Becca Spector
Assistant Features Editor

For a few south students, this past summer has been an opportunity to learn and venture to new places.

Senior Chase Michalek has always been somewhat of a philanthropist.He’s normally found in the halls helping others as the vice president of Peer Mediators and as a leader of the Glenbrook South junior/senior Interact Board, but this summer he attempted to make a bigger impact.

Michalek traveled to Ensenada, Mexico to help rebuild impoverished families’ homes. He worked along side his dad, and joined nine other families.

“It was an experience I will never forgetº I have done trips like this before, but doing it internationally really put everything into perspective,” said Michalek.

Michalek sponsored a family by donating supplies to build their home and spent three days completing the house. Michalek was able to meet and interact with the family.

“Part of why I traveled to Mexico was not just to build the house, but to meet and have the opportunity to communicate with the family.”

This was an amazing and heartfelt experience for Michalek and he encourages others to try to make a difference in someone’s life.

Junior Sarah Holden also had an emotional experience during this past summer break. Every other summer Holden, along with her family and close family friends, visits a foreign country. This summer Holden traveled through Eastern Europe to countries such as Poland, Czech Republic, and Germany.

According to Holden, the most moving place she visited was the concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland.

“Auschwitz was the most memorable part of my trip by far. You learn about genocide and the Holocaust in grade school and high school, but you don’t understand how awful it was until you see the actual bunk beds they slept in and the gas chambers they were killed in,” recalled Holden.

This trip opened Holden’s eyes and revealed to her how real genocides actually are.

Holden said, “The magnitude of this genocide is indescribable.”

She feels that others should go and visit these places for themselves because there is no other way to truly comprehend it.

Other South students took the advantage of the break to broaden their artistic and culinary horizons. Junior Taylor Pahos took a weeklong fashion course at the Institute of Art in Schaumburg.

The course allowed Pahos to acquire new knowledge about the fashion cycle, textiles, merchandising, and drawing. She comments that her favorite part was the fashion sketches called croquis, she learned to create.

“The course was really fun. I learned a lot and was able to meet a lot of new people. All in all it was very interesting and different,” said Pahos.

Pahos commuted to the college campus everyday which was conveniently located next to Woodfield Shopping Center, where she and her newfound friends were able to shop and receive hands-on experience in the fashion retail world.

Pahos encourages others to take classes on subjects that they enjoy. Next summer she hopes to attend another camp, but this time in California, to increase her clothing designing skills.