They’ve returned to their home country, but for two weeks Harding has been host to a handful of French students.

The students came from Lycee Hugues Capet, a school in the town of Senlis just North of Paris. One French student, Adrien Charannat, said that the American school system and atmosphere were “very different” compared to his school. Students also said that Harding was bigger than their school. According to another student, Fantine Caspary, students have to “sit down all the time” at the French school, but at HCP they can “do what (they) want.” But, Capet said students don’t have to wear uniforms.

Being so far from home can be tough. “Most French people were homesick,” Charannat said. “(But) I could adapt easily.” There were also some new customs to get used to. Caspary was used to eating at the same time each day, but here “you eat when you want,” he said.

Many students had not visited America before. Charannat said friends had asked him why he couldn’t go “somewhere cooler, like Chicago or New York.”

That is because this program is between Senlis and Oklahoma City. It started in 2011 so that French students could spend more time in American homes, and Americans in French homes. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Capet, HCP, and Cassady to allow the exchange program. At the core, it is an educational experience. Senior Alex Santillan, who housed Caspary, had visited France before and learned about the culture.

“I want to be part of helping the French people get that same learning experience but on the American side,” Santillan said.

Sally Ziebell, who helped set up the program, said that her favorite part of the experience is “seeing how close (students) get in such a limited amount of time.” The French and American students had a chance to bond. Caspary and Santillan had fun outside of school at a uniquely American restaurant.

“She beat me at a lot of the games at Dave and Buster’s,” he said. He said he also loved the “look of amazement on her face” whenever Caspary saw something new.

Charannat’s favorite part of the visit was going to Frontier City for Halloween.

Ziebell called the experience a “deeper look at another culture (that) pushes students our of their comfort zones.” Since this exchange happens every other year, we should see more French friends in the spring of 2016.