Students Travel to Taiwan

The following article was published on SMReMarker.com and written by Rohan Kakkar ’26. 

A group of Upper School Marksmen taking Chinese visited Taiwan over the summer for an experience filled with cultural immersion opportunities and a way to practice their language skills. Through a variety of activities the Marksmen were able to develop a deeper understanding of Taiwanese culture and history, meet students from local schools, and strengthen their overall appreciation for the language that they have studied during their high school career.

“The boys did an outstanding job—they came well-prepared and asked thoughtful questions in both Chinese and English,” said Janet Lin, Gene and Alice Oltrogge Master Teaching Chair and Chinese Teacher, who led the trip. 

Despite the change in time zone and cultural differences, Marksmen were able to enjoy their experience and deepen their bonds with each other. Their experiences included visiting the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) Museum of Innovation, releasing sky lanterns, and crafting handmade paper. The experiences allowed the Marksmen to fully immerse themselves in Taiwanese culture.

“I really liked visiting the XiMenDing night market in Taipei because it allowed me to experience authentic Taiwanese culture firsthand,” senior Samuel Blumenthal said.

While Blumenthal thoroughly enjoyed the experiences on the trip, he was also able to recognize and appreciate the value of the language he was learning and its applications around the world.

“The experience made me realize that even though I had been solely learning Chinese for five years, my Chinese still has a long way to go before it is at a fluent level,” Blumenthal said.

Aside from experiencing the differences in language and culture, the Marksmen connected with local students from Sacred Heart High School for Girls and PU TAI Senior High School and had the opportunity to take classes with them, learn about school life in Taiwan, and collaborate on numerous activities.

Another key aspect of the trip was trying local foods, a vital part of experiencing another country’s culture, and the Marksmen were able to try a wide variety of Taiwanese classics – as well as some U.S. staples.

“My favorite food was a bowl of soup dumplings that I got at a market for lunch,” Blumenthal said. “I also tried chicken feet, which surprisingly tasted really good. Also, I learned that Pizza Hut is served buffet style, where they set out various kinds of pizza and you can pick your favorites to eat.”

The boys were accompanied by Chinese Teachers Janet Lin and CJ Chiang, Assistant Head of Upper School Jason Leneau, and Associate Director of Campus Safety and Security Martin Hoffer.