Trip to China instrumental in students’ high school experience

By Conor Shine

Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011 | 2 a.m.

On a cool Monday morning, the Green Valley High School marching band took to the football field for practice, showing little sign of jet lag after a transcontinental trip many of its members took last week.

About 90 band members, along with several teachers and administrators, spent five days in Shanghai, China, after being invited to participate in a tourism expo in the city, joining other representatives from countries around the world.

The trip culminated in a parade performance in one of the city’s parks, but sightseeing and exploring the country’s culture took up much of the students’ time.

“The parade was amazing. There were floats, bands, performers, fireworks. It had everything you can imagine,” junior percussionist Iggy Takahashi said.

The band was noticed when it played during last year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, and was invited to China by Forte International Exchange Association.

Students ate traditional Chinese cuisine, visited a local school and picked up bits of the language as local tour guides showed them around the city.

Drum major and saxophonist Victoria Barnett said she enjoyed trying to navigate the language barrier at local markets.

“A lot of (Chinese) don’t speak English. You’re basically speaking words to someone who doesn’t speak your language and just throwing numbers out there,” the junior said of her bartering experience. Barnett said students brought home trinkets ranging from Chinese fans to chopsticks to little Buddha statues.

Much of the trip, including lodging and food expenses, was paid for by the band’s Chinese hosts. Students raised money to help pay for airfare to get themselves and their instruments across the ocean.

Senior Alex Ulibarri said the trip exposed him to new cultures, whether it was meeting other performers from different countries or visiting Chinese landmarks.

“The whole thing was really interesting. We saw the Jade Buddha Temple,” he said. “I didn’t know much about Buddhism when I went. It’s more of a way of life than a religion.”

In the past, the band has performed at competitions throughout the United States, but this was the first time it has been out of the country as a group, band director Diane Koutsulis said.

Figuring out logistics was stressful at times, she said, and extra rehearsals were needed to rework the band’s routine for the trip. But, she said, it was worth it.

“We were treated like rock stars there,” she said. “When we were in uniform, people kept wanting to take pictures with us. They were very welcoming.”

The students’ experience abroad in a new culture in many ways mirrored the experiences of Chinese exchange students who visited Green Valley High this summer. About 70 students spent a week living with host families.

Students learned about American government and history, but often were more interested in the little things that make up life in Southern Nevada, said Green Valley High English teacher Christa Fialkiewicz, who organized the exchange students’ stay.

“They wanted to sing American songs ... The idea of people having a pool in their backyard was foreign to them,” she said. “Parents took them to the Strip, to go zip-lining at Fremont Street. They were interested in things we find normal.”