Students have video chat from Afghanistan

Though they are separated by many miles and multiple time zones, Park Street pupils were able to video chat with a soldier stationed in Afghanistan.

http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20100515/NEWS04/5150353/1003/NEWS02

Published May 15, 2010 in the Rutland Herald

Students have video chat from Afghanistan

By JOSH O'GORMAN STAFF WRITER

SPRINGFIELD — Though they are separated by many miles and multiple time zones, Park Street pupils were able to video chat with a soldier stationed in Afghanistan.

Ginny Massucco's and Dennis Hagan's fifth-grade pupils gathered Thursday in the computer room to talk with Lt. Carol Hitchcock. Hitchcock — a member of the Vermont National Guard 86th Infantry Brigade Combat Team — is one of about 1,500 soldiers deployed to Afghanistan last fall.

The students communicated with Hitchcock with the computer application Skype, which allows people to transmit both audio and video of themselves. While the video of Hitchcock was jumpy, the sound was clear and pupils took the opportunity to ask her about life in Afghanistan.

Hitchcock is one of about 3,000 people stationed at North Kabul Area International Airport, where she is part of a coalition that oversees the training of Afghan soldiers and police. Remmington Morancy asked what the terrain was like off-base. Hitchcock described hot, vast deserts and treacherous mountains, both of which she took pictures of and sent them to Park Street pupils.

Elana Jendrewski asked what Afghan food tastes like (Hitchcock likes naan but takes most meals on base) while Matthew Eastman asked what Kabul was like.

"It's like Springfield," Hitchcock said. "Some parts are beautiful and others are not."

Park Street School has more or less adopted Hitchcock since the school held a farewell ceremony for her in October. Hitchcock was a lunch mentor to Park Street pupil Hannah Perillo. The two chatted privately later in the day.

Guidance counselor Jan Rounds said she chose the fifth-graders because they had written letters to Hitchcock asking about her life in Afghanistan.

"She was so incredibly cool," Rounds said. "She wrote each and every one of them back."

Downstairs across the hall from the main office is what has unofficially become known as the Carol Hitchcock Bulletin Board, where her letters and photos hang for everyone to see. School staff has made sure Hitchcock is not forgotten by giving updates on her during the weekly radio address and by sending her lots of care packages.

The school, in turn, received something very special from Hitchcock. Prior to leaving, Hitchcock was presented with an American flag to fly over her base. Earlier this week, school officials received the flag back, along with a certificate verifying it flew over the base on April 27.

Rounds said activities such as this expand the children's perspective of life outside Vermont.

"It gives us a bigger picture of what's out there and what's happening politically in our world," Rounds said. "The more we know and see, the better educated we are."