"Sevastopol Spanish students Aided by Peruvian teacher" from the October 1, 1968 Door County Advocate
By Frances Badtke
TEACHING SPANISH at Sevastopol high school is Luisa Contelli from Peru who is helping the regular teacher with classes and the students with their accent and pronunciation. She is shown above (on the swing) with Denise and Becky Volkmann. Luisa is a guest at the Lester Volkmann home while here. —Advocate
Sevastopol Spanish students Aided by Peruvian teacher
By FRANCES BADTKE
To paraphrase an old saying, "a long speech begins with a single word." And while we would not accuse Luisa Contelli of being "wordy," her English started not so long ago with a single word and she learned to speak English in just four months before she came to this country.
Luisa is a Spanish aid teacher at Sevastopol high school and is assisting the regular teacher with her Spanish classes and helping the students with their pronunciation and accents.
Her English is fluent with a pleasantly charming accent and a person talking with her would never suspect that she had not been speaking English, or perhaps we should say "American" for such a short time. She took an intensive four month course from the Peruvian North American Institute.
When asked if she had trouble with all our various ways of pronouncing the same letters she said, "to study English for me is very hard, to understand is even worse." And if we were to have to get along with people who spoke only Spanish, we would probably echo her words. So when you talk to her, speak slowly and clearly.
Luisa is staying with the Lester Volkmann family on Route 1, Egg Harbor, and she goes back and forth to Sevastopol on the school bus with the Volkmann children. Denise in the seventh grade and Becky in the eighth are especially thrilled that she is their guest while she is in Door county.
Before coming here she was at Concordia college camp where she taught Spanish. Her stay here will be for a total of six weeks, after which she will go on to Chicago, Arkansas, Washington state and California. She will stay for six weeks in each of six locations while in this country.
She will be showing slides at the PTA meeting at Sevastopol this Thursday evening and speak on her country and her experiences.
She has many slides of Incas, hand made materials, festivals and other familiar scenes from her homeland in South America. She is from Piura, Peru, and has three brothers and three sisters. Her father has a tropical plantation and grows cotton and rice.
Luisa herself worked in a bank before coming here. She had been in this country three times prior to this year, but had only spent about a month each time on a vacation. In 1963 she went to Mexico for two months and then to the U.S. for one month.
It never snows in Peru, except in the mountains, and since it is very warm there, usually she finds our cool days something she will have to get used to.
She plans to return to Peru in June, 1969, although she may stay for another year if she likes. But already she is getting just a little lonesome and is anxious to see her family and friends again. She is grateful and thrilled to be here and says "It has given me an opportunity to learn many things."
She writes out a report every week of what she has done, both in her work as a Spanish aid teacher and in her off hours. She writes her impressions of our country and tells what she has been doing and with whom.
Last weekend she visited another teacher at Sevastopol, Mrs. Mona Orthober, and her family. Mrs. Nicholson, also Spanish speaking, was there from the University at Madison.
She is surprised at the youth of some of our bridegrooms and brides and said that in Peru they are about 24 before they feel they are ready to take on the responsibilities of marriage.
One of Luisa's friends in her home town of Piura is the present Miss World, Madeleine Hartog, a stunning, stately brunette. Luisa attended Madeleine's sister's wedding before she came here and Miss World was one of her sister's bridesmaids. Madeleine's sister was named the best secretary in Peru in 1965.
Miss World is crowned each November in London, England, and in November, 1968, Luisa will be able to watch her friend on television as she crowns the new Miss World and hands over her ermine trimmed cape and golden scepter.
Luisa and Miss World
When Luisa speaks to the PTA Thursday, she will also have some things from her country to show. Among these are lovely filigree jewelry In both silver and gold, intricately worked and beautifully designed.
Special families in Peru make certain types of jewelry only and they pass their skills and patterns on to their children and their children's children, keeping them always in the family.
She is the guest of the Lester Volkmanns who volunteered to have her and the family is taking her places around the county to see the scenery and meet different people. All the five children have enjoyed having her in their home. As Luisa said, "I will take my best 'remembers' from Egg Harbor." We can't ask more than that of any visitor.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
[There is also a photo titled "Miss World 1967-68, which is omitted due to possible copyright. It is in the Door County Newspaper Archive. Another similar photo of Madeleine Hartog Bell with sash and scepter is included in this article: https://elcomercio.pe/185-aniversario/1967-l-madeleine-hartog-es-elegida-miss-mundo-l-bicentenario-noticia/ ]
Other visitor profiles:
https://doorcounty.substack.com/t/visitor-profiles
Articles by Frances Badtke: