A small group of design students got the chance to experience architecture and design in another part of the country.

They boarded a plane for Chicago on April 9 and returned April 11. Their design-oriented trip was packed with sightseeing, tours and showcases.

Among the various activities was an architectural river tour of the downtown buildings that focused on the history and background. They also took a tour of Macy’s, saw a Broadway production, shopped on Michigan Avenue, and participated the Designer Showrooms and tours at the Merchandise Mart.

Opal Stephens, design teacher, said that her motivation for planning the trip was to “do something in addition to the curriculum where students could get a different perspective of design in a larger setting.”

Among the seven students who attended were Dylan Holmes, freshman, and Kaitlin Smith, junior.

Holmes’ favorite part was Michigan Avenue because of the shopping, and Smith enjoyed seeing The Bean, which is a huge reflective metal sculpture in Millennium Park.

A trip like this is meant to be fun while providing a learning experience.

“I learned that you can mix colors and textures to make something new and bold,” Holmes said.

While Holmes learned new things on a tour of the apparel center, Smith acquired some knowledge on the river tour.

Smith learned about “the architecture in Chicago” and how the buildings are all “unique and different in their own ways.”

Before the trip, Holmes had never been to Chicago, but after “learning from the designers” there, he realized that it was ultimately what he “really wanted to do.” Smith was reluctant at first, saying she was “forced to go,” but she was grateful to “experience something other than Kansas.”