Despite the frenzy that occurs at the end of every school year, around 50 ORRHS students embarked on a day trip to experience the sights and sounds of New York City.
Led by the head of the school’s AFS chapter, Nurse Kim Corazzini, and three other chaperones, the group explored Lower Manhattan and a pair of famous islands in the New York Harbor.
The New York trip started very early for the travelers, as the chartered tour bus left at 5:30 am to make sure the group could spend as much time as possible in the city. One rest stop and four-and-a-half hours later, the bus doors opened and out spilled 50 students into the surprisingly sunny streets of New York City.
The first stop of the day was the National Museum of the American Indian, a part of the Smithsonian Institution. Students were able to wander through the various exhibits offered, including one showcasing contemporary Native American fashion and another documenting the various tribes and regions of Central America.
By then it was noon, and the students made the quick walk over to Battery Park to grab a light lunch. It was quite the adventure for the many who had not eaten from a food truck before. From the park, the group boarded the Statue Cruises ferry that took them across the harbor to Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty has stood tall since 1886.
“Going to take pictures in front of the Statue of Liberty was my favorite thing that we did on our own,” said senior Sophie Gurney.
After spending about an hour on Liberty Island admiring the symbol of hope and freedom, the group hopped back on the ferry for the short trip over to Ellis Island. Between 1892 and 1954, Ellis Island was the first stop for over 12 million immigrants who emigrated from Europe to America in search of a better life. Some students may have been tracing their ancestors’ steps as they explored the museum that once served as an inspection station.
“I really liked going to Ellis Island. I just wish we had a little more time there to do more stuff,” said sophomore Elyse Pellegrino.
After arriving back on Manhattan, the students took a mile walk from Battery Park to the South Street Seaport, an area within view of the Brooklyn Bridge that once was a port for the Dutch West India Trading Company. The group visited shops and restaurants in the immediate area on their own as they relaxed after a full and busy day.
“I enjoyed walking around Seaport and seeing the historic ships docked at the port,” Gurney said.
“My favorite thing was when we were allowed to go off on our own and find interesting shops and have fun with friends,” Pellegrino added.
The ride home to the Tri-Town took longer than the trip out, considering the evening rush hour. However, this didn’t bother anyone since a peaceful quiet fell over the bus as everyone began to fall asleep one by one. It was understandable that a long and exciting trip would be so exhausting, but it was worth it to every student who went. In fact, many students would support ORRHS organizing more field trips similar to the annual NYC one run by Nurse Corazzini.
For instance, this was Pellegrino’s first trip to New York City, and the second cultural experience trip run by ORRHS that she had taken in the past year as she went on the French trip to Canada last fall.
“So many kids in our community are not aware of other cultures and we’re not all that diverse, and sometimes I feel like we don’t realize how big the world is and how different it can be,” Pellegrino stated.
“The school should sponsor more AFS trips,” agreed Gurney. “All the trips do a great job at getting us students out of the Tri-Town and giving us an important historical and cultural experience.”
By Jo Caynon