It’s never too early for you to start thinking about what you would like to do for your Spring Break. Seven students along with Mrs. Sweet, assistant to the President of Holy Cross, and Mr. Cochran, the professor of the Geology 110 course, left South Bend Regional Airport for a spring break trip. Where were they headed you ask? The nine of them took a trip to the Southwest to study Geology. The Geology of the American Southwest course consists of fifteen lab days in the classroom and also a ten day trip. You will be making stops in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and even Arizona. In this class you will be in some of the most amazing “classrooms” you have ever been in. Some examples of the classrooms include: Arches National Park where you will be able to see an unbelievable sunset that beams off the rocks, Zion National Park, which includes the trail up to “Angels’ Landing” (that is if you can handle it), and too many others to list.

This class meets two times a week for eight weeks then heads off to experience the more interesting “classrooms”. We had to comprehend a lot of information before we left, but there is a lot more to be learned. Mr. Cochran favors a hands on educational experience while visiting classic geologic sites that still exist in the country today. So we flew into Las Vegas and saw some sites; then we were off to our first stop. I know this class is taken during the spring semester but make sure you are prepared for any type of weather. You will be surprised! If you have never been to the Southwest you are in for a treat. While some people are out lying on the beach or even watching college basketball, you are out there taking hikes and also taking in some of the most beautiful scenery one will ever encounter. If you choose to take the adventure you will also get to eat at some exotic locations as well.

If the nine of us survived the 2006 Geology of the American Southwest trip, so can you. If you have any questions you can contact Mrs. Sweet, Graham Austin, Geoff Stookey, or Mr. Geology himself, Mr. Dan Cochran @ dcochran@hcc-nd.edu. Good luck and have fun in 2007!

Submitted by Geoff Stookey