Chinese Students Visit Arundel, Discuss Global Citizenship

Students from the Chinese city of Shanghai visited Arundel High on Tuesday to learn more about the school's push for global awareness.

The students gathered for a special ceremony in the morning Tuesday then met in the afternoon to discuss what makes the "perfect global citizen."

Li Guo Song, principal of the Chinese high school, said he chose to visit Arundel in part due its Global Citizenship and Community Development signature program. The students will be traveling throughout Maryland during a two-week tour.

Teachers and administrators from both schools said they hoped the visit would help lay the groundwork for a broader working relationship. Some Arundel students could visit China as part of an exchange program this summer, said Debbie Bin Herman, a Chinese language teacher at Arundel.

Bin Herman said Tuesday's meeting was effective in helping students break down some stereotypes. For instance, she said Arundel students found the Chinese students more talkative then they expected.

The Chinese students, she said, were interested in learning more about Americans' creativity in the classroom. Arundel students, meanwhile, said they wanted to learn more about the discipline and work ethic of their Chinese counterparts.