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They stayed with Paynesville families and with PAHS students who will travel to Germany in March, when the PAHS students will stay with the families of their German students.

This is the third time that a group of German students has visited PAHS. Most of the German students were visiting the United States for the first time. In addition to attending school, they made local trips (to Lake Koronis and to the golf course) and trips to the Twin Cities (to museums and to the Mall of America).

The Press asked them (1) why they wanted to visit the U.S., (2) what they have enjoyed about Paynesville, and (3) what has surprised them on their trip to the United States.)

Twenty students from Germany are spending two weeks attending classes at Paynesville Area High School this September. Pictured are (from left): teacher Jürgen Michna, Jochen Jacob, teacher Oliver Mann, Florian Schuele, Eva Keller, Ronja Schädler, Eva Kindermann, Ignat Kress, Theresa Hannig, Paul Römer, Andrea Witaschek (back), Katharina Konerding, Bettina Unseld, Wenzel Gerstner (back), Lea Krauss, Julia Guilliard, Peter Nies, Tabea Oblio, Rita Riedmüller, Patrick Wiedenmann, Claudia Reinelt, Julius Ulmer, and Georg Laipple. Not pictured is Kristina Schirmer. PAHS students will stay with their German student's family in Ulm when they travel to Germany in March.

Name: Peter Neis
Host Student: Bryce Fischbach
(1) Why visit? Because I want to meet another culture and other people.
(2) What enjoyed? I enjoyed that it is so calm, and all people are nice and that it is very hospitable.
(3) What surprised? That the other people are so nice.

Name: Georg Laipple
Host Student: Travis Flannigan
(1) Why visit? (1) I wanted to improve my English. (2) I was interested in other people who live in USA.
(2) What enjoyed? Hunting with Travis and his friends. The hosts are very friendly. Every pupil over 16 has his own car.
(3) What surprised? The big trucks and that the teachers are so friendly.

Name: Paul Romer
Host Student: Brad Torborg
(1) Why visit? My two older brothers were already in Paynesville, and they said that it's really funny and interesting and I should go to America, too.
(2) What enjoyed? The school. It makes much more fun than in Germany, especially with Mr. Carstens or Mr. Thompson.
(3) What surprised? I was surprised how flat the cities are.

Name: Tabea Oblio
Host Student: Jessie Moser
(1) Why visit? Because I've never been out of Europe and I wanted to do new experiences, I wanted to see if America is really the land of "unlimited possibilities." And I wanted to meet new people and learn the language better.
(2) What enjoyed? The people are very nice. It's a nice place with nice small houses and a lot of place, lakes, and green areas. They can drive the car with only 16 years.
(3) What surprised? School is easier than in Germany. The teachers are very nice and not so strict. All seems really like in American films.

Name: Katharina Konerding
Host Student: Katrina Daby
(1) Why visit? I want to improve my English and see the sights and make new friends. To have much fun here.
(2) What enjoyed? There's very much nature here. The city is very small, and everyone has a house. The school isn't so strict.
(3) What surprised? All the people are very nice here. It's all very small here. The food is very different from German food.

Name: Lea Krauss
Host Student: Kelsey Noonan
(1) Why visit? I ever have been interested in coming to the U.S. And my brother Felix was very excited about Paynesville.
(2) What enjoyed? All the people are very nice, friendly, and polite to you. All the students know each other because they are all at the same school. The atmosphere in school is very different to Germany. It's very easy. And I really like the chewing gum.
(3) What surprised? That it really looks like in American films.

Name: Julius Ulmer
Host Student: Ted Hoffman
(1) Why visit? I wanted to learn English and to have fun.
(2) What enjoyed? Most people are nice to me. I like the relationship between teachers and students. Everybody knows each other.
(3) What surprised? The relationship between teachers and students. I was surprised that all students are so fit and do a lot of sports.

Name: Ignat Kress
Host Student: Jordan Spaeth
(1) Why visit? The life and the culture is different. To meet new people and improve my English. To see Chicago and the skyscrapers.
(2) What enjoyed? All people are very nice and cool and not so strict like in Germany. Paynesville is very small, and everybody knows each other.
(3) What surprised? The situation at school (e.g. the relationship between teachers and students).

