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By CINDY MAHAN
Rappahannock News SUIT Writer
Thomas Schulze lives in Stralsund, Germany, in what used to be East Germany. Only very recently has he been allowed to even visit another country, let alone be an exchange student for an entire year.
When a representative from Youth For Understanding, the agency which places exchange students overseas, visited Thomas’s school, he applied immediately. He was told that only one out of approximately 100 applicants would be chosen, but he didn’t let that discourage him. “I was so happy when they chose me,” he said.
Because Thomas’s mother has only been able to dream about travelling during most of her life, she is especially happy that Thomas was able to come to the United States.
Thomas’s favorite class is U.S. History. “I have Mr. Flincham for U.S. History. He is great. You can tell he is really interested in the subject,” said Thomas. “The teachers and students here seem a lot friendlier than in Germany,” he added.
School in Thomas’s hometown begins at 7 a.m. Each class lasts for 45 minutes, and the school day ends at 1:30. Lunch is not served, but the students get two breaks and they can leave the school grounds.
Stralsund is a coastal town on the Baltic Sea. The resort island of Rugen is just a short ride away. Sailing is a very popular sport, and Thomas does a lot of sailing. When East Germany was still in existence, the sailing clubs were free, but now the dues run about $100 a year. “The clubs are very competitive,” said Thomas. Sports are not connected with schools; they are separate clubs.
Thomas worries that he might have trouble finding a job in his town when he is finished with school. He says that there are plenty of places to spend money now\ but it is harder to get the money. There was a boat building business in Stralsund and the boats were sold to the Russians. “Now they have to try to sell the boats somewhere else,” he said. “Supermarkets are being built, and small stores are having a hard time,” he added.
Thomas claims the food here is a lot different. One of his favorite foods is hamburgers. “If you tried to order a hamburger in a nice restaurant in my country, they w'ould laugh at you,” he said.
Thomas is staying with John and
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