Spanish: Costa Rica

To get a little taste of the good life, learn about conservation and improve their speaking skills, the Spanish department plans to go to Costa Rica over spring break. Spanish teachers Carolyn Zeligman and Alyson Kilcoyne have been planning this trip since last school year.

“It’s important to have that opportunity to use your Spanish skills in the world,” Kilcoyne said. “It’s good for them to experience another culture.”

When deciding where to go, Costa Rica seemed like the perfect choice.

“Costa Rica has eco-tourism,” Kilcoyne said. “The kids will be doing things to help the environment every day, instead of partying like most kids do over spring break. Also, the Spanish is easy to understand, and the students will be welcomed into a friendly environment.”

It is always said that the best way to learn a language is to be immersed in it. Junior Alyssa Phelps, a Spanish student, hopes to improve her Spanish on the trip, but has little fears of not being able to understand the natives.

“I think my Spanish will be fine for our trip,” Phelps said. “I’ve had some great teachers that have taught me well. Maestra Kilcoyne went to Costa Rica for a couple days in January and said the people were very easy to communicate with.”

The students will be exploring some of the most exciting aspects of Costa Rica on their trip. From visiting Arenal Volcano and horseback riding to zip lining through Cloud Forest, dance lessons and a Costa Rican cooking class, their daily schedule will be packed. The group also plans to take time to explore the well-preserved wildlife and general environment of Costa Rica.

Debate: France and England

A small group of Debate and Forensics students is headed overseas this spring break for an educational adventure to France and London. The students approached debate coach Jared Zuckerman last year with ideas for this unique trip.

“We wanted to go somewhere that we all hadn’t been,” sophomore Mariem Towakoli said. “We all had it on our bucket list to do someday.”

On their trip, the group plans to truly understand and adapt to the cultures of these different countries and immerse themselves in as much history as they can.

“It’s an educationally-focused trip,” Zuckerman said. “We’ll be experiencing a lot of music and theater and authentic restaurants, as well as seeing different historical buildings and museums.”

With only three students and a few chaperones, this small, tight-knit group of travelers has a completely personalized plan for their trip.

“We didn’t use any travel package,” Zuckerman said. “By personalizing our trip, we could pick out exactly what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go. We also saved about $1,000 by doing it this way – so it’s an affordable way to have fun.”

By planning their own trip, the students will be able to visit all of the landmarks and places they wish, while skipping over the areas they’d rather not see. The students will eat dinner in the Eiffel Tower, go on a cruise in the Seine River, attend theatrical shows and tour Buckingham Palace.

“We all have a say in what we want to do and when we want to do it,” Towakoli said. “There won’t ever be a dull moment throughout the whole trip.”

Band: Florida

The Emerald Regiment marching band and Glitter Girls dance team will spend their break in the sunny state of Florida for competition, a marching parade and some fun along the way.

“I’ve taken bands several times down to Florida,” band director Ed Protzman said. “We chose this trip because Disney offers the best flow. It’s a guaranteed success.”

During their time in Florida, the students will get the unique opportunity to march in a full parade in Magic Kingdom, a part of Disney World.

“The parade is a lot of fun,” Protzman said. “It’s not a competition, just entertainment. But the students always seem to enjoy it. Most musicians don’t get to do something like this in high school.”

The band will also compete with other high school bands in a concert setting for a rating. Along with visiting several parks within Disney World, the students will spend a day at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter park, a part of Universal Studios.

With 55 of the 75 band members traveling, the smaller group is looking forward to spending time together and making new memories.

“I’m excited for the trip,” Protzman said. “At Southwest, everything is a first, and this is the first big trip for this band. I think that this will be a great bonding experience for the students, too.”