| ||||||||||
 
Dr. Ronald P. Rogers CHIROPRACTOR Support for your body's natural healing capabilities 270-384-5554 Click here for details 
  
Columbia Gas Dept. GAS LEAK or GAS SMELL Contact Numbers 24 hrs/ 365 days 270-384-2006 or 9-1-1 Call before you dig 
Visit ColumbiaMagazine's Directory of Churches Addresses, times, phone numbers and more for churches in Adair County Find Great Stuff in ColumbiaMagazine's Classified Ads Antiques, Help Wanted, Autos, Real Estate, Legal Notices, More... 
|
It's a whole new world out there, says Cass Kidwell "It's a whole new world out there, a lot of people need to explore it" says Cass Kidwell, CHS student who studied in Denmark. By Calen McKinney Campbellsville Independent Schools While many students were preparing to head back to school last August, Cass Kidwell was traveling to another country. Kidwell, a student at Campbellsville High School, spent the first part of his sophomore year studying in Denmark and staying with a host family. He returned to Campbellsville in December and is now completing his sophomore year at CHS. Kidwell said his father, Chris Kidwell, who is finance director for Campbellsville Independent Schools, met Niels and Anne Katherine Skifter in the early 1990s. Mr. Kidwell had the opportunity to play football in Denmark and met the Skifters during his trip. Since then, Kidwell said, his family has stayed close to the Skifters and vacationed with them on occasion. The Kidwell family has hosted several exchange students while they attend CHS. Kidwell said he often thought it would be cool to be an exchange student himself. The conversation about Kidwell attending school in Denmark began in 2014. Last July, he left for Denmark and began school a few weeks later. Kidwell attended school with his host brothers and sisters, Benedicta, Ingrid and Markus. He said he would have liked to have stayed at the school longer, but wanted to come home for his birthday and the upcoming tennis season. His semester abroad ended on Dec. 18, and he came home shortly after. Kidwell said he attended the Hindsholmskolen school in Dalby city, which is located on the Fyn island in Denmark. He lived in the Kerteminde community. The school, Kidwell said, is much smaller than CHS, with about 25 students per grade level. "Each class was one grade," he said. Kidwell said many of the students at the school spoke English very well, and he made lots of friends. "It was very easy to get into the system," he said. While in Denmark, Kidwell studied the same types of subjects he does at CHS, including math, biology, physics and history. But at his school in Denmark, he also studied Danish and religion. Kidwell attended school from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. However, he said, students can be released from school at different times, depending on a student's age. During his time at the school, Kidwell said, he was able to pick up some Danish. "I tried. I did a little bit," he said. "I learned enough. Enough to order food and get past some simple conversations." Kidwell is in his sophomore year of studies at CHS, but, in Denmark, he attended class with students in grades seven, eight and nine. The first few months in Denmark, Kidwell said, seemed to go by slowly. He said he was getting to know his classmates and getting used to his studies. But the last few months, he said, went by very fast. While there are many similarities in Denmark and the United States, Kidwell said, one aspect of living abroad took some getting used to. "I never had sisters before," he said. "That was something to get used to." Kidwell has two brothers, Clark and Cole, who are seventh- and eighth-graders, respectively, at Campbellsville Middle School. Kidwell's mother, Christi, is a speech pathologist for Campbellsville Independent Schools. The Kidwells are currently hosting Nelson Nwaofor, a sophomore exchange student from Nigeria who is attending CHS. Kidwell said those in Denmark have cars, but most students ride a bicycle to school. The trip for him was three miles to and from school. "No matter the weather, pouring rain or snow," he said. The seasons in Denmark are pretty much the same as in the United States, Kidwell said, though the true winter season isn't until January or February, so he missed that. There are many differences between attending school in Denmark and in the United States, Kidwell said. In Denmark, students have less teacher supervision. When the bell rings, he said, students simply walk to class, sit down and get started on their work. "They know what they are supposed to do," he said. And the teachers, Kidwell said, often teach more than one subject. His math teacher, for example, was also his geography instructor. Teachers also don't have their own classrooms, he said, and are given small office spaces. Classes last longer in Denmark, he said, some at an hour and a half. Teachers don't give much homework in Denmark, Kidwell said, because they believe it should be completed during class time. "And everyone did it," he said. Teachers in Denmark don't give grades, Kidwell said, only credit for completing the class. He