Abhishek Venkatarmana

For Spanish teacher Arnaldo Rodriguex, culture is not something that can be just taught through books and lectures. So for the 25th year in a row, Rodriguex will be leading a group of 48 Spanish students to Cuernavaca, Mexico, for a one week study abroad program that he hopes will allow the students to completely “immerse themselves in the Mexican culture.” “You can only learn so much from the textbooks or from the internet,” said Rodriguex, “but when you’re actually there and you see it, smell it, touch it and experience it, you get a better understanding of the Mexican people and their culture and language.”

This year, English teacher Erick Rector has stepped up to coach the speech and debate team in hopes of bringing much needed stability to the program.