Marist High School recently welcomed a group of Italian exchange students on campus. For ten days, the students were able to catch a glimpse of their American lives, attend classes, enjoy Chicago, and participate in the school activites from September 19 – 28.
“We have a group of kids from a different country, that are very sociable, they can interact with anyone even if you do not take Italian,” said Italian teacher Ms. Alessia Zulato.
For many of the visiting students they quickly noticed a vastly different schedule.
“They have a block schedule, so they have three subjects a day, [each] two hours long. It’s really different that the classes change every 46 minutes,” said Zulato.
The students also got the opportunity to see popular tourist attractions such as The Bean, Six Flags amusement park, and go to a Sox game.
“It was really cool seeing how you could see the excitement on their faces when we did basic everyday activities or seeing things we call home,” said junior Julia Carney, who hosted one of the students.
The Italian students made the most of their time here.
“I look forward to using all my time to learn about you as much as possible. I like to go everywhere and not stay a single second at home,” said visiting student Tommaso Lanni.
For the Italian students, the experience was a chance to build friendships and build a better understanding of American culture. The Marist students also get a life lesson.
“They tell us about their own experience life and then they see ours,” said Zulato. “I hope they can see what American school really is like. They see it in the movies and it’s really nice to see that reality is very much like the movies.”
Beyond academics, the students experienced culture shock with American food.
“I like the fast food. We only have three [fast food restaurants] in Italy,” said visiting student Alfonso Iannuzzi.
Though the trip only lasted 10 days, the connection and bonds that were built will last a lifetime.
“I consider him a special part of Marist that only I can talk upon. He lived with me and I spent a lot of time with him to form a bond that we have along with my friends,” said Carney.
“I love it here, I grew so close with [my host family] and Marist students,” said Lanni.
