High school students take flight to new countries

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Hannah Custer, Reporter

Big Spring High School is offering opportunities to their students that not a lot of other places have: the opportunity to travel, not just on field trips, but to other countries.

Traveling is something that Big Spring likes to open the doors to as it is a way for students to get a cultural experience outside of Newville.  There is a great variety of trips ranging from Philadelphia all the way to France and Spain.  Most of these trips can be attended by anyone and everyone in the high school.

During these trips, students get to witness famous world landmarks and they get to experience a different way of living.  In addition, it gives students the chance to problem solve differently.  With the availability of language classes at Big Spring, students are highly prepared to have casual conversations with locals, and it also gives them the opportunity to ask questions and understand them.  “One time we got lost in the inner city of Madrid, Spain and we had to ask locals to help us find our way back to the hotel by ourselves.” said bulldog traveler Theodore Magee.

In addition to the student’s adventures, the price is just right.  Some people might think it is too expensive, but the total price of the trips always includes as many benefits as possible.  On regular daily field trips, the price usually includes a special event, a meal, and something extra that the public cannot just walk up and do.  However, on longer trips to other countries, the price includes the plane tickets, hotel rooms, fun events, tickets to famous landmarks, and a fully paid meal every day!  For one of the trips abroad to France and Switzerland, the price is only $3900, which is relatively cheap compared to traveling alone.

The longer trips do not take away from or conflict with the school day either as they mainly take place at the beginning of summer.  Throughout the school year, students attend multiple meetings to prepare them for their trip. The teachers are very thorough when it comes to traveling and they go out of their way to make it the best experience possible.

These cultural experiences give the students insight into their future in college as well as it introduces them to studying abroad.  Students who travel in high school are more likely to return back to those locations in their future.

More trips are currently forming for the future through Big Spring.  Next year, the school will send students to Hawaii and Australia.