From Europe To The Valley, Student Samples World Cultures
Maria Ivanova, 17, of Russia, Bulgaria, Austria, and now the Spokane Valley, thinks of herself as an ambassador.
Her particular mission of diplomacy is going on this year in the home of Lyle and Linda Beach, her host parents, and in halls and classrooms of West Valley High School.
“There are wonderful things we have in common,” Ivanova says. “The best thing about the world is our differences.”
Never mind the vast differences in government and education - college is free, for instance, in Austria - differences in our culture appear everywhere for Ivanova.
“How you communicate in stores … you are far more outgoing. It’s wonderful to be able to talk with people you don’t even now,” she says.
And when her host sister received four roses for Valentine’s Day, Ivanova admonished Monica Beach’s boyfriend: “Ryan, how can you do that?”
In Bulgaria, even numbers of roses are given only to the dead.
Ivanova’s unusual background - her family moved from Moscow to Bulgaria when she was 3, from Bulgaria to Austria when she was 13 - gave her valuable experience at handling the vast changes in culture.
She is outgoing and so fluent in English that she is on West Valley’s fledgling debate team.
Her courses include world history, which she likes because of the emphasis on current events.
Ironically, she says, she didn’t really understand the conflict in Bosnia until she learned the religious and ethnic background from history teacher Ted Wert.
“I wrote a paper on Bosnia, and Mr. Wert said (when he returned the paper) that I should be president of Yugoslavia,” Ivanova said.
High school students here, she says, have a deeper, more rewarding involvement in their school. From clubs, to choir, to more involvement in sports - there are more opportunities to be involved.
“Cheerleaders, for instance. We know what they are. We’ve read about them. We’ve seen them on TV. But we don’t have them,” she says.
In Austria, a class group of students stays together in one room, with teachers coming and going. Students must assimilate a huge amount of knowledge - 13 subjects.
Ivanova will have to make up all that work over the summer and next year, and still keep up with her senior year, if she wants to graduate with her class.
But for now she’s soaking up her passions - the English language, jazz, including a trip to the Lionel Hampton Festival of Jazz in Moscow, Idaho, this weekend, and enjoying Americans’ warmth - and serving as a young ambassador from Europe.< Ivanova is in the Worldwide International Student Exchange, one of about a dozen exchange programs operating in the Spokane area.
Families who are interested in hosting a student next year can learn more from Marcia Dorwin, local representative for the program. Call Dorwin at 926-1883 for more information.
Barn-raising, technology style
Greenacres Elementary is looking for businesses, families and individuals to help network and wire the school for the Internet.
On April 19, which has been designated NetDay97, Greenacres officials hope to wire the entire school. Donations of money, equipment and time are welcome, said principal Benita Galland.
WV DECA qualifiers
Twelve West Valley High School students have qualified for state DECA conference. They include:
Andrea Thomas, Erica Frampton, Nicole Stevens, Luke Rieker, Quinn Sharpe, Jolene Hoover, Jeremy Isherwood, Jill Nihoul, Amber Mitchell, Leslie Weisner, Erika Anderson and Aisha Olmstead.
The state conference is to be held March 7-8 in Seattle.
ADHD support group
A support group for parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder meets Wednesdays at Greenacres Elementary.
The group is scheduled to meet through the end of March. Meetings start at 7:15 p.m. and last an hour. Counselor Gary Perno is the facilitator. For more information, call 921-8701 during school hours.
Dance clinic at WVHS
The West Valley High School dance team will be teaching a dance clinic for young dancers on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The youngsters will have the chance to perform that evening during halftime of the boys basketball game. The game starts at 8 p.m.
The dance team also will perform next month, March 7-11, at a national competition in Orlando, Florida, and will march in a parade at Disney World. For more information call Adair Holman, dance team adviser, at 922-5488 during school hours.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo