Hillside HS acting troupe changes spring break tour plans amid Middle East conflict

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- The famous One Voice Acting Troupe at Hillside High School decided to cancel their spring break trip to Dubai as tensions rise in the Middle East.

Theatre Director Wendell Tabb said he told students that faculty canceled the trip even before getting official approval from Durham Public Schools. Tabb said the teachers believe that safety is the highest priority for their students.

Parents said the students really look forward to the trip as an opportunity to learn about other cultures.

"They are looking at it not just from a vacation but they get to interact with other people from other places regarding theater, the arts and seeing how they do things and also go show them and teach them how we do things," parent liaison Nikki Brown said. "It's really important to them."

Students said they understood the decision.

"I'm okay with it because at the end of the day it's our safety over travel," junior Kaia Brown said. "You can't replace a life but you can replace a trip."

Instead of heading to Dubai, the group will travel to St. Lucia in the West Indies over spring break.