Name: Jochen Jacob
Host Student: Cole Kampsen
(1) Why visit? To visit Chicago. The culture is totally different. To meet new people and get new friends.
(2) What enjoyed? The people are very nice in Paynesville.
(3) What surprised? The school system is totally different to the German school system.

Name: Claudia Reinelt
Host Student: Dakota Block
(1) Why visit? I was interested in coming to the USA because I wanted to get to know the culture here and of course because I wanted to learn the language and to meet new people.
(2) What enjoyed? I enjoyed the different life here. It's really quite different than in Germany. I enjoyed the school and to get to know all the nice people here. Yes, it's really nice here.
(3) What surprised? In Germany, we often watch American films. And the houses and semis really look like in these films. Such semis and such houses I have never seen in Germany before.

Name: Theresa Hannig
Host Student: Kelli Gerding
(1) Why visit? It's a different culture, to meet new people, to improve my English, to see how school is in America, and to see if it's really like in the movies.
(2) What enjoyed? That it's very calm; people are very nice. Everybody knows each other. Big shops and supermarkets even if it's a small town. Lunch at school.
(3) What surprised? That all people are very friendly. That school is that easy but strict.

Name: Andreas Witaschek
Host Student: Dugan Flanders
(1) Why visit? To improve the language, to learn about the American way of life, and to have fun.
(2) What enjoyed? That everybody knows each other because it's not that big. Even if it's small, there are several shops we students can go to.
(3) What surprised? The situation at school (e.g. the relationship between teachers and pupils). Lots of fast food. That it's like in films.

Name: Florian Schuele
Host Student: Chris Block
(1) Why visit? I wanted to create my own image of the USA.
(2) What enjoyed? Jimmy's Pizza, all the four-wheelers, and the bowling alley.
(3) What surprised? I was surprised by the school system because everyone was so friendly.

Name: Patrick Wiedenmann
Host Student: Colin Spooner
(1) Why visit? I wanted to learn about another culture and another people.
(2) What enjoyed? All people are very friendly and almost all people over 16 have their own cars.
(3) What surprised? The teachers are always very funny and friendly, and the school system is very different to Germany.

Name: Ronja Schadler
Host Student: Chelsey Hansen

Name: Eva Kindermann
Host Student: Allie Wendroth
(1) Why visit? Because we want to improve our English and get to know new people. We want to see how the American schools work, and we want to go shopping here.
(2) What enjoyed? The friendly and nice people around us. It's awesome to hang around with all the other people every evening.
(3) What surprised? The food, because it's so different to German food. That the school and the teachers are so easy-going.

Name: Eva Keller
Host Student: Suzy Albrecht
(1) Why visit? I want to meet new people, I like the land, and I want to learn the language better.
(2) What enjoyed? The people are very nice to us.
(3) What surprised? There are so much differences between Germany and the U.S.

Name: Julia Guilliard
Host Student: Marissa Mackedanz
(1) Why visit? I was curious about American culture, the people, and the way of life. I wanted to improve my English, make some new experiences, and to get to know new people.
(2) What enjoyed? The people are all so friendly and hearty. Everything is more easy-going than in Germany. The city of Paynesville is beautiful. The offer of different sports in school is big, and there are lots of other activities, so you can spend a lot of tie in school without really being bored.
(3) What surprised? I was surprised of the team spirit in school and the pride in the sports teams. The taste of some of the drinks and food was sometimes surprising, too. And last but not least the huge cars.

Name: Rita Riedmuller
Host Student: Kirsten Miller
(1) Why visit? Because I want to improve my English and speak a lot. And I want to make new friends here.
(2) What enjoyed? That it's very small, and everybody owns a big house and there is so much nature.
(3) What surprised? All the people here are so nice...in the supermarket, the teachers, the students, and all the people I got to know.

Name: Bettina Unseld
Host Student: Natalie Leadem
(1) Why visit? I was interested because I always wanted to visit the U.S. It's so interesting to meet new people from other countries and to stay with another family.
(2) What enjoyed? I've enjoyed everything in school: the sports games, the school building (gym, cafeteria), and the easy-going life in school. I've also enjoyed that the people are so nice and friendly towards me.
(3) What surprised? It's been surprising that the food is so different to German food and that a 2,500-people city has such a great high school.