Science teacher Kathy White will be taking a select group of students on a weekend-long trip to California, starting on Fri., Oct. 24 and ending Sun., Oct. 26.
The group is comprised of 50 juniors and seniors in various different science classes. The trip will last the entire weekend; students will meet at the McClintock student parking lot on Friday at 11:30 pm and will leave for Dana Point, California at 11:45 by bus.
Saturday will be spent doing various activities and dissections, including experiments aboard the R/V Sea Explorer ship. The ship is one of the most anticipated events for the trip, both negatively and positively.
“I’d like to avoid going on the boat. I’m not a fan of being on boats – I’m afraid that I’ll drown,” junior Emily Ibarra said.
The boat ride is exciting for nearly everyone, and is many people’s favorite part of the entire trip. From it, students can see all sorts of wildlife, often including dolphins.
“Kids go insane, screaming, taking pictures with dolphins jumping up around the boat because if there are dolphin pods out there the captain of the boat will go there so we can see them,” science teacher Kathy White said.
The majority of Sunday will be spent at Sea World to see the Shamu Show, Seal and Otter Show, and the Dolphin Show. Students will begin heading for home at 2:30 pm, stop for dinner, and continue their trip to arrive back at the McClintock parking lot at 10:45 pm.
“I want to spend more time walking around and exploring California, and seeing all the different sights,” Ibarra said.
The trip is a great way for students to be able to get a hands-on experience on what being a marine biologist really is. They will be dissecting, observing, and performing tests for the greater part of a day, and will be doing activities that marine biologists do themselves on a regular basis.
“It’s an opportunity many kids don’t ever get,” White said.
Although the experience may be a bit overwhelming for a few students, the trip seems to be well worth it. Interest is always high, especially because students hear of the trip from friends who have gone in previous years. Their excitement is well-warranted every year.
“Students get a sense of independence being able to explore and see different places. It provides them with a different experience from what they see in the classroom,” science teacher Tyrone Fong said.
Students are not left unsatisfied, but then neither are the teachers that go on the trip. Some teachers go on the trip multiple years. Going on the same trip year after year might sound like it would get dull after a while, but this is not the case.
“It’s very unique and exciting to see students in a different context. I can see them in a different environment,” Fong says.