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iDe Austria a Nueva York!

Shopping and Schnitzel: Nicole from Austria visits Bronx Science!

by Deidra Nesbeth, Juliana Ross, and Mizuho Yoshimune

Nicole, from Gymnasium Parhamerplatz School in Vienna, Austria, is just like any teenager here in the US, we found after getting to know her. She likes to shop, especially at Abercrombie and Fitch (she especially loved the smell of the Abercrombie perfume that fills the entire store on Fulton Street). Her favorite color is pink, and she eats a lot of weiner schnitzel, Austria’s national food. She enjoys going on Facebook to keep connected with her friends. When we asked her what she is

looking forward to in the remainder of her trip with her classmates, she replied that she was looking forward to seeing a Broadway musical, especially Mama Mia. Like most people who come to visit New York, she and her classmates had already visited Times Square, the quintessential feature of New York City. She also got a chance to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, a pleasure many New Yorkers do not enjoy often enough.

We then moved on to talking about the differences between the schools in America and those in Austria. There are much fewer students per class in Austria than in the United States. A class of thirty four students, a common class size in American schools (especially Bronx Science), is very rare in Austria; the average classroom is around eighteen students. Many of the students from Austria were very surprised when they saw we had a whole biology wing, not just a few rooms. The education system is much more strict in Austria than in the U.S., from what we learned. If one fails a class in Austria, he or she must repeat the entire year’s worth of classes, instead of just that one class. Despite this difference however, Nicole, like every American kid still felt that the summer was too short.

Schnitzel, the national food of Austria.

Nicole, in teal, with her classmates and teachers

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We learned so much just from talking to Nicole for such a short time. We are so interconnected in our world full of technology, and it makes it so easy for everyone to communicate. Though she was a native German speaker, her English was flawless, and we had a very enjoyable time talking about a variety of

topics, ranging from school, hobbies, and our plans for our future. Her willingness to share so much with us made us realize that wherever you live in the world, life is very much the same.

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Today, on September 14, 2011, Mrs. Olmedo’s AP Spanish Language class received a surprise visit from the students of the Gymnasium Parhamerplatz High School located in Vienna, Austria. As they walked into the doors of our classroom, they seemed like they could have easily been mistaken from a regular Bronx Science student. In fact, the not only had the looks of a Bronx Science student, but they also had the brains and talents.

During their visit, each student was interviewed by four to six Bronx Science students. I was so happy to have been able to meet someone from halfway around the world and still have so many similarities. His name was Belas. When we first met Belas, he seemed to shy and reserved. However, he was not shy at all! In no time we were talking about our favorite movies, songs, and sports. For example, we both like to play sports such as soccer and basketball. I also learned that we both like to watch movies such as the Harry Potter Series and American Pie. Not only has he seen these films, but he has also watched many of them in English! I was so worried that we would not be able to communicate with each other due to language barriers, but Belas proved me wrong. He impressed not only me, but everyone in my group with his fluent way of speaking and great pronunciation. We also like to watch television shows such as “How I Met Your Mother,” as well as the fact that we both consider history to be our favorite subject.

We also talked about the different places he would be seeing while he was in New York City. Places such as Time Square, Broadway, and Ground Zero. Belas also talked about how great it was to live in Vienna. In fact, he described his hometown so beautifully that I wished I could have just gone back to Vienna with him and his friends! However, if I do ever go to Vienna, I will take his suggestion to see the exquisite ancient castles.

It was a great experience to have met all of you! Hope you enjoyed your trip and come back soon!

-Maricar Vazquez

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Noya Leve, Asya Abdul-Majid, and Tahsina Islam

Christina and Claudia are both sixteen years old. They live in Vienna, but they

have been visiting New York on a

school trip for the past few days. So

far, they have been to the

Guggenheim Museum, Brooklyn

Bridge, Times Square, and Rockefeller

Center. The speak English very well

and have been learning the language

in school for twelve years.

Although they live in

Austria, they listen to

American music (such as 30

seconds to Mars, and Chris

Brown), and eat American food

(McDonalds, KFC, Burger King).

They describe Austria as being

very different from America. They

say that the subways are

cleaner and that the city is much smaller.

