Senior, Morgan Barrons.

Gayle Armelagos 

Jeremiah Rooker 

Freshman, Meghan Romer

Russell Tippitt...uhm! 

Meet Patrick and Andrew 

Senior, Samantha Affholter

Mackenzie Martin

Jordan Murdock and Jeremy Debor

Sarah Oyetubo 

MILAN
Our first stop is to the beautiful city of Milan
Milan is the most northern and centrally located of Italy's once great city-state republics. It’s early existence and growth was something of a miracle because it was vulnerable to invading armies since the days of the Roman invasions. Nevertheless, Milan experienced extraordinary periods of prosperity and cultural achievements.
During the Renaissance, Noble families commissioned art that endured long beyond their political intrigues. Among many familiar art masterpieces, Milan is home to Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper, now under meticulous restoration at the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
Milan is half the size of Rome to the south but seems to move at double the speed. The financial heart of the country, It's energetic pace matches it’s sky-scrapered counterparts in the rest of the world. However, the Italian eye for beauty and style never dims. Milan's Trade Fairs and bustling commerce showcase an it’s obsession with fashion, textiles, home design, advertising and banking and finance.
In spite of its high financial profile, Milan is a deservedly popular tourist destination. Its captivating, 14th century rose-marbled Il Duomo Cathedral is second in size only to Rome's St. Peter's, but exceeding it in grandeur. The adjacent, famed Galleria - probably the world's most elegant shopping mall - leads into what is surely the world's most illustrious Opera House, La Scala. For a genuine sense of Milan's daily enjoyments, we will head for the streets along the old Naviglio canals; here, the shops are charming, the sights colorful and the cafes most alluring . . .

Trisha French 

Meet Amber Lund. She is in my 2nd hr. World Studies class with Torie. She is a sophomore and loves hanging out with ther friends, shopping and dancing. She is excited about this trip because Italy and Greece are places she has wanted to go and now she gets a chance. Amber had the crud today and it was very generous of her to agree to have a picture taken on a day that she did not feel her best.  

This is Torie Keeton. Torie is in my 2nd hr. World Studies class. She is a freshman and loves volleyball and partying with her friends. She is excited about going to Italy and Europe because it is a good opportunity to see another country.

ITALY VIDEOS CLIPS

The TODAY SHOW with Katie Couric and Matt Lauer has been broadcasting from Italy this week and will be doing so thru out the winter Olympics. Stay tuned, record or watch so that you can get some inside information on Italy. Go to http://msnbc.msn.com/id/3032633/ (or copy/paste this link) to watch the broadcasts from Italy online.

IMPORTANT PAYMENT INFORMATION Only 129 days to departure (from 2/7/06)!. Please remember that full payment is due 99 days before departure (3/9/06). If payment is late, there will be a $95 fee applied to your bill. If you have any problems meeting this deadline, please contact me as soon as possible (before that deadline) to that arrangements can be made and you might be able to avoid paying the $95.

DO YOU HAVE SPECIAL TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS?
On my trips, some travelers have had special needs. Because I want to make sure that you have a fun and comfortale vacation, I will need to know if you will require special accomodations or if you need special medical needs. Some example of special needs are: Vegeterian meals, severe alergies, handicaps, etc. Sometimes, travelers opt to travel ahead or even stay behind. If you plan to take advantage of this option, please inform me as soon as possible so that I can make all the arrangements.

PASSPORT REQUIREMENT
1. If you haven't done so yet, make sure you are actively working to get your passport this month. You will not be allowed to leave the country without a passport.
2. If you are not a US citizen, make sure to verify your required travel documentation for each of the countries we will visit (Italy, Greece and Turkey)

This is Jordan Spagnuolo. He is in my 5th hr. World Studies class. He is a Freshman and likes weightlifting, football and hanging with his friends. He wants to go on this trip because there is a lot of history in Italy and there are a lot of beaches to patrol!

Meet Hannah Hollandsworth. She is in my 1st hr. World Studies class. Hannah is a Sophomore and is lucky enough to be traveling with her mother Michelle Carson.

Meet Jennifer Byford. She is in my 3rd hr. World Studies class. She is also in Art Club and Choir (Vocal Ensemble). Jennifer is a bookworm. We are always exchanging book titles. She wants to go on this trip because she wants to see the world. Italy is a place with so much historical significance that she wants to see the real thing. Jennifer has read the Da Vinci Code (and Angels and Demons) and I know it will be fun both of us to look for the places in Rome that served as backdrop for these mysteries.

WHO IS GOING?
Here is the list:
Samantha Affholter
Gayle Armelagos
Morgan Barrons
Jennifer Byford
Michelle Carson
Patrick Cavanaugh
Stephanie Corey
Jeremy Debor
Trisha French
Hanna Hollandsworth
Torie Keeton
Amber Lund
Mackenzie Martin
Jordan Murdock
Victoria Murdock
Sara Oyetubo
Andrew Page
Trey Ragatz
Erica Robinson
Meaghan Romer
Jeremiah Rooker
Anna Solomon
Jordan Spagnuolo
Russel Tippit
M. Ragatz