From March 13 to March 23, Latin students from a combination of three Parkway schools —West, South, and Central— went on a 10-day trip to Italy. The group consisted of 40 students ranging from Latin 2 classes to Latin 5 classes. 

During the annual trip, the group stayed in Naples, Italy, and visited sites around that general area. For funding, the trip cost about $4,000 per person, not including additional money for souvenirs. 

“This was my eighth time bringing students to Italy,” Latin teacher Tom Herpel said. “It’s an amazing experience for the students to see in person what we’ve only been doing in our textbook. Getting to see them experience those things in real-time, eating Italian food and being in Italian sunshine, it’s hard to beat.”

Using the information they learned in class, the group of students went to visit new sights in Italy to see what they discussed in person. This included going to the island of Capri, seeing Pompeii,  hiking up the volcano Mt. Vesuvius, and going to Rome to see the Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Roman Forum. Students also participated in gladiator training, where they learned to wield swords and shoot bows while competing through obstacle courses. 

“[Going to Italy] makes [our learning] so much more memorable because we weren’t expecting a lot of these buildings to be as big as they were. They were ginormous. The craftsmanship was amazing,” senior Suraiya Saroar said. “It’s like the saying ‘putting a name to a face.’ You don’t have a full grasp on what you’re learning [until] you finally go see it in person.”

In preparation for their upcoming trip, the students researched sights in Italy. They also attended monthly meetings to prepare and get to know their traveling groups. The teachers also gave them Italian practice and helped them with essential items to pack.

“Since sixth grade, I’ve been [saying] ‘I love Latin, I love learning about the Roman Empire, I love learning about the culture, I love learning about everything in this class,’” sophomore Nick Cook said. “I had this opportunity given to me that I’m probably never going to get again, where I can go and see the stuff I’m learning about. Who wouldn’t want to take that opportunity to go and see that in person? This is where actual people lived and died. It’s pretty cool.”

Despite the many opportunities, the trip wasn’t a completely smooth ride. During the first few days, a stomach bug went around the group; however, the students still found a way to have fun and continue their learning. They wore masks on the bus and tried to contain the illness until it passed.

“There were four students who got, and I got sick,” Herpel said. “For a couple of days, it was dicey. We wore masks and were trying to quarantine, but after those two days, everyone started feeling better, and the trip went on without a hitch.”

Even with that slight road bump, the trip was a large success, leaving students commemorating it for days after. The Latin trip was met with excitement and allowed more learning opportunities for everyone who went. Since it only happens once every other year, it serves as a climax of learning in the Latin students’ curriculum. 

“It was stunning. I would recommend the Italy trip to anyone who has the opportunity to go,” Saroar said. “It’s an amazing experience and a lot of fun; also, it’s really impactful. You get to learn about so much, and it enriches you about not only ancient Roman culture but also Italian culture in general. You get to make connections, [and] I’m happy that there was an opportunity for me to learn with my peers.”