Break Abroad: World Language and AP Research Trips
By Olivia Tucker and Tori Roderick
February 14, 2023
This year, students from grades 9-12 have the opportunity to travel across the country to either Wales, Ireland, England, France, or Rome depending on which course they’re registered for.
There are three international trips planned for this spring. AP Research students are going to Wales, Ireland, and England, French students are going to France, and those that take Latin are visiting Rome. These trips will be happening over April Break and the French Exchange Program is taking place both in May and April.
To prepare for the trip, French students have been assigned an exchange student to communicate with, who will be coming to Norwood High in May as a way to integrate them into the school and learn a little about what it’s like in the other country.
The students will be staying in the southeastern part of France in Pamiers with their designated host families. While there, they will observe national landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, and even attend French schools.
The French Exchange trip has been going on since 2019 but unfortunately due to COVID-19, that year's group of NHS students never got to make their way to France.
The supervisor overseeing the trip is Phillipp Buhler, one of the school’s French teachers.
Buhler shares how much planning goes into this trip.
“The trip is a French exchange so we are working in a school in France, so we have to find the right school for that first and go back and forth with them… The planning started probably around last year during this time because we need approval from the school committee… ” he said.
Each trip has an assigned videographer, tasked with taking appealing pictures and videos while they’re on the trip.
For the trip to France, sophomore Emily Spadorcia has been appointed with the responsibility.
Spadorcia recaps her duties as the Pamiers videographer and how she feels so close to the trip’s departure.
“I was told to put in some clips that would make it onto the news and make it aesthetically pleasing,” she said.
“I’m nervous about communicating with my French friend but also I’m very excited to try crepes. They look so good!” Emily said.
Since there are limited spots open for each trip, the students chosen to travel on the trip are usually decided by seniority, according to Buhler.
However, freshman Riley Barnett will be traveling to Pamiers alongside her sister Junior Paige Barnett.
Barnett is the only freshman attending the exchange trip this year.
“I’m a little nervous because I’m the youngest and a bunch of the people going are sophomores so a lot of them are 16 but I’m most excited to go to Paris,” Barnett explained.
Paris, among other important landmarks and attractions such as the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre Museum, and the Galeries Lafayette, a beautiful shopping mall are places the students will visit.
“Two of my friends Brian and Dom are going on the trip and they’ve been doing Latin the whole time and they asked me to come. My brother has also been doing Latin for all 3 years…so I nudged my way into the trip a little and Mrs. Holmes was really nice about it,” Cavanaugh said.
Latin students will be given the opportunity to see Venice, Rome, Naples, and other important landmarks such as the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and St. Peter’s Basilica.
The French exchange students will be coming to NHS from May 3 to May 14 and the NHS students will be staying in Pamiers, France from April 14 to April 23.
The NHS Spanish classes alternate trips with the French classes every other year and will not have an abroad trip until next year.
However, world language students taking Latin have the opportunity to travel to Rome and explore the city.
Senior John Cavanaugh will be in charge of being the videographer for the Latin visit.
Despite going on the Rome trip, John Cavanaugh has been taking Spanish for all 4 years.
Cavanaugh discussed what overseeing the visuals for Magistra Moriah Holmes will entail.
“While on the trip I’m definitely going to have to take some videos for Mrs. Orlinski to make a foreign language trip compilation with some of the other kids that are doing theirs,” he said.
For those looking for good Italian food recommendations, Cavanaugh, who has been to Italy before, recommends both the pizza and the carbonara.
The Latin trip will last a total of 8 days over the April break from April 12 to April 20.
Alongside the world language classes heading to Europe, AP Research students will visit Wales, England, and Ireland.
AP Research is a part of the AP Capstone Research program, which is a two-year program that starts with an AP Seminar course that you elect to take during freshman year.
AP Seminar is taught by Laura John and AP Research is taught by Jennifer Orlinski who is overseeing the trip.
In the class, students spend a year planning and creating detailed research projects based on a topic or research question.
Those who decide to take the class are greeted with the prospect of an international trip at the beginning of the course.
The videographer for this trip is Senior Joe Greene.
“I'm so ready for this trip, I’ve written like three research papers,” Greene states.
While every student is excited to visit all three of these locations, each individual going has something different to be excited about.
“There’s a medieval torture museum that I’m really excited about,” said Sophomore Lily Swederskas.
“I’m going with all of my nerd friends so that’ll be fun and it’s my first time outside of the country so that’ll be exciting too,” Junior Heather Begg remarked.
“I am very excited to see London, because I have always seen pictures and it has always been one place I have really wanted to go,” Maddie O’Keefe exclaimed.
“I’ve always wanted to go to Blarney Castle and kiss the Blarney Stone,” says Joe Greene.
Senior Patrick Brady has been to Ireland 11 different times but is excited to go again this year.
“I’m just so excited for the opportunity to go with friends instead of just my family,” he said.
The AP Research students will be in Europe for a total of 8 days from April 13 to April 21.
The class will spend the most time in Ireland, a day in Wales, and end the trip together in London, England.
The students will be taking a plane to both the continent and to the country of Ireland.
However, to Begg’s dismay, the group will be taking trains to Wales.
“I don’t like trains very much but I have a feeling we’ll be taking lots of trains,” Begg shares.
All three of the trips documented by the videographers will be shared in compilations for the morning announcements when school returns from April break.