War in Iraq Behind Cancellation of School Trips
Overseas and to Metropolitan Areas

by Judy Silberstein

(March 27, 2003 )The war in Iraq is impacting American life in big ways and small.

“We’ve canceled all overseas trips and school trips to major metropolitan areas,” announced Mamaroneck Schools Superintendent Sherry King to parents and students assembled in the auditorium Wednesday night for a meeting on the school-led tour to China that was to have taken place during the upcoming Spring break.

The immediate response was both anger and relief. “So why did you drag us to this meeting?” blurted out an enraged student. “Thank you for caring about our students,” commented a parent.

Chinese teacher Le Rong Rong commiserates with students and parents over canceled Spring break trip to China.

Dr. King characterized the decision as hers to make, since she bears ultimate responsibility for the safety of the students and district employees involved. However, she stated, “The Board of Education supports this decision.” When the meeting was first arranged on Monday, Dr. King had not yet come to a resolution, though after much research and conversation with faculty, parents and students, she decided to cancel this and all district trips.

A separate Spring trip to Japan, led by social studies teacher Shannon TurnerPorter, has also been canceled and rescheduled for next year. There were 22 people, 15 students and 7 adults set to go. According to Turner-Porter, parents were very supportive of her hard work on behalf of the trip and relieved at the trip's cancellation in the face of the war and uncertainty in the country. They were less pleased with the cancellation fee from the tour company, though at least they had not lost the entire $2700 for the trip.

The Chatsworth Avenue School trip to Philadelphia has also been canceled. Even shorter trips into New York City have been canceled.

“Our concern is that we’re in an orange alert situation," explained Dr. King "When our students go to major tourist areas, there is a heightened risk of terrorist attack."

An additional cloud over the China trip has been an outbreak of a mysterious and deadly virus arising in China's Guangdong Province. According to the World Health Organization, "Chinese authorities have today (Wednesday, March 26) officially reported a total of 792 cases and 31 deaths in an outbreak of atypical pneumonia that began in southern China." In response, authorities in Singapore closed all schools for two weeks. Though not the primary reason for her actions, Dr. King cited news on the diseease as "confirmatory" of her decision.

"The trips are not essential to the students' education and can be postponed or canceled,” said Superintendent King. She urged the assembly to spend the rest of the meeting on plans for rescheduling the trip for next year. None of the students affected are seniors, so all are eligible to participate next year.

Le Rong Rong, the district’s Chinese teacher and trip leader, will be putting off a defense of her doctoral dissertation in applied linguistics to lead the trip in 2004. "Rong Rong is an extraordinarily giving and humble person,” said the Superintendent. “It is typical of her that she is putting some important decisions in her own life on hold." Later Le confirmed that, “I still have to work out arrangements with my ‘boss’ at Columbia Teachers College.”

Dr. Mark Orfinger, principal of the high school and one of the trip chaperones, said, “Rong Rong hasn’t slept for a week,” as she’s scrambled to salvage the trip and renegotiate terms with travel agencies and airlines.

“It is a very, very difficult time, for everyone,” said Le Rong Rong. “In my heart, I can imagine your situation. I can feel how disappointed you are,” she told her students and parents. “If it was just the war, I think I would be very confident to take you," she explained. “But the problem with the disease is also developing. It’s to the point that we’re nor sure and we don’t want to risk.”

The families have until April 11 to decide on what to do next. There were 42 students slated to go and most had paid $2,750 for the tour.

After much negotiation on the part of Ms Le and her travel agent, Northwest Airlines has agreed to allow the tickets to be exchanged. Families will pay a $200 fee to receive tickets good for the China trip next April, or for an alternate trip that must be completed by December 15 of this year. There is an additional $150 fee for canceling or rebooking all the hotel, transportation and theater tickets for inside China.

Will threats of terrorism abate by next April? Will the mysterious virus be under control? The families must quickly weigh these and other factors.

Though most parents and students were disappointed with the trip’s cancellation and some were angry at the way it was reached, the assembly was unified in its appreciation for the Chinese teacher, known to her students as “Le Laushi” (teacher Le). As the meeting concluded, all rose in a standing ovation for Le Laushi.