The Danish are coming! The Danish are coming! Each year, several Danish students come to stay at Assumption for two weeks with a junior and her family. This year’s students are Anna Zein staying with Melissa Caldwell, Linea Andersen Vogel staying with Lexi Campisano, Andrea Knakkergaard Knub staying with Shauna Ferguson, Aysha Malik staying with Claire Hook, Sofie Jonsbo staying with Chrissy Kaininberg, Cecilie Bitsch staying with Isabelle Knepp, Laura Dam Nybroe Lund staying with Brittany Nordhoff, and Michala Nim-Melchiorsen staying with Katelyn Stearman. The girls talked with Lisa Wieland’s senior English IV class about the different cultural aspects of Denmark and America.

It is no secret that Assumption girls love food, and this fact has not escaped the notice of the exchange students. According to them, Americans eat a lot more sweet foods: candy, cake, chips, etc. Americans snack a lot more, whereas in Denmark, they eat two or three larger meals.

The classroom setting is also very different. In Danish classrooms, the students feel they have closer relationships with their teachers than in American classes. The girls address their teachers by their first names and disregard proper titles like Mister (Mr.) and Missus (Mrs.). Some of the exchange students didn’t know their teachers’ last names. They do more independent work, reading for homework then discussing the material the next day in class. But while the atmosphere seems more relaxed, they spend about four hours on homework and take larger tests instead of frequent small quizzes and average tests.

There are many major cultural differences between Denmark and America, inside and outside of school. While the culture is incredibly different, they are still teenage girls just like Assumption students. They care about what they wear, gossip, and love to laugh, just like Assumption girls.

Article by Emily Darnell 

Photo by Cindi Baughman