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Christina and Claudia told us that besides New York, they have also traveled to

Rome and Scandinavia. Their hobbies include

singing, playing piano, and horseback riding.

They enjoy going out to clubs with their friends.

They told us that the Austrian school

system included four years of primary school

and eight years of secondary school. Both

Christina and Claudia want to go to

Universities, and Christina told us about her

interest in studying medicine.

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♥Science Survey♥

By: Melissa

On September 14 2011, Bronx Science had a unique opportunity to have a class of teenagers from Austria to come over for one of their class called Project Management. With the help of several teachers and students, the guests were able to enjoy their time in this school. During seventh period of the school day, Mrs. Olmedo’s AP Spanish class had the honor to meet them personally. The class

four, where each group had at least one guest to talk about his/her life in Austria. However, my group was the lucky one to have four guests. We all had a chance to ask them a few questions and we were able to learn a lot about their life. One of the foreign student said that he didn’t like our school because it was too big and too crowded. We learned that in

students in total, which is equivalent to only one grade at this school! Also, unlike their subway system, they say that our subways are too dark and not as clean as theirs. The students in Bronx Science enjoyed their company and this opportunity and we wish them the best of luck with

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Shopping and Schnitzel: Nicole from Austria visits Bronx Science!

by Deidra Nesbeth, Juliana Ross, and Mizuho Yoshimune

Nicole, from Gymnasium Parhamerplatz School in Vienna, Austria, is just like any teenager here in the US, we found after getting to know her. She likes to shop, especially at Abercrombie and Fitch (she especially loved the smell of the Abercrombie perfume that fills the entire store on Fulton Street). Her favorite color is pink, and eats a lot of  weiner schnitzel, Austria’s national food. She enjoys going on Facebook to keep connected with her friends.

The students and teachers from the Gymnasium Parhamerplatz School in New York stand in front of Bronx Science.

When we asked her what she is looking forward to in the remainder of her trip with her classmates, she replied that she was looking forward to seeing a Broadway musical, especially Mama Mia.  Like most people who come to visit New York, she and her classmates had already visited Times Square, the quintessential

feature of New York City.  

Schnitzel, the national food of Austria.

   

We then moved on to talking about the differences between the schools in America and those in Austria. There are much fewer students per class in Austria

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than in the United States.  A class of thirty four students, a common class size in American schools (especially Bronx Science), is very rare in Austria; the average classroom is around eighteen students. Many of the students from Austria were very surprised when they saw we had a whole biology wing, not just a few rooms.  The education system is much more strict in Austria than in the U.S., from what we learned.  If one fails a class in Austria, he or she must repeat the entire year’s worth of classes, instead of just that one class.

Nicole, in teal, with her classmates from Austria.

We learned so much just from talking to Nicole for such a short time. We are so interconnected in our world full of technology, and it makes it so easy for everyone to communicate.  Her English was flawless, and we had a very enjoyable time talking about a variety of topics, ranging from school, hobbies, and our plans for our future. Her willingness to share so much with us made us realize that wherever you live in the world, life is very much the same.

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An Interview with Bella, by Chloe Hyman

Bella is sixteen years old. He lives in Vienna, Austria, and has one sister. He is visiting New York for the first time this week! So far he has visited Ground Zero, the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, and Times Square, but he might return to Times Square later this week to see The Lion King or Mama Mia. He has also visited London, Greece, and Italy. He is surprised by how similar American schools are to the movies. As he walked through the halls of Bronx Science, he was reminded of the movie American Pie. The schools in Austria have a lot less floors than the schools in the U.S. When we asked him what he liked most about the U.S., he said that he liked how friendly the people were. In stores, people always said hello. Even if the shopkeepers just wanted to make a sale, he appreciated the general courtesy of the people in the United States. After talking about how different America is from Austria, we wanted to know more about his life in Vienna. He told us that he skis sometimes; after all, skiing is one of Austria’s most popular sports. He prefers snowboarding, though, and also enjoys soccer. His favorite class is called ‘sports’, and is the equivalent to our ‘gym’ class. He also enjoyed learning about history. In his school, they don’t have finals each year. Instead, they have one final at the end of their senior year—they have to remember facts they learned four years ago! On weekends he likes to go out with his friends. In Austria, that is a privilege one earns when he turns sixteen. He likes to go see movies. One of his favorites is Harry Potter. He doesn’t watch much television but he does like How I Met Your Mother. We all laughed when he said Justin Bieber was just as popular in Austria as in the U.S. His favorite food is schnitzel. Then we asked him where we should go if we ever visit Austria. He says Vienna, definitely, to see Mozart’s city. There is also a beautiful castle there. By the end of the conversation we realize that life in Austria for a teenager isn’t that much different, even though we live so far away. They ride subways too, but they call them the metro. The subways are much hotter here, though, he adds with a laugh. The last thing we ask is, what do you like and dislike about Austria? He says that he does love living there because it is beautiful, but sometimes people confuse it with Australia!

