Local students spend spring break in Greece

While many high school students play on the beaches or wonder though amusement parks on spring break, two Mississippi County juniors participated in a Grecian Odyssey educational tour instead.

Louis Lammers of Dell and Kadyn Lemke of Armorel both attend Arkansas School for Math, Science, and the Arts, an academically rigorous residential high school located in Hot Springs. And they both chose to travel for nine days with several of classmates and teachers to one of the birthplaces of modern thought and philosophy: Greece.

Lammers noted, “The best thing about being an ASMSA student is the exposure to many more opportunities in and outside of academics than a typical high school. We are always encouraged to try new things and think in nontraditional ways.”

The students toured ancient ruins and walked through the marketplaces where Socrates, Plato and Aristotle once argued their thoughts on justice, beauty, and equality. They visited Athens and the site of the ancient temple of Zeus as well as the original Olympic stadium. They stood in Syntagma Square, viewed the Acropolis and the Parthenon, stood upon the rocky shores of the Mediterranean, and hiked to the temple of Poseidon. They visited Delphi and made pottery in Mycenae. They viewed the temple of Apollo and walked through many markets and street vendors as well. History and philosophy, as well as geography and anthropology, came to life as these students were guided through a modern town with an ancient history that still influences many aspects of our lives today.

“My favorite place was the Acropolis of Athens. Seeing buildings that are over a thousand years old is a very unique and exciting experience, “ commented Lemke.