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College Plans 2016 Study Trip to Cuba

Easing of Travel Restrictions Allows for Educational Study Trip For many, the simple mention of Cuba conjures images of the fiery revolutionary, Fidel Castro, tobacco and sugar cane plantations, white-sand beaches and an island 90 miles from Florida that essentially has been forbidden to Americans since the late 1950s. The Obama Administration’s recent easing of travel restrictions presents students and community members with what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to visit Cuba as part of an educational tour sponsored by Wilmington College. WC is teaming with EF College Study Tours for the excursion planned for next spring, May 9 to 17, 2016. EF (Education First) is a leader in school group tours to locales throughout the world and one with which the College has enjoyed a long partnership. Since students will have the opportunity to earn academic credit for the study tour, Dr. Michael Snarr, professor of political science, will be leading class sessions in the weeks prior to leaving for Cuba. Community members on the trip are welcome to attend and participate in the classes, which are designed to provide a solid background on Cuba’s history, geography, political climate, cultural identity and other areas designed to make the visit as meaningful and educational as possible. The Cuban itinerary starts with a day in Miami that includes a lecture at Casa Bacardi Interactive Cuban Cultural Center. Upon arriving in Havana, the group will meet with students and faculty at the University of Havana. The tour is especially designed for interaction with Cubans and will feature sessions with persons involved with the art, music, theatre and dance that are native to the Cuban experience. Also, a focus will be placed upon the nation’s interest in conservation and environmental sustainability that includes a visit to a diverse ecosystem at Zapata National Park. While visiting a sugar cooperative, the group will meet with local farmers before learning first-hand about small business ownership in the socialist/communist nation. In addition, the tour includes attending performances by the Cienfuegos Orchestra, an Afro-Cuban musical group and a children’s theatre. Cities on the tour include Havana, Santa Clara, Trinidad and Cienfuegos. The itinerary has not yet been finalized. “This really could be a once-in-a-lifetime experience as there is no definite duration for the current easing of travel restrictions — and further normalization of relations between America and Cuba is by no means a certainty,” Snarr said, noting that politics, being what they are, will play a role in whether the two nations develop closer relations or revert back to the more adversarial relationship of the past. “Cuba has been enshrouded in an aura of mystery and intrigue for more than half a century as it played a key role in the Cold War and, even all these years later, is an epicenter for evoking passion and controversy,” he added. “I invite you to join us as part of this historic tour in which we’ll witness the convergence of Cuba’s past, present and possible future for a fascinating nine days.” The cost of $3,300 includes airfare and transportation, hotels, regional style meals, guided sightseeing, admission fees and experiential learning opportunities. A supplement for double rooms is required for persons over 30 years of age and trip insurance is available. EF is offering a $100 early enrollment bonus through April. More information and registration procedures are available by contacting Snarr at (937) 481-2436, michael_snarr@wilmington.edu, or WC’s public relations director, Randy Sarvis, at (937) 481-2344, rsarvis@wilmington.edu.