PAGE 10 FEATURES / FEB. 17, 2009 Due to concerns about affordability during a troubled economic time, the annual World Geography trip headed by teacher John Nickels was declared
GROUNDED // LOGANHELEY
Sleeping in a cabin in Alaska. Meeting New Zealand’s Prime Minister. Climbing the Great Wall of China. For over half a century, one man’s summer trips have brought the highlights of the world to the East community. But after 56 trips, there might not be a 57th. Social studies teacher John Nickels, the trip’s coordinator, has taken students from Indian Hills and East to places all over the world almost every summer since 1967. However, due to the economic recession, this summer’s trip has been canceled. The decision came last July when the economy began its recession. Nickels made the call for the sake of both students and parents. He didn’t want parents to have to tell their kids “no,” and he didn’t want kids saying they couldn’t go, either. “We’ve had [economic issues] in the past too, but this year it’s much more exaggerated with the downturn in the economy,” Nickels said. “I’m afraid, as every year, we have some families who really try to do it because they try to do everything they can for their kid when they shouldn’t.” Although the U.S. recognizes 194 independent nations across the world, Nickels said only two were reasonably priced for the type of trip he likes to do, China and Japan. The past two years Nickels has taken freshmen to China and three years ago the trip was to Japan. “It’s not that [China and Japan] weren’t reasonably priced enough to do [them] again, but I don’t want to go to China for a third time and I don’t feel the need to go to Japan a second time,” Nickels said. “It has to appeal to me too.” As the economy stays at the forefront of American politics and Nickels’ decision, Nickels said other issues played into his decision-making as well. He didn’t know if he could physically do another trip and he liked the idea of having a break. “[I plan to] read, sleep, play with my animals, rest and I might do little day trips, but I’m really down on airlines right now,” Nickels said. “And, actually, we’ve had good luck with airlines the last two or three trips, but I’m just tired of the airline battles. It’s a big worry to deal with 45 or 50 people checking baggage and seats getting bumped and flights missed. Airlines really wear on you. So not climbing on a plane [this summer] causes me no grief whatsoever.” Freshmen students have been pressuring Nickels to change his mind, but Nickels is sticking to his decision. Students like freshman Lilly Myers were upset when Nickels told them he was not planning a trip for this summer.
// GABYTHOMPSON and DUNCANMcHENRY “I’m just kind of bummed because I really wanted to go and I’ve heard of all these really cool places they’ve gone,” Lilly said. “I was just really excited because [my parents] were going to let me go, but then, of course, the one year that I could go, he doesn’t do a trip.” Lilly’s mom Sheila Myers wishes Lilly could have gone on one of the trips that she calls legendary, but she understands Nickels’ motives. “I was disappointed for Lilly, because I knew she was looking forward to it,” Sheila said. “But, I was not that disappointed because, hey, I don’t have to spend five thousand dollars. So that’s how I look at it.” Social studies teacher Brenda Fishman has been going on Nickels’ summer trip for approximately 15 years and she said she will miss not going on the trip this summer. Though she wishes another trip was on the schedule for this year, she understands Nickels’ decision.
Nickels trip stats
Destination 2006:
Japan
$3,200
China
$3,500
Destinations: Tokyo, Takayoma, Kyoto
2007:
Cost
Destinations: Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an
2008:
China
Destinations: Shanghai, Beijing, Xi’an
$4,400 (Costs are per-person)
“Traveling with large groups is just tiresome,” Fishman said. “There are a lot of headaches going through the airport, security and baggage claim.” Though Nickels is not currently planning on having another summer trip, he is leaving the issue open. This year’s freshmen have already been told they will get the opportunity to go on a trip if one is scheduled for the summer after their sophomore year. “I won’t say [never], you never say forever or always, but certainly no trip this year,” Nickels said. “There may be [a trip] down the road, it would depend on the atmosphere
and it would depend on places.” Nickels said that there are places he would like to return to, like mainland Europe and the British Isles, but he said prices were too high. This year was not the first time Nickels considered ending the summer trips. Nickels said he had thoughts about ending the trips several years ago. “I almost stopped before we did the New Zealand trip for Lord of the Rings,” Nickels said. “It was such an exciting idea, doing a trip going to all the movie sites. I just had to do that.” The year after the Lord of the Rings trip, students were calling for another New Zealand trip, so Nickels took a trip that included both Australia and New Zealand. After that, ACIS, the travel agency Nickels uses, called saying Japan was offering a trip for a good price that was “almost a steal.” China was then offering inexpensive trips to attract foreigners before the Olympics. Nickels said Thailand was even in the mix after the Japan trip, but there was a coup that made the country unstable and possibly dangerous for students, so Nickels chose to take the trip to China. After finding out this summer’s trip had been canceled, some students asked for a trip within the States, such as Disney World, but Nickels wouldn’t go with it. A domestic trip would have been cheaper than an overseas trip, but Nickels didn’t want to do a trip for the sake of a trip because of past experiences with trips closer to home. “We did one trip right after 9/11, when there was concern about Americans flying overseas, so we did a trip to Canada,” Nickels said. “And the kids howled and howled about boy were they getting jipped.” The kids didn’t like it close, so if I were going to do something in the States again I’d have to wait a few years to get away from the overseas trips, then I could maybe consider it.” Nickels reminisces about back when he first started taking students from Indian Hills to Washington, D.C. for about 109 dollars. Other teachers were stunned he would want to take on such a large task. Teachers used to bug me about why I did trips,” Nickels said. “And I said ‘my god, you’re a teacher, and you almost get to hand pick your kids and take them to the best classroom in the world.’ But there were people that thought I was crazy. Fifty-six years later, it can be done.” Summer trips have been a tradition for Nickels. He knows he will miss it this summer. “If I had the youth and the energy, I’d find a way [to do a trip this summer], but I don’t,” Nickels said. “[I’m] getting older and 56 trips, that’s enough.”