Odile Blin Visits Highland From France;
Finds American Customs Interesting
By NANCY DUNCAN
 This year, again through the American Field Service, Highland is privileged to have as an exchange student: Odile Blin, from France.
To a sophomore, Highland appears new and different. It seems even more strange to the eyes of Odile Blin, a French student from Brittany, who will spend nine months in the U.S. going to school and living with an American family.
Odile, who is most interested in seeing the differences between the country, language, and customs or America and France, thinks both Highland and Americans are very nice.
When she reached the U.S., Odile was very disappointed in New York by daylight. "I like very much New York at night, with the lights, but in the day, No!" However, as she traveled westward, Odile was amazed at the wide spaces between cities and towns. "In France it is much closer together." Another thing which impressed the French miss was the "little houses" meaning the typical adobe casas found in New Mexico.
Schools differ greatly in America and France, Odile soon found out. In contrast to Highland's size of 2,200 students, the school Odile attended in Brittany had only 100 students who were all girls. She finds that Highland schedules are confusing and Odile says that Highland students do not have the same kind of respect for their teachers as those in France. She says she has no trouble speaking English to her classmates and teachers but the difficulty lies in understanding them.
Odile, who is staying with the E. R. Richardsons, claims that, "It is not different in my American family." She has brothers and sisters in France and thinks that brother-sister relations are the same here. The home-life is the same except for the times of meals and the food, which are somewhat different.
Odile's interests are varied and interesting. Most of all she "likes to travel very much and see new countries." Since her father is an army officer, she has done a great deal of traveling. In addition to traveling, horse back riding, swimming, and reading are some of her other hobbies.
Highland's Christmas Project
 This small church is in the mountain village of Chilili. Annually the 17 families in the community receive aid as Highland's Christmas Project. Settlers have lived here since it was first visited by white men in 1581. Children attend classes in a one-room school house down the hill. (Redman Photo)
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