Every year, Westhampton Beach hosts the Rotary foreign exchange students for the St. Patrick Day’s parade weekend. All exchange students who stay on Long Island come to WHB for the weekend.
The students came on Thursday evening and on Friday, each followed his or her host sister or brother in class for day. They wore their exchange student blazer filled with pins from other countries.
On Saturday, they became the part of the St. Patrick day’s parade. Each wore the blazer and marched with the flag from his or her country.
I caught up with students who hosted to find out a little bit more about their experience of hosting…
Aiden Kravitz, Freshman. Hosted : Filip Leskovsky.
What is the best thing about hosting an exchange student?
Sharing experiences, foods, and memories of the past. Also, the relationship you develop is much more than a friendship.
What is the worst thing about hosting exchange student?
When you first host you think that you could never be annoyed at your exchange brother or sister, but you definitely can. The worst part about hosting is the occasional arguments, which are usually over something stupid.
Why should others do it?
You develop a relationship that you will never forget. You truly become relatives and life long friends. It is an exciting program and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in hosting.
Vincent Cinque, Senior. Hosted : Lennart Herold.
What is the best thing about hosting an exchange student?
It opens a new group of friends every year, and every year it is our cultural differences that bring us together.
What is the worst thing about hosting an exchange student?
Since I was planning the weekend I had a lot of responsibility to make sure everyone was together, had a ride, and was informed. It was stressful. But besides that there is no bad part.
Why should others do it?
You see first hand that there is so much more to life than your little bubble. There is a whole big world out there. You also create everlasting friendships all over the world – I mean how many people can say they have friends from 20 different countries?! Also, it’s just plain fun, so everyone should do it! The best part is when we’re all together and it’s so much fun and so interesting to have so many countries represented in one room!
Tara Boeshore, Junior. Hosted : Miriam Staudinger.
What is the best thing about hosting an exchange student?
The best thing about hosting a foreign exchange student for the weekend is that you get to meet so many cool people from all over the world.
What is the worst thing about hosting an exchange student?
I can’t think of anything bad about it!
Why should others do it?
It is a great way to learn about different countries and their cultures. You make a lot of new friends, and it is ton of fun!
There are Alihan Demirel from Turkey, Beatrice Dal Bello from Italy, Blandine Legrand from Belgium, Christian Meza from Peru, Dora Viczencz from Hungary, Erwan LeRumeur from France, Lennart Herold from Germany, Miriam Staudinger from Austria, and Sergio Aguilera from Bolivia. Three people already stayed on Westhampton, there are Constanza Quijon from Chile, Filip Leskovsky from Slovakia, and myself, Maria Clarabella from Indonesia.