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Iraqi students spend the Fourth of July in Fredericksburg Date published: 7/5/2009
BY MEGAN WILLIAMS Yesterday was a day of firsts for Ranya. She saw her first fireworks show and her first movie in a theater, and had her first encounter with a caramel apple. This is also her first time in America, and her first Fourth of July. "I didn't know what the Fourth of July was," she said. "I knew it was something big. When I heard what it was I thought, 'That's great.'" Ranya is a 16-year-old student from Baghdad, one of 21 Iraqi students in Fredericksburg yesterday for the Heritage Festival. They are in the United States for four weeks along with 20 others as part of the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange Program, funded by the U.S. State Department. The daylong trip to Fredericksburg was planned to show the visitors what a community Fourth of July celebration is like. The group of 15- to 17-year-olds stood wide-eyed, cameras at the ready, as they arrived on the crowded downtown streets. After being introduced by Mayor Tom Tomzak, they set off to enjoy the festival. Ranya didn't know where to begin. For a while she stood near the music stage bobbing her head to the Eagles' "Hotel California." "I love this song," she said. Although she feels she has become familiar with American culture through TV and music, actually being in the county surprised her. The number of dogs baffled her and several of the other students, as did the hustle and bustle surrounding a holiday that was still new to them. It was overwhelming, but in a good way, said Ranya, who is not supposed to use her last name while traveling in the U.S. "People here smile all the time," she said. "And laugh more," added her best friend, Daha. The girls made their way through the crowds, stopping to buy bracelets and earrings for friends and family, to joke with some friends and grab a free cup of ice cream. After spending a few hours watching people getting soaked in a dunk tank, eating fair food and talking with craft vendors, the group took a trolley ride to Ferry Farm. The students took pictures with Colonial re-enactors and tried their hands at Colonial chores. Ranya and Daha photographed everything.
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