German exchange trip postponed to June 2021

Due to COVID-19, DGN has been forced to reschedule or cancel many events. Along with prom and graduation, the biannual German exchange trip must be postponed as well. The trip is now set for June 2021.

“I would definitely say that I am less excited about the trip mostly because most of us will already be graduated by the time it  happens next year. It seemed more fun when it was going to be this summer when we would see all of our friends in Germany,” junior Morgan Fox said.

The trip, was originally set to occur June 2 to June 22 of this year, and was changed to December of this year and eventually moved back to the next calendar year.

“I think this is the best option because we all still want to go and have a good time in Germany, and since most of us have already paid for the trip, it’ll be worth the wait,” sophomore Megan Heinz said. “Some of the pros of us going there next summer will be that most of the students will have graduated, and it will be cool for them to go across seas right after getting out of school for the summer.”

Students that planned on going on the trip that can no longer attend will be fully refunded and their now vacant spot will be opened for another student enrolled in German.

“I feel bad for the seniors this year that will be in college next year and won’t be able to go on the trip next summer because they were also looking forward to it. It is kind of exciting that other students will get to experience the exchange program though,” junior Quinn Hanley said.

The German students visited DGN for the first time in September 2019. The students are finding ways to stay in touch with their German counterparts to maintain their relationships over the unexpected prolonged break between trips. 

“I’ve talked to my exchange student a little bit, but I am planning on seeing him in the fall, his aunt and uncle are visiting Illinois in the fall and he is coming with them,” junior Nolan Brezina said.

The pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty in the past months, but the German exchange program planners are doing everything they can to ensure the trip will be very similar to what would have happened this summer. 

“Everything including dates of travel, excursions in northern Germany, school functions at the Thomas Mann Schule and the trip to Berlin will be very similar as to what we would have done in June 2020,” German teacher and chaperone of the trip Anne Herrmann said. “I think that as the time gets closer to our departure, students will naturally start speaking more to each other and hopefully everything will run smoothly.”