VICENZA, Italy - For the third year in a row, a concert held by the Vicenza High School Rhythm and Blues Band was the conclusion of the annual exchange program, during which the VHS students met with their Italian peers at the local Liceo Quadri, an Italian high school that serves as the center for the school services' local district.
The Italians met the Americans students on post April 14. The next day, about 50 VHS students went downtown to reciprocate the visit. Some of them were familiar with the school because they had the opportunity to visit it last year.
As with other previous experiences, the students were accompanied by VHS Italian teacher Michela Ambruoso, who coordinated the event with the school's English language teachers.
"I firmly believe in this type of beneficial experience, both for my students and for their Italian counterparts," said Ambruoso.
"Having been a foreign language teacher for the past 18 years, I know that in order to acquire mastery of the language, students need to be immersed into the target language and culture. However, the benefits of these types of experiences go well beyond the strictly academic purpose. Indeed, by getting to know each other, students extend the classroom activity to their everyday life, and that is when the learning becomes a life skill. Also, the students become aware of the global community they live in," she said.
VHS Senior Marshall Perfetti is a veteran of these school exchanges. He has visited several schools in town, including Liceo Quadri. He really appreciates this type of experience, especially coming from a diverse education system like what the military offers. "By doing this experience you are emerged into different customs and get to know the mannerism of host nation citizens. It brightens up your culture horizon."
Perfetti was also one of the 18 members of the VHS musical program R&B Band, directed by Gary Marvel, VHS music director. After setting up the equipment and warming up in the Aula Magna, the school auditorium, the musicians and five vocalists, were ready to put on their one-hour show. The performed songs from several musical genres such as "Kiss", "Uptown Funk" and "Don't Know Why".
Before closing the show, a few Liceo Quadri students were invited on the stage to join the band.
Teresa Aldovini, accompanied at the keyboard by Chiara De Zorzi (both equivalent of seniors), performed "You've Got a Friend".
Following the performance, all the students enjoyed a meal prepared by the Italian students' parents, with pasta, pizza and some vegetable tarts.
"It has been a wonderful experience," said Anna Beltramini, one of the Liceo Quadri students.
"This is my first year in this school and I think it is a great chance to meet people of a diverse culture who live so close. Everybody was friendly and we will interact using Facebook and other social media," she said.
Beltramini's English teacher Emanuela Nosiglia thanked all the VHS participants for the opportunity of spending two school days together. "Yesterday my students came to visit the high school and were enthusiastic about meeting their American friends," she said.
"I think this experience may help people to broaden their minds and understand that we are 'brothers' in this beautiful world. The knowledge of what we don't know, including the people who live in the same town, is fundamental to eliminate prejudice, which is exclusively based on ignorance. Today we celebrated the second part of this school exchange, and I am very proud of the message which has got through to people: co-operation and friendship may change the world," said Nosiglia.
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