VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Two cities, one name, and nearly a century of friendship.
On Sunday, the connection between Vincennes, Indiana and Vincennes, France grew even stronger. A group of special guests traveled around 4,200 miles to visit Indiana’s first city.
A ceremony was held at Vincennes City Hall to welcome the Mayor of Vincennes, France, Charlotte Libert, and a group of exchange students.
The event began with Vincennes Mayor Joe Yochum and Mayor Libert signing a document reaffirming the sister city partnership between the two communities. The two Vincennes cities have shared that bond since 1935.
With the help of translator Bailey Hacker-Powell, Mayor Libert said this partnership means a lot.
I am very proud to be here for the 90th anniversary of the friendship of Vincennes, Indiana and Vincennes, France”, Libert said. “Having a rooted friendship like this where we can truly connect and community across cultures is an incredibly important part of this exchange.”
After the signing, the 18 exchange students were named honorary citizens of Vincennes, Indiana.
One student, Rassin Cherfi, said the best part of visiting is getting to discover new things.
“We didn’t even know that there was a city called Vincennes in the U.S.”, Cherfi said. “Knowing that there is makes the whole story very interesting.”
Since arriving earlier this weekend, another student, Sofia Dos Santos, said she’s noticed a lot of differences in our everyday life compared to theirs.
“I’ve seen that the school is very different from ours”, Dos Santos said. “The food is different. The way that teenager’s drive cars and are very responsible is much different than us.”
As soon as they arrived, students began exploring the city. Mayor Libert said one of the first stops was the Indiana Military Museum.
“There’s so much history for the students to learn”, Libert said. “It’s all very accessible and very interesting for the students visiting.”
When asked if they would ever want to come back to Vincennes, Indiana, many students said they definitely would, and the city feels cozy and comfortable.
This story was provided by We Are Knox County.
