Jensen is majoring in Cultural Geography and Anthropology (with a minor in Art History) at the Universities of Roskilde and Copenhagen in his native Denmark. He has come to Glenview (staying with Chemistry teacher Preston Hayes) to conduct research on a confidential project, which will be released as a report after the conclusion of this school year. Jensen found GBS on Google, when he researched schools in the Chicago suburban area.

“Principal Wegley was kind enough to say he would be happy to have me here. So it was by coincidence, partly, but also because of generosity.”
Though reluctant to provide hints on his studies, he said, “I’m doing observations; basically just sitting in the back of class-rooms taking notes on what’s going on. I’m observing student behavior and student-teacher interaction. Shortly, I’ll do some student interviews.”
Jensen has kindled friendships with many of the students he interacts with everyday. However, no students know exactly what he is researching.
“It’s important for my work that the details of what I’m observing isn’t revealed to the students because they might change their behavior… Many of them are frustrated by the fact that they don’t know what I’m doing because they can’t figure out if I’m a teacher or if I’m one of them,” said Jensen. “I really wish that I could tell them more, but I think we’ve gotten past that point. They just like the fact that I’m there.”
Jensen has observed and discovered many interesting things while at South.

He said, “I grew up my entire life watching American TV and movies. I’ve probably seen every episode of 90210 and Saved by the Bell. Before coming here, my impression was to a large degree based on those shows and the books I had read in preparation for my study. I didn’t know much about kids, so that’s been really interesting to find out.”

Jensen has noted many positive things about GBS.
“In Denmark, all the clubs and sports you have here would be independent [from the school]. You people spend much more time at school than I did. This place is much more active and there’s many more things going on than at my high school. That also means you know more about what your classmates are doing. I probably knew that my classmates were playing tennis, or whatever they were doing, but it wasn’t a part of my life because it was happening somewhere that I wasn’t. I wish my high school had been like [GBS].”

There are also, of course, negative cultural differences. In Denmark, the only tests Jensen took in school were final exams. They did not test on each unit.

He said, “People [at GBS] only study for the tests rather than studying to understand.”

Perhaps the most unsettling difference that he encountered was the American dialect.

“When I came here, one of the things I really had to get used to was when people would say ‘How are you doing’ or ‘What’s up?’ So I would start answering the question, and people would look at me very strangely because they didn’t really mean it as a question. I guess I really seem self-centered, because every morning, I start conversations with ten minutes talking about myself!” explained Jensen.

Despite the unfamiliar differences, Jensen enjoys sitting in classes.
“Being a part of people’s everyday lives is a really valuable way to understand another culture. If you go to a foreign country, you experience a lot of stuff that gives you a view of how people live. But unless you try to live with them, live as them, you won’t get the same kind of input. That’s basically why I’m doing this—to get a better view of their lives,” he said. “Understanding other cultures is really important. Culture is not just something that’s being made by leaders—culture is something that ordinary people have and do everyday.”

He added, “I’m really thankful to the staff and the teachers and the students for being so nice to me. I’m not sure I would have been so open when I was in high school!”

Corinne Chin, assistant features editor