STITT EXPERIENCES MEXICAN LIFE

Jackson's Lois Stitt visited with two staff members at the Hotel Del Mar, Campeche, Mexico. "This city stole my heart," Stitt said.

Jackson's Lois Stitt was part of a was a seven-day trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, sponsored by the Southeast Missouri State University Spanish and business departments. The group consisted of the professor and 11 students.

"We learned much about the culture of the area, observed area businesses and had ample opportunity to practice Spanish," Stitt said. "We visited five different cities and toured Mayan sites. It was an invaluable experience."

Stitt went with some volunteers of "Punta Xen," an ecological organization funded by the state for the protection of tortoises. They go out to the seashore at night and search for turtle eggs. They bring them to a protected area to finish hatching, and keep the young turtles there until they can survive on their own.

"The night we went, we found two young turtles, each estimated to be about a year old," Stitt said. "They were put into a turtle pond."

She thanked Peters Supply of Marble Hill, Ricketts of Marble Hill and Kessinger Clinic of Cape Girardeau for donating to the trip.

"I hope to be able to participate in a trip to Spain next," she said. "I also hope to be able to study in Mexico for a semester."