SWISS SUMMU2
iHieiuresiDiiES
ty Hank Howard
Swiss cheese, Swiss chocolate
and the Alps aren’t all that
comprise that tiny neutral
republic in Europe, deducts Elyn
Sykes, a senior here at Grimsley.
And she should know, for much of
her summer was spent in the
chilly, high altitudes of Switzer
land.
The journey which lasted from
June 9 to August 11 covered a
span of six weeks and included a
type of orientation and language
study in Vermont, a visit with a
selected family in Gilly (on Lake
Geneva), one week of horseback
riding, one week of travel, and
ten days again with the family in
Gilly. During the entire visit, side
trips were permitted which took
students to places near their
“home” such as the city of
Lausanne, and a medieval village
in France across Lake Geneva.
Included in Elyn’s “family”,
the Weitzels, were a mother,
father, children, Natalie; Gladys;
and Christian; and a grandmother
of Dutch-German descent. Elyn
noted that the father sells and
repairs lawnmowers and keeps
shop below the family living
quarters in a new chalet-type
home. The view of the lake from
their second floor terrace could
only be described as breathtak
ing.
Another of Elyn’s discoveries
was that education is much more
important and predominant in
Swiss life. Since for all citizens
college is required, the nation is
said to be 99% literate, while the
unemployment rate remains
about 1%. Miss Sykes added that
the schoolchildren did not begin
summer vacation until July 10.
Herself a French student, Elyn
admits that “it was hard to talk a
lot at first.” Language seem ed to.
be an extra barrier, as their were.
five French children visiting the
Weitzels during Elyn’s stay. The
visitor from Grimsley explains
that there are three major
languages used in the country:
French, German, and Italian.
Various combinations of these
languages of bordering nations
are also widely used.
But perhaps one of the most
international channels of commu
nication proved to be no problem.
During Elyn’s stay the family
television was only “brought out
of the closet” once.
Still, Elyn admits that
“traveling was the best part”.
Many trips throughout Switzer
land took her to large cities such
as Lausanne, Zurich, Geneva and
Bern, the capital. Trains which
“always ran on time” were a
chief mode of transportation.
Breathtaking views confronted
the Grimsley senior in her trips.
“There were lots of chateaux”.
Many hotels with outdoor cafes
dot the townscapes, and the
towns are known to be “very
particular about their gardens.”
“One outstanding trip took Elyn
in a trolley 11333 feet up in the
mountains to Jungfrau in the
Alps, while another took her
down to a lowland city where a
wine festival, the Fete des
Vignerons, celebrated only once
every twenty-five years was the
main attraction. An “ice palace”
at the top of Jungfrau was
described as truly spectacular
since everything, including the
walls, floor, ceiling, a Swiss flag
symbol and Volkswagen were
made of ice. Elyn also reports to
have seen the famed Bern clock
and the bear pits of Bern (the
bear is the symbol of Switzer-
land).
Still another trip took Elyn to
the picturesque town of Klosters
where Greta Garbo was staying at
the same time. And Elyn can now
verify that the swiss chocolate
truly is “excellent”. “We saw a
chocolate factory, cheese factory,
and music museum in the same
day.”
The tour which this Grimsley
student took part in was an
excursion of the Experiment in
International Living, advertised
in the newspaper last year.
Anyone in the age group of 16-35
was eligible for a scholarship to
pay for most of the trip, and the
choice was narrowed down to
Elyn Sykes, after she wrote in.
While it is true that Elyn
traveled very much, the family
which she visited, like most other
Swiss families, tended to stick
close to home. She noted that the
Swiss are very “family oriented”
and even “did not have friends
over to eat.” In fact Elyn
discovered that the mother had
never been to the nations larger
cities like Bern or Zurieh, nor had
she eaten at a restaurant. While
Elyn would often walk to Rolle, a
nearby city, or ride for 15 minutes
to Lausanne, “they very rarely go
that far.”
Among her travels Elyn had
some really interesting experi
ences dincluding unexpectably
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Stamey and 200 youths from
Greensboro at the U.N. in
Geneva. And she heard her first
yodeler in a train station, of all
places.
But, according to Elyn, the trip
seemed to go by quickly. The
seven hour flight back to New
York and then a southern sweep
homeward soon brought her back
to the world of America and high
school. But the memories will
linger. A pressed sprig of
edelweiss given to her by her
“mother” in Switzerland will
always remind Elyn of her
memory-filled journey. And on
refleetion she will once again be
able to look out from the family’s
chalet into the dense fog
blanketing the lake. Then “all of
a sudden you’d look up and there
would be France” across the lake.
Yes, Switzerland will always be
there... tucked away in Elyn
Sykes’ mind.
Elyn Sykes
iiihcill
Cindy Ward
Remember way back in June
when the 3:30 bell rang on the
last day of school? Most of us
were ready to hit the beach,
especially the newly graduated
Partying, late nights, sleeping
until 12 noon, and basking away
by the poolside were on the
agenda for many of the students.
For some, weekends meant
partying at a lake, with a little
swimming and water skiing on
the side.
Friday night specials were
dates to see Star Wars, The Deep,
or The Other Side of Midnight.
July arrived in hardly any time
at all, bringing record-breaking
temperatures, the Fourth of July,
and the East-West All-star
football game.
All too soon August was here.
Son of Sam was captured, and one
of the worst droughts in North
Carolina’s history had ruined
crops all over the state.
Small pre-schoolers and gradu
ated seniors alike began casting a
wary eye at the day on which they
would be attending a bigger
school.
Meanwhile football practice
had long been underway, sophs,
juniors, and seniors began
receiving master schedules in the
mail, and the mad scramble for
decent lockers had begun.
Registration day arrived, then
the first day of s^ool was upon
us. Now with Labor Day behind
us, and classes in full swing.
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