OSWEGO, NY – Daniel Fancher is an exchange student in Finland sponsored by the Oswego Sunrise Rotary.
He recently sent a report of his activities.
“I’m on my third and last host family for my stay and Finland. I used to live in Vantaa, which is above Helsinki, but now I live within the city limits of Helsinki, about 10km from the city center,” he said.
His new host family is great and he’s getting used to having three younger ‘sisters.’
His favorite class in school this year has been practice for the new seniors’ ball.
“We had to learn 10 dances, one of which was made up by the class itself. Polka was probably my favorite. After a full semester of classes with our partners, the dance was held in February. This is the equivalent of our senior prom in the US except that it is only done by the juniors as a right of passage to become seniors,” he explained.
More than 200 students danced to a live band first in front of the school and then in front of family and friends.
“In terms of preparation and presentation, it puts our American prom to shame. Right after the official dance all of the students continue on to an after-party that resembles our prom,” he said. “My partner’s parents filmed the dance so there is a recording of the whole thing floating around somewhere.”
