Snowy terrain throws curves at Portillo slopes I : om., mom~,"",,, ~ rived, the students who went to Harding Universi- J ty in Latin America in the fall of 2004 said they knew there was something special about Portillo. However. while students may have expected a fun week of skiing, many ended up spending the week suffering from altitude sickness. ''I've never been so sick in my entire life," said sophomore Kyle Symanowitz, who became so ill that he passed out during a campfire devotional. Junior Nate Kearns said he was sick enough that he did not even make it to the devotional. "Who would have thought that swimming in 30-degree weather would have made me even sicker?" Kearns said. Sophomore Emily Smith was another student to suffer while in Portillo. "Portillo," Smith said. "The thought of it pretty much turns me green." Despite Smith's infirmities on the trip, she said she became good fri~nds with Espot, the hotel's Saint Bernard. STUDENTLIFE - 28 The students who were not ill enjoyed skiing and even got the chance to meet the Italian Olympic ski team, who trained at the resort. After an exhausting day on the slopes, students participated in the Chilean tradition of onces. Onces, served daily at 5 p.m., was the Chilean equivalent of tea time. "T never knew that this time of day could be so enjoyable," junior Julie Fitzgerald said while enjoying her cake and coffee. Whether they spent the week flying down a mountain or completely bedridden, most of the HULA students agreed that it was an experience through which they made a lot of new friends. "I was so shy before this trip, but after Portillo I really trust and love this group," sophomore Laura Reeder said. HULA Director Tom Hooks said building friendships was one of the goals ofthe trip. "That's what it's aU about down here in HULA," Hook said. "Experiencing new things and making friends that will last for life." - DREW FRALICK IN CUSCO, PERU, sophomoreBrent Fonville visi tswith ch ildren dressedin traditional Quechuan costumes Sept. 26. Also on this trip, the HULA group visited Machu Picchu, Incan ruins built in the 1400s. ,COURTESY Of M. WIlSON
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