Classics Students Take On Rome

By Luke Guleserian ’24 & Luke Trevisan ’24 Panel Staff

During the first week of March break, the classics department offered a trip to Rome and surrounding areas for all Upper School boys taking Latin or Greek. The trip was headed by Dr. Davis, along with chaperones Mr. Cofield, Mr. Bracken, Ms. Wallace and Mr. O’Connell. In past years only about 15 students had been allowed on the trip, but since the pandemic and travel restrictions had ruined any plans over the past few years, Dr. Davis thought it was best to allow everyone who signed up. In total, there were 32 students on this year’s international excursion.

Over the course of the trip, the students saw a myriad of impressive sights ranging from religious monuments. Of course, there were the all-star attractions, like the Colosseum and the Circus Maximus, as well as the famous baths and magnificent Forum. Every step of Rome took the students through, above or under millennia of history. As Rome is the center of the Catholic Church’s authority, churches, cathedrals, and basilicas dot the streets and avenues. Students visited renaissance church’s rich with baroque art with one, the Basilica of San Clemente, featuring a pagan shrine underground. Among other popular sights were the Vatican, and its Laocoon display, a sculpture of a figure prominent in the Aeneid, which all AP Latin students read, as well as Pompeii, the ancient city engulfed by pyroclastic flows from Mt. Vesuvius in 79 AD. Students could see grafitti and ancient engravings, which are

Sierra Nevada Trip

By Ben Gong ’26 Panel Staff

Over the first half of spring break, a group of 23 students visited the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California. The students were accompanied by three faculty members: Mr. Sweeney, Mr. Leonardis, and Mr. DeCaprio. To reach their destination, they flew to San Francisco and drove to Convict Lake, near the border of Nevada. This year was a historic snowfall year in California, forcing the group to make a few detours. Having arrived, they found their accommodations in a cabin with a gorgeous view of the lake. Due to the high altitude, the entire Belmont Hill group had to briefly acclimatize themselves by going on a light hike.

Encumbering the otherwise beautiful conditions were the preponderance of blizzards and avalanches. The average temperature was around 25 degrees fahrenheit. While on hikes, the group spied foxes, big birds, and lizards. In total, they went on seven hikes. The longest hike being a nine mile trek through a volcanic caldera, taking nine hours. Down from the mountains, the group visited Alabama Hills, which was a very rocky hike. Then, they visited Fossil Falls, where the students got to see a volcano, as well as some obsidian arrowheads. Being the ‘STEM’ trip, science scholars learned that obsidian is formed from cooled magma. Adjacent to the volcano was a heated creek which reached a scorching 135 degrees Fahrenheit. The hottest place they visited was Death Valley, which holds the record for the highest temperature ever recorded.

At the end of their stay in the Sierra Nevada, they went to the Great Orion Stargazing festival. There, they learned about astronomy and looked at stars. To conclude their trip, they visited Fort Funston in San Francisco, a former nuclear missile launch site.

The students and faculty greatly enjoyed this trip, having witnessed many beautiful views and unique landscapes. Everyone on the trip is grateful for the opportunity to be able to go on amazing trips, and would like to thank Belmont Hill and the teacher chaperones who made this possible. ☐ not prominent anywhere else in the world. Another highlight of the trip was the ability to experience lots of new and different foods. The native culture of Italy offered richer sauces, tastier cheeses and softer bread than anything experienced at home. New and interesting pasta styles, such as potato-based gnocchi or bird’s nest shaped cappellini. Another highlight was the gelato, and Aaron Stanger ‘24 commented that “no american ice cream will ever top the gelato in Rome (we made sure to stop at least twice a day).” During the surprise trip to the fortress city of Orvieto, a few boys tried pigeon, which was a specialty there due to the town’s ancient pigeon farming caves. Although Rome is Italy’s largest city and thus very urban, students were able to find quiet moments and places throughout the city. At breakfast, there was a breathtak- ing rooftop view of Rome, stretching over the Tiber, Fortress of the Popes, the Vatican, and the Villa Borghese. Given the high athletic goals of Belmont Hill teams, a dozen students woke up early every day to run in the Villa Borghese, a park dotted with museums, walking trails, sculptures and fountains. Some students also went birdwatching. Overall, the trip was truly a wonderful experience for both the teachers and the students. James Mullowney sums up the trip gratefully “It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. At Belmont Hill, we read and learn about Ancient Roman history, but in Rome, you really see it and the experience is beyond any pictures in the Jenney Book.” Thank you to Dr. Davis, the chaperones and the parents for enabling trips like this to happen and we look forward to what will come in the future! ☐

BH France Trip

By Nathan Pappas ’24 Panel Staff

The first week of March break, nineteen Belmont Hill French students from Forms III-VI visited France with Mrs. Montanaro. After landing in Paris, the students spent the first day taking a bus tour of Paris and acclimating themselves to the fifth district of Paris. On the following day, the group visited the Louvre Museum where they participated in a scavenger hunt created by Mrs. Montanaro. The students then took a trip to the Champs-Elysees where they were given time to explore all the fancy stores and the Arc De Triomphe as the Place de la Concorde. That night, the group visited the Eiffel Tower and took the trip to the viewing deck at the top of the tower.

On the fourth day in Paris, the students visited the Gardens and Palace of Versailles. Finally, on their last day in Paris, they visited the Catacombs in the morning before getting on a train to Rennes, a city about an hour and a half Southwest of

France.There, each student was assigned a French host family from a local school who provided us a place to stay as well as introducing us to many French traditions and foods. Students loved engaging with their host families in French, as well as taking in the different cultural intricacies of the host families. For the first day in Rennes, the students took a trip to Saint-Malo, a town on the northern shores of France with rich history and beautiful beaches. On the second day, students attended two classes with their French host sibling before heading off to explore the city of Rennes.

On the last day of the trip, the host siblings of each student accompanied the group to visit Mont-Saint Michel where we explored the island and took a walk out on the vast expanses of quicksand at low tide. The group then returned home the next morning concluding the week-long France Trip.☐