Your Impact: Spring Trips

In Syracuse, students “hugged history.” The columns date back to the 5th century B.C., and stand where a temple dedicated to Athena used to be. On top of the ancient temple the baroque duomo of Syracuse was built. As history, Latin and Greek teacher Santo Sammartino commented, “A wonderful living example of layers in art history.”

Students went on an “Urban Adventure” and found themselves at the Fontana Pretoria in Palermo. The Urban Adventure is when students intentionally open themselves to experiences and head out to discover what presents itself. This model is used to help acquaint students with new surroundings and is done just after arrival.

In Segesta, Sicily, students performed Greek tragedies. The perspective of the theater gives an idea of the incredible acoustics and engineering that the Greeks accomplished. Whereas the “players” are quite far away, the stage includes a focal point from which sound is propelled into the audience. The plays performed in Greek theaters like this could be heard well by thousands of spectators.

Students had the opportunity to enjoy Sicilian street food. In this case, they brought their own fish and the street vendor cooked it for them! Here, Tara is hamming it up with Michele, the host. On the grill is sausage, calamari (under the foil) and pineapple. Michele has NEVER grilled pineapple, but, “c’è sempre una prima volta!” He admitted himself it was good and might add it to his street menu.

At la Grande Mosquée de Paris political science and global issues teacher Pascal Montéville took his group on a tour to the mosque’s garden, library and tea house. The history of the Paris Mosque is inextricably linked to France's colonization. It was eye opening for our students to see the mosque under a political, religious and architectural perspective.

History and art history teacher Benjamin Sabatier took a group of students to le musée Carnavalet – Histoire de Paris. There, students saw works (paintings, medals and coins, drawings, pieces of furniture) from prehistory to the present. While walking to the museum, students stopped by place des Vosges to see Victor Hugo's house and l’Hotel de Sully where Madame de Sévigné and Voltaire spent some time.

Lynée Connelly, English teacher and The SYA France Class of 1974 Faculty Chair in Memory of Peter Greer and Charles Hamblet, brought students to the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore. Founded in 1919 on the left bank, famous writers such as James Baldwin and Max Ernst were frequent visitors. On the way to Shakespeare and Company, students stopped by Notre Dame.

Students visited le Pavillon de l’Arsenal, a famous place dedicated to urban planning and architecture. Their guide led them through Terra Fibra, a special exhibit showing éco-construction methods being tested worldwide to reduce the carbon footprint.

Students stopped by the Institut du monde arabe, a place dedicated to the cultures of the Arabic world. The facade itself is a work of art.

At the Musée d’Orsay, which is housed at a former railway station, students saw the largest collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist masterpieces in the world by painters including Berthe Morisot, Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin and Van Gogh. Students first wandered around the Tuileries and crossed the Senghor footbridge over the Seine river to get an understanding of their surroundings.

Finally, students visited the Panthéon, a mausoleum for the remains of distinguished French citizens including Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Marie Curie and Émile Zola. A few months ago, Emmanuel Macron hailed the American-born dancer and French resistance fighter, Joséphine Baker, who became the first African-American woman inducted into France’s tomb of heroes.

GALICIA

Students had a special visit to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the final destination of thousands of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago since the Middle Ages. Starting at the base and ending on the roof, students explained and analyzed the building process of the church and its impact on Santiago’s urban plan.

Touring A Coruña by bicycle, students had the chance to discuss with locals about sustainable tourism. They also visited these sculptures, a revival of Prehistoric monuments.

Students set sail to San Simón island, an ecological spot on the Galician coast. This former lazaretto housed political prisoners during the Spanish Civil War and the following Dictatorship.

VALENCIA

After being told to pose in an original and creative way at la Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, students made it "fabulous."

History and theater teacher Oriol Bastardes shows students the way to eat calçots, which are traditionally barbecued and consumed in large quantities during the winter months at a calçotada, or typical Catalan winter banquet.

Students visited the magnificent Gothic cloister of the Poblet Monastery. Two students prepared explanations in Experiential Spanish class which they then presented to their classmates and teachers on site.

Gastronomy was an important component of the Valencia trip. One student investigated and explained the original recipe for this paella, and then students enjoyed it together.

Andalucía

While staying in Cádiz, the whole group of students had the chance to visit a castle located in Puerto de Santa María, a historically relevant port site only 30 minutes away by catamarán. There, they could appreciate the mixture of defensive architecture on the exterior of the castle, and the fine and elegant decoration of the interior, combining both Christian and Muslim traditions.

At Foodie Cádiz, students prepared a whole menu consisting of paella with chicken and chorizo as main course (there was also a vegan version); toasted bread with tomato and an option of cured ham as starter; a dessert of black and white chocolate plait; and non-alcoholic sangria to drink.

Students met with their Spanish peers from IES Sidón, a high school in Medina Sidonia, an inland village in the province of Cádiz. Before their trip, students were assigned an online Spanish pen pal from the school with whom they started conversations in Spanish. They then continued those conversations when they met in person.