Italian Flavor Added to Holidays
By Mike Siroky
BREMEN � �Festevole Natale.�
That�s �Merry Christmas� in Italian.
Many Bremenites have been saying that these past few weeks as the Russo family of Rome journeyed to the small Indiana town founded by German immigrants
Valentina Russo is an exchange student here for the year. She will graduate as part of the Class of 2003 and then head back home to Rome for another year and another graduating class.
Her folks, Helena and Franko, and her brother and sister, Andrea and Kristina, all surprised Valentina by arriving in town for the holidays. Andrea Koontz of the host family arranged it all.
The international connection stretches back to a previous Bremen graduation, Class of �76, when Helena, who is originally from Finland, was hosted by Andrea Koontz� family as an exchange student.
There is one more international swerve: Helena, from Rome, works as a Finnish interpreter, translating subtitles for English-speaking programs shown in her homeland.
Now, about the Christmas surprise:.
�She didn�t know until Monday that her family was coming in, when I picked them up at the airport,� Andrea Koontz said. Valentina has been here since August.
She is a ballerina, so she works out at Deb Werbrouck�s Patchwork studio in South Bend. She appeared in the production of �Christopher�s Christmas.�
�But she is a normal Bremen High School senior,� said Andrea Koontz. That means she hangs out with her classmates, makes those legendary trips up 331 to Hacienda and basically enjoys being a senior.
The family of the community came together last week for a holiday party at Saint Dominic�s St. Isidore Hall.
Students and parents mixed with the visitors in the exchange.
The little boy, Andrea, is 5 and knows only a few phrases in English. Mostly conversation starters and finishers: �Hi� and �Bye.� But he was eager to listen to the American teenagers.
�And the kids loved listening to Valentina and her family talk in Italian,� said Andrea Koontz.
�It was just a delightful time.�
Oh, and �Avventurato Novizio Un Anno.�
(Happy New Year.)
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