Teens Play Ambassador
Verona Students Break Down Cultural Barriers in Lebanon
By Ann Marie Ames
Correspondent for The Capital Times
November 1, 2005
VERONA - Breaking down the stereotypes Middle Easterners and Americans
have about each other may seem like an impossible task. Neither
technology nor brute force can take down a wall like that.
A job that tough requires the voice of a teenager.
James Doing, Caitlin Cornelius, Noah Kenoyer and Megan Murphy, all
juniors at Verona High School, have just come home from a three-week
tour of Lebanon.
Aside from attending classes at the Universal School of Lebanon at
Bterram, visiting natural and cultural landmarks and enjoying Lebanese
nightlife, the students gave a presentation about American culture at
high schools across the country.
"I thought, 'It's America. What can they possibly learn?'" said
Cornelius of the presentation, which included facts about the nation,
Wisconsin, the Madison area and Verona High School. "But they learned
quite a lot. And the questions they had were not stupid questions. We
were able to break stereotypes that they had."
It was certainly no vacation as the American students discussed issues
that would make many adults cringe. Gay marriage, abortion, religion in
the classroom and terrorism were just a few of the topics in the
presentation. At times, the dialogue was intense.
When asked by one Lebanese student how he felt about Arabs, Kenoyer turned the question around.
"I said that a lot of Americans think that all people from the Middle
East are terrorists. I asked how they feel about us, and he said, 'That
you're all terrorists.' "
All four students recall the few seconds of stunned silence after that statement.
"I said, 'Well, now you can see how it feels,' " Kenoyer continued.
"Obviously they're not terrorists, and obviously we're not. We both
knew how it felt."
The American students observed increasing tensions as they traveled
south into Lebanese cities with greater anti-American sentiment.
"I won't forget when we went into the schools to present, as we went
farther south, I could feel the tension," said Murphy. "But then it was
so neat - when we answered questions and really got to talk to them,
you could see it break. We had good conversations. Afterwards they
would come up to us and ask for e-mails. They would ask questions. 'Can
I hug you? Can I kiss you? Is that OK?' "
The Verona students didn't just knock down stereotypes; they had a chance to see through them themselves.
"Individual people, they are just like people here in America," said
Doing. "They like the same things, dress the same and laugh at the same
things. I felt really comfortable just being myself. I didn't think I
would be able to do that in a foreign country."
Sue Reget, a social studies teacher, accompanied the students on the
trip. Aside from being proud of her students and impressed with the way
their public speaking skills improved with each presentation, Reget
noted that one person can make a difference when it comes to
international understanding.
"One teacher over there decided to participate, and one teacher here
did, too," Reget said. "The students filled out the applications. That
little ripple has created a lot of information and understanding."
The students were nominated for the BRIDGE (Building Respect Through
Internet and Global Education) program by their social science
teachers. There was no cost for the students who were chosen to
participate.
Through a grant from the U.S. State Department's Educational and
Cultural Affairs Bureau, the BRIDGE program has supported iEARN
programs in the United States as well as Egypt, Jordan, Morocco,
Pakistan and other Middle Eastern Countries.
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