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Katy, from the Gymnasium Parhamerplatz School, provided the Bronx High School of Science a very interesting experience. She provided us a very detailed account of her background, and academic life in Vienna by showing us the differences from New York education. Unlike New York City public schools, high school does not span from freshmen to senior year, a total of four years of secondary education. Instead, school inVienna requires approximately eight years of schooling. Another intriguing part of the system is that she gets to stay with the same classmates for all years! She must have a really close group of friends then.

Another profound part of the interview showed us that Katy is the top fencer in Austria! She enjoys competing at local and national tournaments that require her to travel to as far as Belgium. Katy believes that her passion for fencing stems from her persistence and dedication to the sport. Since it only requires individual effort and is not a team sport, Katy

is forced to become an independent athlete. Along with her tremendous love for fencing, Katy also wishes to pursue a future in sports. So far, she has an amazing start and we wish her the best of luck for her athletic achievements!

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Finally, Katy also provided a few random facts about her fun character. She loves to shop at Forever 21, and Abercrombie and Fitch. Her favorite subject in school is science, and she speaks fluent German with English as her second language! It was an amazing experience to interview her, and her numerous talents are impressive to many.

Willy Borenzweig, Karolina Gajdek, Karen Nissim

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Clase #7

Los Austríacos y los Neoyorquinos

A pesar de que viven a kilómetros de distancia, nuestro grupo y el grupo de estudiantes de Viena

tienen mucho en común. Por ejemplo, todos nos gusta la música de dubstep, H y M, Zara y va a las

fiestas. Además, todos queremos viajar por todo del mundo, ir a una buena universidad y conseguir un

buen trabajo. Las únicas diferencias que parecen tener fueron en los sistemas escolares y en el escenario.

Nos enteramos que en Austria hay mucho de viejos edificios y montañas y que están en la misma clase de

los alumnos cada día en la escuela. Los austriacos nos dijeron que les gustaba Abercrombie y American

Eagle (dos tiendas no tienen) y que les ha gustado la emoción de Nueva York. Nos divertimos hablando.

THE VISIT

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I will admit that at first the conversation was a little awkward. However, we eventually learned a lot about students our age living in Europe. Meeting the Austrians was a very eye-opening experience. It made the world feel smaller when I realized how similar we all were. All of them had hobbies and interests that were just like ours, but what was even more amazing was that they also had the same sense of humor. Despite whatever language barriers there may have been, we were always on the same page. Granted, there were little to no language barriers, their English was outstanding. One girl’s mother was an English teacher and at first I could not even tell that she was Austrian, she had no accent whatsoever.

It was great to meet people who also lived in a big city. When I have met people from different parts of the United States, I have always gotten along best with people from cities because urban life is very similar through out the country. The Austrian students proved that urban life is the same all over the world.

I should also talk about them individually because, like us, they were very diverse in their interests and personalities. For example Luca told me he was a skateboarder and he dressed like a skater from New York. One girl was a dancer and she talked about how she danced the same dances as the S.O. president named Lev.

I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation I had with them and I appreciated how friendly and talkative they all were. I hope that someday I can visit Vienna and meet students who are just as kind.

By Zach Fredericks

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It was a real pleasure for us to meet such

charming, fun, and interesting people! We wish you the best, and

hope that you visit again soon!

Keep in touch!

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