FORDH AM PREPARATORY SCH OOL October 2003 Ecuador Trip Was a Significant Experience by Sean Winters, ‘04 As junior year closed, eight students and three faculty members traveled to Duran, Ecuador, a suburb of the largest city in the country, Guayaquil, to participate in a service project sponsored by Rostro de Cristo. Our mission was to live among the people and over the course of nine days; I encountered a significant experience that will forever impact my life. On the first full day, we were welcomed and toured the community . With my rudimentary knowledge of Spanish, I greeted the people and they happily responded with huge smiles. In daylight, I could see to full extent the poverty in which these people lived. Their houses were about half the size of my bedroom at home and built with any material available. They lacked our modern conveniences, there was no indoor plumbing and they drank from a barrel of polluted water outside the front doors. Such water, if they could afford it, provided their source of drinking, bathing, and cooking. The next day we worked in a high crime community, Arbolitos. Our task was to establish a park in the center of the neighborhood in an attempt to keep gangs and crime out of the area. By the end of the day, we were out of materials and our accomplishments were not extremely noticeable. However, it was the relationship built with the children who worked along side us and the families who fed us that was most apparent. A few days later, we were taken into Guayaquil to visit a hospital for Lepers. I was somewhat nervous when arriving at the facility, where we met Sister Anne, a nurse from Brooklyn, who managed the hospital. There was a great range in the appearance of the patients. A majority of them appeared to be healthy. The depressing truth behind many of these patients is they were shunned by their society and remained at the hospital, because they had no where else to go. One of the most startling experiences took place when we met a woman who was blind and appeared as if she were a decaying corpse, merely lying in her bed without movement. The opportunities which I have been given since birth were not apparent until this experience. It amazes me everyday when I think back on the joy of these people whose lives are a constant struggle. We managed to understand each other's values and feelings despite the language barrier which, by the end of the trip, was hardly noticeable. I will never forget the acceptance I felt while playing “futbol” with other teenagers, doing homework with several students, and walking through the streets of Duran. Rampart Volume 64, Number 1 Prepsters Invade Europe 2003 By Chris Vogt ‘04 Last summer, students from Fordham Prep traveled to the European continent. The trip, planned by Mr. Bozzone, included excursions to Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, and England. The trip was planned in 2002 and spaces quickly filled up . Students led by Mr. Bozzone, Mr., Traendly, and Mr. Ruiz, met their tour director David Fenn in Germany. The first stop on the tour was Berlin. Here students visited the many historical monuments including the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, and a monument to the Russian victory during World War Two. The next stop on the trip was the picturesque city of Prague in the Czech Republic. Prague, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, most known as shooting ground for the movie XXX , was the nicest city on the entire tour. Students toured the city over the course of four days, exploring the various sights, eating exemplary food, and enjoying the nightlife. One point of interest included a concert held in a medieval Cathedral. “I loved Prague. It was one of my favorite places in the world!” exclaimed Gregory Menillo, ‘04. The next city on the tour extravaganza was Vienna, the city of music; known as the home of Mozart and other famous composers. Although our stay in Vienna was brief it was very enlightening. Munich was our next destination. Although not as big as Berlin, Munich overall contained more German historic culture. One night in Munich , we went to a traditional beer hall . People had beer mugs so huge that they needed two hands to hold them. At end of the dinner, people were so elated that many formed a Congo line and started dancing all across the hall. Overall all the food in Austria and Germany was excellent, filled with schinzel and wurst. Our next stop was Lucerne Switzerland. We rode a cable cars to the top of one of the mountains. At the top, it was 30 degrees colder than at the base. One was literally walking through the clouds. No one could see twenty feet ahead. It was a unique experience. Lucerne also had much nightlife. When we were there they were hosting an annual festival for the beginning of summer. The next stop of the trip was Paris. Paris is a unique city with an immense amount of history, artwork, and culture. Although we spent only 4 days there, we could have easily stayed there the entire two weeks . While we were there, we saw the palace of Versailles, the Louvre, the Mona Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, as well as other sights Continued on Page 2 COMING SOON: THE OBJECTIVE Inside This Issue: New Teachers at the Prep. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ? Extended DVD Review Section. . . . . . . . . . . 5 Ram Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,8