Lauren Meis will be one of just 10 baton twirlers from the U.S.

In just two weeks, Lauren Meis will be missing Salina South High School's homecoming game and instead participating in a spring festival.

And while Meis, one of what's typically two baton twirlers performing at South High halftimes, isn't thrilled about missing the game, that's more than made up for by the fact that the high school junior will be one of just 10 twirlers representing the United States at the 59th annual Festival Internacional de Primavera in Trujillo, Peru.

That's the "International Festival of Spring," for those of you who haven't had the two years of high school Spanish that Meis has completed.

She'll be a guest of the Lions Club in Trujillo, which for more than 40 years has invited twirlers from the United States to be part of the city's spring festival. She also will perform at various other venues during her stay, which runs from Sept. 23 to Oct. 6.

It will be a demanding schedule, with a five-mile parade and days packed with activities.

"They have us scheduled from 9 in the morning to 10 at night each day," Meis said. "We'll be performing at orphanages and senior homes and at fundraisers for the Lions Club there."

In addition, they'll be attending several receptions, including national and local leaders, plus a formal ball, various other ceremonies and sporting events.

"We'll be going to a bullfight, and I'm kind of nervous about that one," Meis said. "It's the real deal down there."

Meis earned her spot on the squad based on her performance at a national twirling competition at the University of Notre Dame in July.

"You hear about the 'Peru trip' in twirling, but you never think your girl will get to go," said Meis' mother, Shannon Meis, who runs Shannon's Stars Twirling Club. Another coach at the national competition saw Lauren's performance and nominated her for the trip.

While her expenses from Miami to Peru and back are being paid by the Lions Club International organization, Meis is also getting assistance from local Lions Clubs for the Salina to Miami leg of her journey, and will also be taking several pairs of donated eyeglasses with her. Helping provide people with glasses is a long-standing focus of Lions Clubs.

She'll also be taking small gifts to hand out at the orphanages and senior centers, and also items to exchange with various VIPs.

The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce donated several books about Kansas, and she'll be taking several old batons to give away, as well as some donated K-State apparel.

Mayor Luci Larson, who has known the Meis family for years, plans to send a "key to the city" and a personal letter for Meis to give to the mayor of Trujillo.

Larson, who is of Hispanic ancestry and speaks fluent Spanish, said she intends to write the letter to Trujillo's mayor in Spanish, "so they'll see that in the middle of Kansas, in the middle of the U.S., there's a mayor that speaks Spanish."

Though she hasn't yet penned the letter, Larson said it will be a "mayor to mayor letter, introducing Lauren and that she's representing the city of Salina" in addition to the United States.

She also thought a key to the city would be "something small and light."

"The challenge is packing light, but taking what we need," Meis said.

Working ahead

Missing two weeks of school isn't easy, Meis is discovering.

"I've already made up the work in one class, and working on others," she said. "Some of the work, I'll have to make up afterward. It seems like all I'm doing is homework."

"My teachers are really great about this and working with me -- they realize this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she said.

In some classes, she'll be incorporating her experiences on the trip into her homework, such as writing about current events in Peru for history class, or building a PowerPoint presentation on the trip for a computer class.

"I've never been outside the United States," she said. "It will be interesting to see a different culture."

And even with those two years of high school Spanish classes, Meis has a list of common Spanish phrases on the refrigerator at home.

One she's made sure to memorize is, "I speak little Spanish. Do you speak English?"

And besides the class time, she'll be missing the homecoming football game, a halftime performance, and the big dance.

"I just told myself there will be more games, and more homecomings, but this is only once."

n Reporter Mike Strand can be reached at 822-1418 or by e-mail at mstrand@salina.com.

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says....
I'd take her home for sure to meet mom and dad.
9/12/2009

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says....
You see this as okay...but wonder why kids grind in highschool? Double standards are a pain huh?
9/12/2009

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