By Ranny Ma
Gargoyle staff reporter
Posted Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2007, The OG, news

THIS FRIDAY, 56 of Uni's 60 seniors will head to the Wisconsin Dells for their class trip. They will leave right after school and return Monday. This is the fourth straight year that Uni seniors have selected the Dells as their class-trip destination.

“It was basically everyone's backup plan,” said Student Council executive secretary/treasurer Martin Granick. “I think some people might have liked to go elsewhere and there was talk about going to Chicago, but we decided that the Dells was going to be a smaller, closer-knit place.”

Although Chicago was a possibility, it was tossed out for fear of logistical problems.

“If we went to a big city, every single bit of the trip would have to be planned ahead to take into account traffic, etc.,” said class secretary/treasurer Rohun Palekar. “Plus, it would probably cost more, too.”

However, Wisconsin Dells is a more than sufficient substitute. As one of the biggest tourist spots in the nation, it has many pleasing attractions.

“It's the type of place that you need to go to with a group of friends so you can just appreciate the craziness of it all and just have fun,” said class vice president Daisy Hassani.

The seniors will visit a waterpark at the Wilderness Resort. In addition, there is an optional skiing trip to Devil's Head.

“Nothing's really planned,” said Granick. “I guess we'll just take advantage of what the Dells has.”

The seniors will lodge in condos in groups of eight to 10. The condos are fully equipped with a hot tub and a fireplace, which the seniors can take advantage of after a hard day of having fun.

“We just plan to hang out in the condos and chat and play games,” said Hassani, who helped organize the trip.

Twelve adult chaperones will accompany the students: Director/Principal Kassie Patton; teachers Chris Butler, Suzanne Linder, Matt Mitchell, Steve Rayburn, and Bill Sutton; four senior parents; and two faculty spouses.

The seniors are expected to get back on Monday around 6 p.m. (there's no school because of parent-teacher conferences). The students are looking forward to the trip because it gives them a chance to relax and get away from school.

“It is nice to take a step back from the work and enjoy the company of my peers,” said senior Scott Sapp.

“Personally I'm most excited about being able to see all my classmates in a situation where we're not worrying about school or homework or anything,” said Hassani. “I think the waterparks will be a ton of fun, but I'm also looking forward to more simple things, like cooking meals with my condo-mates.”

Patton thinks the weekend will be a nice change from a stressful environment.

“The students really enjoy being able to relax and have unstructured time,” she said. “It is just very relaxing. Students seem to find it very stress-relieving.”

Although Wisconsin Dells is nothing new to Uni, it is sure to bring the current senior class together as it has done in the past.

“I think it will be a time to appreciate what everyone has done the past couple of years,” said senior Mandy Grill.

RELATED

— Gargoyle photos: Senior Trip 2006

— Where they are going: Wisconsin Dells site