By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
Cheerleaders, the full-court press, cheering fans and a gym full of blue and white is not something Argentinean students have experienced.
Ten students from Argentina's Nuestra Senora de los Nieves are visiting Thomas More Prep-Marian now through Feb. 7 to learn about American culture.
Violeta Gallucci, 17, said attending a recent TMP home basketball game has been one of the highlights of her visit thus far.
She has studied English throughout her school career. She said she loves the language and has always wanted to visit the United States.
"I feel like it's a beautiful experience and it will make me grow in my independence," she said. "Being able to live with a family from here is a great opportunity that I didn't want to miss."
Argentinean students play sports, but it is usually part of a club.
"It's like the movies," she said. "Back home, they don't have cheerleaders or games or basketball.
"It was great sitting with the other students. Everyone was cheering. They chose a theme and followed it," she said. "It was a great atmosphere."
Senior Trinidad Vera Ferreiro said attending the basketball game was "super fun."
"They take it really seriously," she said. "They want their team to win."
The students are a part of a larger group of 94 students who are visiting various states in the U.S. during what is their summer break.
"With these students bringing a fresh spark to the school, it's a little bit more exciting around TMP-Marian this month," TMP Principal Chad Meitner said.
The students are being accompanied by a chaperone from Argentina and are staying with host families in Hays.
"It's not just a blessing for the school, but for all of the other kids who get to interact with that person when they come here," Meitner said. "They come here and bring that worldview, the different culture."
The school day is different in the U.S. than in Argentina. In Argentina, students stay in the same class and the teachers move from class to class.
Tomas Delmonte, 17, said he enjoys being able to move between classes because it has allowed him to meet more people.
Delmonte has finished his senior year in Argentina and will be studying music at a university beginning in March. He has been sitting in with the TMP band but said the written music is different than what he is used to at home.
He plays the upright base and piano, so he's had to adjust to a musical group that is mostly wind instruments. However, he said he has enjoyed being a part of the TMP music classes.
The students said they were enjoying spending time with their host families, but they have had to adjust to cultural differences.
When Delmonte first met his host family he hugged them and kissed them on the cheek, which is the custom in Argentina.
"They were like, 'Oh, what are you doing?' " he said. "In Argentina, even if you don't know someone you kiss them on the cheek. Here? No, you handshake."
Delmonte said he was also struck by the differences in food.
"In Argentina, all day long we eat homemade food," he said.
In Argentina, they eat a lot of meat and pasta. Delmonte tried to order gnocchi, which is like a small dumpling-like pasta, and no one knew what it was.
He said he was very surprised by the number of drinks available in the U.S.
"You have Coke, but 10 different types of Coke," he said. "In Argentina, we have regular Coke and Diet Coke. You have many flavors of all things, and I want to try all."
It's summer in the southern hemisphere, so coming to Kansas in January was a big weather change. Some of the students had never seen snow before last week.
The Argentinean students are from Beunos Aires, which has a metro population of 15 million people.
They described Hays as quiet, cozy and welcoming.
"I thought I was not going to like Hays," Delmonte said, "but I'm really loving it. Comparing Hays to Buenos Aires, it's really calm and quiet.
"You can walk. I find another person walking like me sometimes. In Argentina the streets are, all day, full of people. ... In Argentina, it's too much noise — too much people. Here, it's perfect."
Gallucci said the American teens told her there's not much to do in Hays.
"I feel like there's a lot to do. You have bowling. You have mini-golf. You have beautiful sunsets. There are a lot of things that are super nice, and I didn't expect that."
The students explained they don't often see sunsets because buildings block them in the city.
Ferreiro also said she thought Hays was very peaceful.
"It's a really good contrast to my daily life," she said. "I feel so peaceful. I get to be in silence."
In Hays, everything is so close, Ferreiro said. In Argentina, most teens don't have cars. Having vehicles gives American teens more freedom, she said.
Meitner said he thought the students learning what they have in common can be very powerful.
"Our teenagers get caught up in their social circles or their activities at this small school here in Kansas, but there is a big world out there," Meitner said.
"For them to get a little bit more awareness about all the different people and things that are out there is a form of education that is really cool."
Gallucci said she wants to leave her American peers with the understanding the Argentinean people are friendly.
"We are common people," she said. "We are the same. It doesn't matter if you live in a big city or a small town. We are all the same even speaking different languages. I truly value them opening up."
Ferreiro said she wanted to tell Americans that Argentinean people have a big passion for their country.
"We really respect our community," she said. "People think we are small compared to the United States, but we are really big in heart."