February 2001 
Chinese students in historic cultural exchange By Sheldon J. Reber, Director of School and Community Relations
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T he three Chinese high school students working with Tony Pitre's sixth-grade students at Lafayette School quickly scanned the Boggle sheet looking for five and six-letter English words. Pitre's students were surprised at how well their new friends could pick out the English words. Thanks to a group of persevering community members and a cooperative Chinese government, the young students were enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime exchange program. Cross-cultural history was made when a delegation of ten high school students, two teachers, and the principal from Kaiping No. 1 Middle School in rural Guangdong province visited Eureka City Schools from November 30 through December 9. According to Bill Schaser, an organizer of the exchange program, "The visit marked the first time Chinese high school students and their teachers have been allowed to visit the United States." The trip has been in the planning stages for almost three years. Schaser, a former Eureka High School biology teacher, guided a group of ten Eureka students and parents to the Chinese school twice, the last trip being in 1999. Many of the Eureka students continue to correspond with Kaiping students via mail and e-mail. The current cultural exchange and the previous two trips have been organized with the help of Lafayette Elementary School clerk/typist Betty Chinn, a former resident of Kaiping. The Chinese students and their teachers spent time with students and staff at Eureka High School, Zane and Winship Junior High Schools, and Lafayette Elementary School, toured Humboldt State University, and visited local natural wonders such as Patrick's Point. According to Dr. Kim Bauriedel, "The teachers and students live at Kaiping No.1 Middle School for six days a week and visit home every other week." Bauriedel visited the school as a parent chaperone in 1999. Bauriedel outlined the school day schedule, "They're up at 6 a.m., exercise outside at 6:30, breakfast at 7, and in the classroom at 7:30. Lunch is from 11:30 to 12:30. 12:30 until 2 is rest time and then they're back in the classroom until 5. The students study in the evening. They live eight students to a small dorm room." The Chinese students were astounded at the level of American consumerism they found in Eureka. "One host family took their student to Staples and they couldn't believe it," said Chinn. Bauriedel explained, "In Kaiping, the students work on a small desk stacked with 30 to 40 paperbacks with not much extra room." The Eureka visit to China opened a bridge of understanding between the two countries. "We saw how much the Eureka High School visit has changed them. We opened up the door for China. Kaiping hadn't seen a Westerner until then. They're ready to go out and experience the world," said Chinn. Local fundraising provided $16,000 to offset airfare and other costs. Major contributors included the Andreas Wagner Foundation, Rotary Club of Eureka, General Hospital, and St. Joseph Hospital.
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