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 Staff photo/ Angela Weaver
Five 16-year-olds from Lienen, Germany, lunched at City Hall Monday after a tour of the library. The group arrived Sunday night and will stay in St. Marys for three weeks through the Sister City program. From left: Patrick, Ann-Christine, Tim, Luesa and Jonas.
By ANGELA WEAVER
Staff Writer
ST. MARYS — Five German students arrived in St. Marys Sunday night, walking on American soil for the first time.
Jonas, Patrick, Tim, Ann-Christine and Luesa, all 16, are staying in St. Marys for three weeks through the Sister City program that connects the city with Lienen, Germany.
Approximately 10 years ago, former St. Marys Mayor Bill Sell and Wapakoneta’s mayor at the time, Don Wittwer, developed the idea of creating a Sister City program, said program organizer Kathy Langsdon. In 1995 and 1996 one exchange student came to St. Marys.
“In 1997, we started with a whole group, and created the four-year program,” Langsdon said. “Every two years, kids from St. Marys can go to Germany for a month. Airfare is included, and besides a $350, three-day stay in Berlin, they only need however much money they want to spend. But the kids don’t really take advantage of it — usually more go for the Japan program.”
“The other two years, a group comes here,” she said. “There are usually five — no more than you can fit in a car — and we always have really good kids.”
Each year, the group has an hourlong tour of the library and a luncheon in City Hall on the Monday, said Langsdon.
“Todd (Fleagle) does a really good job of setting it up,” Langsdon said. “We also take them to the parks and downtown. It’s really fun.”
The students stay with host families, like Carol Lengerich, who stopped by the luncheon.
“We hosted three Japanese students years ago and really enjoyed it,” Lengerich said, noting she is hosting Patrick. “So when Kathy asked, we agreed to do it.”
All the students had never been to America before, but they have been learning English for a few years.
“We don’t really know many things about this town,” Ann-Christine said, adding that she came to get to know the people and the language and the way of living over here.
“I’m here to see the big city of New York,” Patrick said before the group left City Hall to visit the bicycle museum in New Bremen.
Later this year, the adult group from Lienen will arrive, as well as the exchange students from Japan. |
