STUDENTS HEAD FOR CENTRAL AMERICA.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer VALENCIA -- They'll chat with a former Nicaraguan president, watch turtles lay eggs in the dark of night and learn about the economy of Central America Central America, narrow, southernmost region (c.202,200 sq mi/523,698 sq km) of North America, linked to South America at Colombia. It separates the Caribbean from the Pacific. . A group of 27 students, parents and community members leave Saturday on a trip to Nicaragua and Costa Rica Costa Rica (kŏs`tə rē`kə), officially Republic of Costa Rica, republic (2005 est. pop. 4,016,000), 19,575 sq mi (50,700 sq km), Central America. , lead by two College of the Canyons College of the Canyons is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. According to the National Junior College Research Association, College of the Canyons consistently ranks in the top 50 community colleges in the nation. instructors. The goal of the 12-day trip, which cost participants $2,300 each, is to learn Spanish, immerse themselves in the culture of the two Central American countries Noun 1. Central American country - any one of the countries occupying Central America; these countries (except for Belize and Costa Rica) are characterized by low per capita income and unstable governments Central American nation and get biology lessons on the local flora and fauna. ``It's pretty exciting,'' said professor Claudia Acosta, chairwoman of the foreign languages department at College of the Canyons, one of two instructors on the trip. ``They're going to a place that was extremely conflictive,'' she said. ``There was a war, there was a civil war, (a) Marxist-type government. And now they're ... going there and discovering.'' The itinerary includes an interview with Violeta Chamorro Violetta Barrios de Chamorro (born October 18, 1929) is a Nicaraguan political leader and publisher. She was the forty-eighth President of Nicaragua from April 1990 to January 1997, and the first and to date only woman to hold that office. , who was president of Nicaragua
From To President from 1990 to 1996 and clashed with the socialist Sandinistas. Chamorro offered to host the group at her large home, where the students will talk with her. The participants in the tour will also visit Tortuguero in Costa Rica, where they will see chelonia mydas turtles come up from the ocean and lay eggs. Mindful of disturbing the turtles, the group will be dressed in black to not disturb the animals. ``From prior experiences, (participants) said that it was a life-changing experience for them,'' said Miriam Goldbert, a biology professor at College of the Canyons who will co-lead the tour. ``It's so amazing a·maze v. a·mazed, a·maz·ing, a·maz·es v.tr. 1. To affect with great wonder; astonish. See Synonyms at surprise. 2. Obsolete To bewilder; perplex. v.intr. to see these huge, almost pre-historic creatures come out and leave and go to the ocean,'' she said. To learn about the economy of Central America, the group will visit sugar and banana plantations and the National Theater in Costa Rica, which was built with taxes on coffee. Christine Roca is one of several high school students going on the trip. She's been to Costa Rica before. ``It's definitely a poorer country, but ... it has beautiful beaches,'' she said. ``If you want to major in biology, it's a great place. They have the marina, the tropical wildlife. It's a great place.'' alex.dobuzinskis(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 |
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