This week, the first fall session of the ESL Program concludes. Today, we're taking a look back at the wonderful social activities our students participated in. This session, students voted for their two favorite activities from a list of options. The two winners were a night at the Rice Football game and a day at the Houston Zoo for their annual Zoo Boo event. Read on find out more about each exciting activity!
The first of the two social activities this session was the football game. Our students met on campus on a warm Saturday evening to watch the Rice Owls take on Western Michigan.
Before the game, some students enjoyed walking around Tailgate Owley right outside Rice Stadium. There, fans were tailgating, food trucks were selling sweet and savory snacks, and an outdoor seating area was set up with TVs showing other football games in Rice's division.
As the game began, students got snacks and settled into their seats. The Rice Owls started the game strong and kept up with Western Michigan's attack. Throughout the first two quarters, the excitement went back and forth, and both students and teachers watched eagerly as halftime approached.
During the halftime show, students watched as performers and cheerleaders took the stage. This was also a good opportunity for everyone to refill their snacks and drinks before the second half of the game began.
After the game ended, the students and teachers went to Rice Village for a late-night dinner. At the table, students from different levels of the program sat together and talked about the game and their plans for the rest of the weekend.
A few weeks later, students and teachers headed to the Houston Zoo to see the annual Zoo Boo display, which features Halloween and Dia de los Muertos decorations throughout the zoo. The group met in front of the main entrance right after classes finished. Everyone was excited to explore the zoo, which is one of the largest in the United States!
While the Houston Zoo is very large, students walked around the whole zoo and saw a variety of different animals, fish, reptiles, insects, and more. Some of the students' favorite animals were the gorillas, who were relaxing in their enclosure that afternoon.
A few students went over to the elephant enclosure instead, taking a moment to observe these majestic and peaceful animals. Before leaving the zoo and heading back home for the day, students stopped by the cafe for a quick bite to eat, and then by the gift shop to look around for souvenirs. It was a great day all around, and both students and teachers enjoyed their time!
The afternoon at the Houston Zoo was the last social activity planned for our students this session. Stay tuned to our Instagram and Facebook pages to hear about more new social activity announcements next session as we enter the holiday season. There are some exciting events in store! Until then, thank you for reading, and please check out our other stories here on the blog.
by Hadrian Barbosa