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The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

The student news site of Baldwin High School

The Purbalite

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Foreign exchange student discovers Pittsburgh culture

BY OLIVIA FARMER
Staff Writer

While most students don’t consider their yearly routine of attending high school as anything special, something as simple as changing classes is a first for exchange student Isabel Bierwirth.

Bierwirth is not accustomed to the changing of classes or the use of lockers. In her small school in Bremen, Germany, she would sit in a classroom of 25 students, and the teachers would change classes for each subject instead of students.

After moving from Bremen to Pittsburgh in August for the year, she has gotten to visit many of the popular arenas, stadiums, and landmarks of Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh is home to many sports teams that have really supportive fans, and Bierwirth now counts herself among them.

One of Bierwirth’s favorite teams is the Penguins, and she got to attend a game with her Baldwin host family, including senior Courtney Vasil and freshman Josh Vasil.

“I never saw ice hockey before, and I love it. I think we have it in Germany, but it isn’t popular,” Bierwirth said.

Bierwirth has also gotten to visit the Mount Washington outlook and go to a Steelers game. The Vasil family plans on taking Bierwirth to a Pirates game and to New York City in the spring.

“I don’t really like football. I didn’t really understand it. We don’t have it in Germany,” Bierwirth said.

Bierwirth has also gained a new “family” after coming to Baldwin, the Vasils.

“It’s like having a sister. She’s even doing my hair for senior rec, and we signed up for German Club together,” Vasil said.

Bierwirth is in eleventh grade and participates in track at Baldwin.

“In Germany you play a sport all year round, but here you have to wait for your sports season,” Bierwirth said.

Since the schools in Germany don’t have school dances, her first high school dance was homecoming in September.

“I thought it was going to be like in the movies where people are ballroom dancing. I was surprised to see your dancing,” Bierwirth said.

Among the new experiences that she has had so far, trying new foods has been one of Bierwirth’s favorites.

“Courtney’s mom makes really good steak hoagies. I’d never had them before I came here,” Bierwirth said.

After hearing about her mother’s great experience in an exchange program while in college, Bierwirth was eager to explore high school outside of Germany.

Bierwirth was connected with the Vasil family through English teacher Dr. Lisa Klein, who met her mother while studying in the United Kingdom.

Although her family is thousands of miles away and there is a time difference of six hours, technology has made communicating with them fairly easy.

“We Skype at least once a month, and I text them almost every day,” Bierwith said.

In July, Bierwirth will get to share her country with Vasil, for Vasil’s senior trip. It will be a month-long trip, and they will be traveling throughout Germany, France, and Sweden.

“I can’t wait to show her the arch (Brandenburg Gate) in Berlin. It’s like the Statue of Liberty for New York City, but we have an arch,” Bierwith said.

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