With the arrival of a German, Brazilian and a Tanzanian student, boundaries are being broken in the hallways of Spencer High School (SHS) this year.

Carl Hieronymi, who hadn't visited the United States before arriving on July 31, said his stay in Dickens as a foreign exchange student will not only allow him to expand his English, it will also give him the opportunity to play football. The outgoing 17-year-old German currently plays tight end and tackle for the SHS Tigers.

Besides "having fun" and "winning many football games," he's looking forward to riding in a combine this fall.

Hieronymi is also quick to point out several differences he's witnessed between the Midwest and Germany. While where he's from has "many hills, big cities and small areas of country side," Iowa, Hieronymi said, has "only very small hills, small towns and very much corn and beans."

"We have bigger cities and they are closer together. For example, I live in a (city with a) 40,000 inhabitancy. There is a road one mile between the next city (Bad Homburg), (which has) 50,000 - 60,000. Frankfurt is near that, (and has) more than 1 million," he added. Back home, he enjoys meeting with friends, going to the swimming pool and playing volleyball.

While he acknowledged being "glad to be here" this school year, Hieronymi's goals before he returns home in May include achieving a good grade point average, which would allow him to skip the grade he's currently missing there.

"I want American friends to visit me in Germany and talk to my German friends," he added.

Daniela "Danni" Vasconcellos, a Brazilian student who's also residing with the Richard and Janet Dillard family in Dickens, describes herself as being "very easygoing and reliable."

"I take care of people and sometimes I am shy," the 17-year-old said.

"I love to have fun," she added.

Like Hieronymi, Vasconcellos has recognized several differences between the United States and Brazil.

"My country is hotter. I live in a big city, so here is very small," she explained. "The food is very different. I'm used to eat healthy food."

While Vasconcellos is looking forward to making more friends and traveling during her stay in Clay County, she admitted with a smile that she's "addicted" to peanut butter. She also lists onion rings, cookies and brownies among her new "favorite" foods.

Back home, Vasconcellos enjoys going to the beach with her friends.

"I'd like people to know that Brazil is a beautiful country. There are a lot of beaches," she said.

Following Vasconcellos' stay in Dickens, which will conclude in January 2009, she plans to enter college and eventually become a doctor.

"But I have to take a very hard test, so next year I'll have to study a lot," she said.

Saphia Sadiq, Vasconcellos' and Hieronymi's foreign exchange peer at SHS this year, describes herself as being "a good friend" and "a friend to every one." The 16-year-old Tanzanian, who is living with host parent Julie Carlson in Spencer, said she's looking forward to seeing snow, studying different subjects, making new friends and teaching them about her country and customs.

In Tanzania, Sadiq enjoys cooking and going on picnics.

"I have found new favorite food," she said, listing jojo potatoes, bread sticks and fried potatoes.

Sadiq agreed that her country also differs from the United States in several ways. For example, the sun sets at 6 p.m. In addition, Tanzanian motorists drive on the left side of the road. And in schools, teachers move from class to class and students do not have lunch accounts in Sadiq's country.

Her Muslim religion, another difference, is something Sadiq is eager to share with area residents. She began Ramadan, the month Muslims obligatorily fast from sun-up to sundown, on Sept. 1. In addition to serving as an attempt to seek nearness to Allah and increase one's piety, fasting aims Muslims in sympathizing with those less fortunate who don't always have food and drink available. While she explained most Muslims eat two meals during Ramadan -- at 3 a.m., before the sun rises, and at sundown prayer time -- Sadiq has chosen to only eat at sundown here.

"When we finish this whole month to fast, we have a celebration, like a Christmas," Sadiq said of Eid al-Fitr. Known as "The Celebration of the Feast," it marks the end of Ramadan and is one of two main holidays Muslims celebrate.

After sundown of the last day of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr starts. In the early morning of the first day of Shawwal, the first day of the Eid (the Arabic word for celebration), Muslims perform a ritual prayer. Sweets, food and non-alcoholic drinks are then distributed. Celebrations, which extend up to three days, often include gifts being exchanged between friends and family.

Eid al-Adha, the Muslim "big" holiday, falls approximately 70 days later. This, "The Feast of Sacrifice," marks when Muslims worldwide present an animal, usually a cow or sheep, sacrifice as a gratitude action for God saving the Prophet Ismail's life. This celebration lasts four days.

"As Muslims, we have to pray five times a day," Sadiq added, further explaining times of prayer occur when they wake up before the sun rises, at noon, 1:30, 4 p.m. and after sundown.

Unlike Muslim men, who face the south or west when they pray, Sadiq said Muslim women pray to the east.

"Before going to pray, we have to take absolution. Absolution is like washing your hands, mouth," she explained.

Sadiq is among the Muslim women who dress extremely modestly, including a head scarf.

"We have to cover our head. We don't have to show our hair," she said.

Upon her return to Tanzania, Sadiq intends to take a national examination. Her professional goal is to then become a teacher.

All three of Spencer's foreign exchange students, meanwhile, have noticed differences in the educational system here compared to in their home countries.

Hieronymi, for example, stated that German students attend classes for 13 years and are not able to choose their own classes until the 11th grade. While he also thinks school is harder back home, Hieronymi acknowledges that Spencer students are handed more homework than he receives in Germany. He likes the fact that many sports are offered locally. Sports are not offered as extracurricular activities for German students.

"In Brazil, everybody has to take the same classes, such as Physics, Math, Chemistry, Biology, History and Geography," Vasconcellos said. "We don't have so many homework, but we study, which is very different. The classes begin at 7:15 a.m. and finish at 12:30 p.m. We have six classes every day, and we have 11 years of school. I think that is harder than here."

"The educational system here is different compare to my country," Sadiq added. "Here, education helps more about talking English. But in my country, it's not really helpful. In my country, you understand more because the teacher gives you some notes. Here, you understand, but sometime is really difficult to get other words, because most of the time here you are using textbooks."