By Amanda Arp

Correspondent

On March 27, the Windy City welcomed a group of students from North Tama’s Spanish Club. These eight students: juniors Amanda Arp, Morgan Halupnick, Nora Seda, Emily Ewoldt, Amanda Hoeg, and Jeremy Wrage and freshmen Erica Podhajsky and Kyle Mesch, along with four chaperones, Mrs. Heidi Podajsky, Mrs. Sue Ewoldt, Mrs. Kristi Martin, and Mrs. Brenda Hoeg, went with a group called Travel Adventures to Chicago and visited several sites of particular Mexican interest. During the trip, the students enjoyed a guided tour of the murals in Pilsen Village (an area with many Mexican inhabitants), lessons in three Spanish dances, a Mexican fiesta, a trip through the National Museum of Mexican Art, and a visit to Navy Pier.

The murals in Pilsen Village depicted matters of political, cultural, and historical purpose, such as famous Mexican actors and influential dignitaries. When asked what her favorite part of the trip was, freshman Erica Podhajsky said, “My favorite part of the trip was walking around the Pilsen Village and being able to go do the different stores and see everything in Spanish.” Along with seeing the murals, students visited a panaderia (a Spanish bakery). They also ate lunch in the village.

In the words of Mrs. Martin, “I enjoyed being immersed in the Mexican culture, eating the authentic food, and practicing my Spanish.”

After lunch, the students went to a dance studio in downtown Chicago called Latin Street Dance Company. There they learned the basic steps in the salsa, merengue, and cha-cha-cha.

One of the chaperones, Heidi Podhajsky, commented, “My favorite part of our trip was the delicious food and learning some Latin dances, like the salsa and the merengue.”

That night, all the people traveling with the Travel Adventures, including schools from Wisconsin, Iowa, and Tennessee, congregated at the Mi Tierra (My Land) Restaurant in the Pilsen Village. A buffet of Mexican cuisine was provided, as was the live entertainment. The fiesta began with a fake bullfight, in which juniors Morgan Halupnick and Nora Seda took part. These two also danced the twist later and won a donkey pinata.

“My favorite part of the Spanish trip was going to little Mexico and going to the panaderia,” Morgan said. “I also liked dancing with Nora at the fiesta.” The other students also had fun at the fiesta, enjoying the music and chances to use their newly acquired dance skills.

Freshman Kyle Mesch mentioned, “My favorite part of the trip was watching Nora dance the twist at the fiesta.”

Day two began with a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel and a quick drive back into Chicago to visit the National Museum of Mexican Art in the Pilsen Village. The tour within included different paintings and sculptures of modern and indigenous populations as well as several depictions of remarkable leaders in Mexican History. Students went into the museum’s gift shop before they left.

Navy Pier on Chicago’s Lake Michigan shore was the last stop in Chicago. The people from North Tama explored the shops at the pier and purchased trinkets. After about an hour, the group left Navy Pier and Chicago behind.

As the students and their chaperones came home, the predicted snowstorm hit and as a precaution the group decided to stop in Cedar Rapids for the night. The next morning the roads were far clearer and they all headed home.

The trip to Chicago was a beneficial and very educational experience. A guided tour of the murals in Pilsen Village, lessons in three Spanish dances, a Mexican fiesta, a trip through the National Museum of Mexican Art, and a visit to Navy Pier were all opportunities to expand the minds and hearts of the people who came along. When asked about the trip, Nora Seda replied, “My favorite part of the trip was just experiencing the Spanish culture and feeling what it’s like to be the minority.” It was a valuable experience, and certainly one that will stay with the students and their chaperones for a long time.