Students learn first-hand about international culture
Staff writer
When five Marion High School students and graduates went on a 14-day trip to Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia, they stayed busy with many activities, but two of the students were able to quickly decide what their favorite part of the trip was.
“Probably seeing all the different cultures in different places,” senior Michael Kirkpatrick said.
Junior Taylor Harms agreed.
“Yeah, the tribal stuff was really cool,” she said.
The most memorable cultural experience was seeing native New Zealanders perform a traditional haka — war dance — during a feast, teacher Lisa Johnson said. The students were excited later when they saw New Zealand’s rugby team perform a haka before a televised match against South Africa.
The students didn’t enjoy all of their experiences with other cultures, though, but Johnson said the experiences were important.
“I feel it’s really important for students to see the world, see other cultures, and learn how to travel,” Johnson said.
Some of the students had been to Canada and Mexico before, but most hadn’t been overseas, Kirkpatrick said. He, Harms, and junior Victoria Steiner said they thought they would be better prepared for any future international trips.
Going through customs offices was the most difficult part of traveling, simply because it took so long, Kirkpatrick said. He said he learned not to buy a lot of souvenirs at the first stop of a multinational trip because of customs.
The group left for the trip July 11. They began the trip with their longest flight: 10 hours from Los Angeles to Fiji.
“That was not a fun flight,” Kirkpatrick said. He joked that he saw every movie ever made while on the plane.
The group spent two days in Fiji before flying to New Zealand, where they stayed three days. From New Zealand, they spent four days in Australia.
Seeing the iconic Sydney Opera House and visiting an animal refuge were two of the highlights of the students’ time in Australia. The students were able to hold and pet kangaroos and koalas at the animal refuge. There are so many kangaroos in Australia, they are almost a nuisance like deer are in Kansas. Johnson said.
The group spent two days in Hawaii during the return trip. Kirkpatrick, Harms, and Steiner all said Hawaii was their favorite stop of the trip. Harms and Steiner said they would have enjoyed Australia and New Zealand more if they had been warmer, but it was winter in the southern hemisphere during the trip.
Kirkpatrick tried surfing in Hawaii, but he said it is just as difficult as it appears. He was able to stand up on the board, but only for a few seconds at a time. What really frustrated him was seeing 7-year-olds surfing easily, he said.
Kirkpatrick, Harms, and Steiner were joined by 2010 MHS graduates Brooke Johnson and Drew Maddox. They were accompanied by Mark and Lisa Johnson, Barb Steiner, Kristen Waner, Janice Waner. The group, named Students for Educational Travel, had fundraisers to defray the cost of the trip.