. So I was very pleased.” Russell Pinnell, a bass in the choir, was questioned about his favorite part of this year’s district choir. He said, “Getting a one [on solo] because I get to go to state. My solos were ‘Caro mio ben’ by Giuseppe Giordani and ‘Sebben Crudele’ by Antonio Caldara.” Keagan Huff, who plays percussion in the band, was asked how he thought he and the band did. He responded: “For my solo, I think that I did [a fairly good job]. I had to play two songs. On the first one, I kind of stumbled up a little bit but I got back on track. On the second song, I think that I did really well. The first song that I did is what got me a two [rating] instead of a one. For the whole band’s performance, I thought we sounded great in the auditorium, at least from where I was [which was] in the back. In the sight reading room, the other percussionist and I didn’t stop where the rest of the band did, so we were freaking out. Overall, the judges gave us a two [rating] in the auditorium [performance] and a one [rating] in sight reading.” Congratulations to the NHHS band and choir for their high rankings in their performances and hard work preparing for districts. By: Grace Soete
Borgholzhausen, Germany, has been New Haven’s sister city since 1994. Borgholzhausen’s mayor, Dirk Speckman, and president of the German-American Friendship Club, Lothar Ropohl, have been communicating with New Haven’s mayor, George Panhorst, and our president of the German-American Friendship Club, David Menke, to make this visit possible. The purpose of this trip was to rededicate the Hands Across The Sea memorial to our German friends. The rededication took place on March 25th at the Hands Across the Sea memorial in the New Haven city park. Both mayors and presidents of the German-American Friendship Club from Germany and New haven spoke and thanked each other for all the work that went into planning this trip. A tree was then planted to symbolize the friendships that have been made and continue to grow throughout the years. Our German friends were here from Friday, the 23rd, to Wednesday, the 28th. After 5 days in New Haven, part of the group headed to New York, the rest to Florida. The group was comprised of 34 individuals, ranging from 17 to 85. 20 welcoming families opened up their homes to host the German friends. The families were to show them around the area and some of the history of New Haven. When the Germans first arrived, there was a welcoming dinner held at the Assumption church. The evening before their departure, there was also a farewell dinner held at the American Legion. The group was treated to several other catered dinners throughout the week and trips to St. Louis. The Germans and their host families enjoyed reuniting with old friends and making new memories together. A first time visitor, Leonie Niemeyer, had the opportunity to visit the high school for a day. Leonie observed, “There are a lot of kids who get there early and sit in the hallway. In Germany we don't get there early and we get our homework done at home.” Another first time visitor, Sandrina Lupp, reflected, “I enjoyed everything! I liked getting to go into the Arch but I also enjoyed sitting around playing games with my host family. The candy I got to try was good too!” The McKernans hosted Sandrina Lupp. Cheryl McKernan stated, “In order to prepare for hosting a German, we bought some sparkling water, cold cuts, and rolls. We also bought a variety of candy for her to try.” Cheryl continued, “There was a couple of days that we had to come up with ideas of how to entertain and show our guests around New Haven. We took her to downtown New Haven and Washington and gave her many new experiences.” Thank you to all of our German friends who made this rededication visit a success. We look forward to the next time we get to see your smiling faces. |
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