In between long-winded lessons, countless home practice assignments, and lengthy days of bitter winter, New Hope Academy’s annual trip to New York City serves as a serene break to the lengthy second quarter. For weeks, the trip is eagerly anticipated by both staff and students alike, as attendants converse about what to wear, what stores to visit, and what teacher they will be grouped with for the day. This beloved NHA tradition is over two decades in the making, uniting students across both campuses for a day in good camaraderie.
The day started bright and early at 7:45 A.M. at the Yardley campus, where students gathered before NHA officially opened so that they could board the buses by 8 A.M. sharp. After a brief morning meeting spent sorting everyone into their groups, one by one attendees eagerly headed onto their respective buses, ready to embark on the lengthy ride to New York City. Accompanied by mini TVs playing How the Grinch Stole Christmas and some light refreshments, the drive ended up going by fairly quickly, despite the expected amounts of traffic hit along the way. Many students chose to take advantage of the lengthy drive and catch up on some extra sleep before the long day officially began.
Once the bus docked near various vendors in the city, the beginning of NHA’s long day in the city had finally arrived. Groups were briefly encouraged to shop around at a collection of vendors and food trucks before heading to Dave and Buster’s, a massive arcade that features a wide variety of both traditional and new age arcade games. After a quick lunch provided by the arcade, students were encouraged to cast a wide net and play whatever they wanted, and while some students kept a more mellow approach, many were fiercely playing as many games as they could in order to maximize the amount of tickets they won. There were plenty of new games that were used to achieve this very common goal, such as a ticket vending machine that could be used to redeem a large amount of tickets at once, Pop the Lock, and various wheels you could spin for tickets. A few students from NHA were also seen at the brand new Human Crane attraction, which, although very self-explanatory, provided some great fun and prize options. By the end of NHA’s time at Dave and Buster’s, students were eagerly flooding the ticket exchange, waiting to redeem their hard earned prizes after hours of intense, vigorous gameplay. Plush prizes and knick-knacks in hand, the group then proceeded to make its way to the main event of the trip; the Tony-award winning musical The Outsiders on Broadway.
Once settled into the theater, both students and staff waited excitedly for the show to start, however, nothing could truly prepare them for the emotional journey that patiently waited ahead. The Outsiders, a classic YA novel conquering themes including, but not limited to, found family, classicism, and brotherhood, gained a new vitriol and intensity once put on a stage. From its opening number, “Tulsa ‘67,” to the more emotional renditions of sorrowful moments such as “Great Expectations” and “Stay Golden,” the show contained overflowing emotion and storytelling that echoed the novel whilst still remaining original and innovative in its own right. The deaths of beloved cast members Johnny and Dally became extra crushing and poignant once pulled from reader’s imaginations and thrown into a physical form–there were but few dry eyes in the large audience. Additionally, the lighting and technical effects of the show were truly fantastic and immersive, featuring rain water dropping on the stage, various scenes using strobes to create a “slow motion” effect, and intense lighting at the most climatic moments of the musical. Each actor sought to bring new life to their characters, and succeeded in telling the classic in a whole new, yet authentic way that was honoring the original piece. The show left NHA stunned, and when the group was ushered back out into the pouring cold rain of New York City around two and a half hours later, many members of the community were permanently changed by what they had just seen, myself included.
The rest of the trip was the most individualized to each group, as attendees were encouraged to explore the city with their teachers in a mostly unrestricted way. Aside from the expectation of meeting back at the buses at 6 P.M., groups were almost free to do whatever they wanted with the company of their chaperone, and take full advantage of everything the bustling city had to offer. A popular option was the Nintendo store, where many groups chose to stop and either get in some serious shopping with the endless supply of merchandise, or browse through Nintendo’s lengthy catalogue and view the life sized figures of beloved characters from the franchise, such as Link from The Legend of Zelda. Personally, my group also decided to go to Miniso, a store with a wide variety of cute products, stationary, stuffed animals, blind boxes, snacks, and more. As for food, the city had endless options of food trucks, restaurants, fast food stops, but most groups ended up dining at the bottom of Rockefeller Center, where plenty of food places lay underneath.
At 6 P.M. sharp, the day came to a bittersweet ending, with groups piling up into their respective vans and heading back to the NHA Yardley campus. This is where many people chose to do one of two things: nap and take advantage of the long drive once more, or debrief on the fun and eventful day in the company of friends and teachers. No matter what you chose, the day ended all too fast, and before anyone knew it, another successful NHA outing to The Big Apple was in the books.
ana.torres@newhopeacademy.net
