There was no debating the genuine feeling behind the gift.

Presented by a group of German exchange students staying at Mankato East High School, the decorative plate was a gesture of goodwill between the mayor of Stuhr, Germany, to Mayor John Brady of Mankato.

But as Brady contemplated the traditional coat of arms that adorned the plate, the only debate was what would be served on it.

“Here, families will very often go out to eat,” said 16-year-old German student Daniel Rüdel with impeccable English. “My family almost always cooks meals at home.”

Regardless of cuisine, Rüdel is part of a true student exchange between Mankato East and a German high school just outside the northwest town of Bremen. The exchange is of the traditional variety, which means that each year Mankato East and KGS Stuhr-Brinkum exchange about 16 students. The schools arrange host families and, in turn, stay with host families on their visit.

This month East is doing the hosting. The roles reverse in June when a group of East students will arrive at the Berlin airport for a three-week visit.

“Then they will have the chance to stay with our families,” said Brigitte Eilers-Tremmel, one of two teachers who escorted the German students, “and learn about our school life.”

In German high schools, the teachers — not the students — rotate between classes. That means each day of every school year is spent with the same people, the same scenery and inside the same classroom. The result, Rüdel said, are rooms that are sparsely decorated and have limited access to technology.

But while he said his native classrooms are no match aesthetically to their American counterparts, he would still give Germans the edge in rigor.

“Here,” said Rüdel before pausing to look at the SmartBoard, flags, maps and posters that line the walls of Todd Coyour’s classroom, “it’s much more easygoing.”

The program is part of the German American Partnership Program sponsored by the U.S. Department of the State and the Goethe-Institut in Germany. Nearly 800 schools in the U.S. and Germany participate.

East senior Breanna Boyce made her first exchange last year and is going again this year. She said she likes the nature of this exchange because it allows students to build relationships before and after the visit.

“This way, you know who you’re going to stay with and you can get to know them,” Boyce said.

Junior Mat Schnorenberg is exchanging for the first time. He said he’s looking forward to seeing a different part of the world and experiencing a different way of life.

He’s just hoping he can speak the language.