By DAVID MATTESON
Flashing lights, fast-paced hustle and a diverse population make New York City a unique destination.
However, beyond the city’s facade lies an educational purpose as well. Five campus organizations explored the city throughout the year.
“New York has so much going on. It’s very historical and provides the perfect background for any educational field trip,” senior Kaitlyn Mangold said.
The first to travel to the city was the varsity cross country team. On Oct. 9, both the boys and girls top 12 runners competed in the Manhattan College High School Invitational. The boys team came in 11th out of 27 schools and the varsity girls came in 9th out of 23 teams.
“The meet was important because we got to see how we stand up next to teams all the way to New York,” freshman Alexandria Meneses said.
The team spent four days in Manhattan and visited such sights as Rockefeller Center and Times Square.
The Academy of Finance was the next organization to visit the “Big Apple.” As an annual trip for senior students who have successfully passed or enrolled in all four finance magnet classes, the trip was both educationally beneficial as well as personally rewarding.
“As seniors, this was one of our last things to do in the Academy of Finance,” Mangold said. “[The trip] is something we look forward to all four years, and it was like all of our hard work paid off.”
For Mangold the finance trip further re-affirmed her decision to pursue a business related major when she attends the University of Central Florida in the fall. She connects this reinforcement with their visit to the New York Stock Exchange.
“[Visiting the Stock Exchange] was a really interesting experience, and shed further light on the financial world,” Mangold said.
The Sound of the Braves’s Wind Symphony followed the Academy of Finance when they played at Carnegie Hall on March 8 as part of the New York Wind Band Festival. The concert venue is 120-years-old and acclaimed for its acoustic capabilities.
For sophomore Michael Medina, playing his trombone in the hall was not only an honor but an inspiration to pursue leadership in the band.
“[Playing at Carnegie Hall] influenced me to improve as a musician as well as a leader and make our band even better,” Medina said.
The Wind Symphony was among six other high school bands and two college bands to play at Carnegie Hall. Band Director Michael Butler felt the experience was a fantastic opportunity.
“The experience of performing in a legendary hall will have a lasting impression on each of their lives,” Butler said.
Publications also had a great honor bestowed upon them while on their five-day trip to New York, March 16-20. They attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s annual conference where they earned a Silver Crown award for the 2010 yearbook.
“[Winning the crown] brought a feeling of accomplishment for something we worked so hard on. It also brought back memories of working late into the night on the yearbook, and dignified these efforts,” Vagelakos said.
For Vagelakos, the field trip was not his first experience in New York. However, for junior Veronica Kelly the drama trip planned for early June will be her first experience in the Big Apple. The theater lover hopes this visit will provide her the opportunity to explore the arts in New York.
“I am excited to be in the most artistic place in the United States with all of my friends,” Kelly said.
The drama and chorus students plan to see Spiderman on Broadway, a play which fascinates Kelly for its controversial special effects. They will also take theater workshops and meet with a Broadway actor, an experience drama director Tiffany Weagly feels is necessary.
“It is my goal to show [my students] the highest career they could achieve: to be an actor or technician on Broadway,” Weagly said.
To raise money for the New York trip drama requested donations at the Publix on Orange and Michigan. Publications and band also asked for money at this location. Meanwhile, cross country and finance chose on-campus fundraising methods such as selling candy and Christmas Tress to pay for the trip.
From actors and runners to journalists and musicians, a variety of students visited the city, proving overall that New York provides the ideal educational experience.