said his classmates didn't understand the way grades are given at schools in the United States. Kidwell is in the process of transferring the credits he received in Denmark to CHS. Not having to worry about getting a specific grade, he said, made learning less stressful. "You didn't have stress over homework," he said. But now that he is back at CHS, Kidwell said he is going to have to approach his studies a bit differently in order to achieve the highest grades he can. There are also many differences in the food in Denmark compared to what people eat in the United States. Food was prepared differently, Kidwell said, and often called something different in Denmark than in the United States. Apples are eaten for dessert in Denmark, he said, and rice pudding is eaten a lot during meals. "It all turned out really good," he said. But Denmark doesn't have one of his favorite foods. "Which really got to me at one point, because I love banana pudding." Kidwell said his family sent him a recipe for banana pudding so his host family could try it. Food also costs more in Denmark, Kidwell said, at about $2 to $3 for a half liter of soda. Kidwell's family sent him some comforts of home, such as Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish. But when he came home, he said, the first food he wanted was a cheese quesadilla. Kidwell played soccer while in Denmark, but not for his school's team. The school, he said, doesn't have sports teams, so he played in a community league. "They were all good players," he said. "I got a lot of practice out of it." While in Denmark, Kidwell toured several museums. Admission to the majority of them was free, he said, because he is younger than 18. Kidwell also attended some Lutheran church services while in Denmark, but said he couldn't understand what was happening. He stayed in touch with his family via letters, phone and Skype calls and a free texting app. He said they wrote letters back and forth so he can keep them as mementos from his time abroad. When Kidwell came back to Campbellsville, he said, his family brought Nwaofor to the airport. The two hadn't met yet, but spoke via Skype. Kidwell said his brother Cole is also considering studying abroad, and would like to do so before the Skifters' son Markus graduates. And Kidwell said he has considered attending college abroad. In Denmark, students attend college or university for free. The only costs are housing and food. "To keep them there," he said. Kidwell said he would like to study abroad again. "I'd like to see more than just Denmark," he said. And he recommends others students study abroad too. "It's a great experience," he said. Americans don't often study abroad in Denmark, Kidwell said, and he would encourage students to think about it. "It's a whole new world out there," he said. "A lot of people need to explore it." This story was posted on 2016-02-20 13:42:28
Printable: this page is now automatically formatted for printing.
Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know.
More articles from topic News:
Adair Clerk Greer: Voter registration closed after 23 Feb 2016 Mike Harris tells the story of the Crosses on the Square Crystal Kingrey correctly identifies location of the mystery pond Columbia Church of Christ clothing giveaway today 20 Feb 2016 Egypt, Shiloh churches join Band of Brothers project today Gov. Bevin makes appointments to boards and commissions Anita Rees agrees 100%: It's not if alcohol is sold; it's how Senator Max Wise: Myths & Facts about SB 1 Mrs. Doris Adelle Milby Keltner, 81, Green County, KY native (1934-2016) Shannon Sexton: Clearing up misinformation View even more articles in topic News |
 
115 Jamestown St. Columbia, KY. 270-384-2496 
  
   
 Provided by the Adair Co Fiscal Court and the Adair Co. Emergency Mgt. Agency 
|
||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
|
Quick Links to Popular Features
Looking for a story or picture? Try our Photo Archive or our Stories Archive for all the information that's appeared on ColumbiaMagazine.com. | ||||||||||
|
Contact us: Columbia Magazine and columbiamagazine.com are published by Linda Waggener and Pen Waggener, PO Box 906, Columbia, KY 42728. Please use our contact page, or send questions about technical issues with this site to webmaster@columbiamagazine.com. All logos and trademarks used on this site are property of their respective owners. All comments remain the property and responsibility of their posters, all articles and photos remain the property of their creators, and all the rest is copyright 1995-Present by Columbia Magazine. Privacy policy: use of this site requires no sharing of information. Voluntarily shared information may be published and made available to the public on this site and/or stored electronically. Anonymous submissions will be subject to additional verification. Cookies are not required to use our site. However, if you have cookies enabled in your web browser, some of our advertisers may use cookies for interest-based advertising across multiple domains. For more information about third-party advertising, visit the NAI web privacy site.
| ||||||||||
