Saratoga News

Photograph by Robert Scheer

Saratoga High School students who recently returned from Mexico surround teacher Arnaldo Rodriguex. They are (from left) Kate Berardo, Sarah Ruby, Eric Fanali, Leslie Lawrenson, Hauie Lin and Shannon Moore.

Saratoga HS Spanish students take a spring break in Mexico

By Tim Persyn

For 38 Saratoga High School students, spring break in Mexico meant learning the Spanish language and enjoying Mexican culture while attending school and living with a host family.

And the visits to the discotheques in Acapulco weren't bad, either.

It was all part of an Saratoga High student study trip to Cuernavaca, Mexico April 5 through 14. While in Cuernavaca, the students studied at the Center for Multicultural and Bilingual Studies.

The students who went on the trip were part of the high school's Spanish language program. Two teachers accompanied the students.

"The trip was a really great opportunity to learn about culture and Spanish. It wasn't boring--it was more fun than a task," said junior Kate Berardo.

On the way to Cuernavaca, the students visited Puebla, site of the battle commemorated by Cinco de Mayo. The last destination on the trip was Acapulco. In between, the students studied at the school and lived with host families.

The students got a chance to polish their Spanish. "Speaking Spanish was a job--it was tough," said junior Shannon Moore.

At school, the students studied Spanish conversation, grammar and idiomatic expressions.

At home, they had the chance to bond with host families, who generally lived in very nice homes. One student said she had heard the town the students lived in was the "Saratoga-Los Gatos" of Mexico.

"I didn't expect the houses to be so extravagant," said Hauie Lin, a junior. He got on fairly close terms with his family.

"The families were really nice," he said. "They accepted you. I called them 'mom' and 'dad'," he said.

Some host families' homes were surrounded by walls. One student said a wall outside her house had broken bottles sticking out out of it. "The walls were for safety," she said.

Arnaldo Rodriguex, a Spanish teacher at Saratoga High who accompanied the students, described the walled houses. "You can't see the house behind the wall. Then you open the gate into a different world."

The adjustment to a different language caused some miscommunication. Moore, the student, said she accidentally told her family that she was a swimming instructor. One afternoon, kids showed up for lessons.

"I ended up swimming with kids," she explained of her experience trying to give lessons in Spanish.

Lin found out that playing billiards is a universal language: He won a trophy at a pool hall. "But one guy got angry. He said we were changing the rules," he said.

Despite all the fun, the students said they learned a lot during the trip. "My listening comprehension is much better," said Lesley Lawrenson, a senior.

Eric Fanali said his experience in Mexico caused him to change his plans for the college entrance exam. "I will take Spanish on the SAT II. I wouldn't have thought about it before."

In addition, the students said they were struck by how many more activities for young people there were in the places they visited than in Saratoga. "I think they have more night life," said Sarah Ruby, a junior.

Teacher Arnaldo Rodriguex, who accompanied the students, agreed. "There're more activities for kids."

Which led to a discussion of the discotheques. They sounded like a highlight, with a possible exception made for the one student (who shall remain nameless) who fell off the stage.

Rodriguex summarized the benefits of the trip for students.

"It opens the horizons of the students. Going to Mexico makes them think. When they come back, I think they are much more appreciative of what they have."