Earlier this year, Hellgate hosted students from our sister school, Kumamoto Kita, in Japan. The students last visited two years ago, so this was a much anticipated experience for students to connect and learn from each other, particularly for students in charge of hosting.
From little interactions like how open American students are with teachers, to large differences in educational systems, senior host Miles Shefloe noticed many similarities and differences in cultures. “They do not talk to adults nearly as much in order to respect them,” said Shefloe.
Shefloe also learned perspectives from the student he was hosting. “They were surprised by how massive our vehicles are and how big restaurant meals are,” he said.
Hellgate students that weren’t hosting got to attend presentations by the Japanese students where they talked about their activities and hobbies and their favorite music. Hellgate also hosted an assembly where the choir and a group of band students performed, welcoming the Kumamoto Kita students to Missoula.
When talking about chances to host in the future, Shefloe said, “Learn how to be patient, communicative, and adaptable in order to spend time with them.” As Hellgate looks to possibly send students over there in the future, the roles will be reserved.
Even in that situation, the opportunity to experience a different culture and meet students with entirely different experiences will mirror the visit here. “Just over 5 days we connected strongly,” said Shefloe, “we stay in touch and share memories. We hope to see each other again.”
Hellgate has a unique perspective, getting to visit students at Kumamoto Kita and to have them visit Missoula. Above all, what stands out is the similarities between students. Many Hellgate students shared their favorite artistic and music tastes with Japanese students, or also played basketball, like one student spoke about in his presentation. The cultural bridges these visits form certainly won’t be forgotten by host students like Shefloe, but also by the Hellgate community as a whole.
