Student conduct questioned
The annual French exchange program at DBHS may be put on hold for the following year.
February 22, 2017
After an incident during the recent visit by French exchange students, French teacher Anthony Tietz is considering putting a hold on the annual French program until further notice.
According to various students familiar with the situation, alcoholic beverages were served during a gathering between French and Diamond Bar students.
Consequently, four students from the French school could be facing repercussions when they return home, according to Diamond Bar students.
“People forget the reason to learn languages is to communicate with human beings. They think it’s a way to get accepted to college. Introducing friends that happen to be French will give a purer motivation to get better at French,” Tietz said.
Students and teachers who enrolled in the French exchange program spent the last two weeks both on the Diamond Bar High School campus and exploring Southern California. Along with their hosts, the exchange students visited popular local locations.
Before the visitors’ arrival, host students reached out to their French student or teacher from Lycée Catholique De Pontlevoy, a private school in Pontlevoy, France, through social media in order to establish a relationship. Senior Lyanne Chang messaged her French counterpart through Snapchat and Instagram.
“I was really anxious at first because I didn’t know how I would manage school and spending time with them, but I really loved it,” Chang said. “We would Snapchat each other as each day got closer. I could just tell how excited we were to see each other.”
During their time in the U.S., the international visitors’ schedules were packed with eventful afternoons during the weekdays, with trips to places such as Universal Studios and Huntington Beach.
