Select members of the student media staff went to New York City for a Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CPSA) conference at Columbia University. As well as attending the conference, these students and the advisers went on countless adventures around the city including the Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge, Times Square, and Broadway.  

Before the rush of activities on the trip, the staff went to the conference to gain knowledge to implement in our journalism practices. “One class that we went to was so interesting. The two guys teaching the class had photographed 9/11, and different wars, and they even traveled alongside people who were migrating to the U.S. It was just so interesting to see how people could take journalism and experience such crazy things,” Amelia Weeks said.  

Twenty-five people boarded the plane on the morning of Tuesday, March 18 for a six-hour flight to JFK. Of the selected 25, 21 were students and four were teachers including the student media adviser Annie Stone. “Planning for New York is difficult to plan for big groups because most places in New York have small tables so it’s stressful to find places to eat for a big group,” Stone said. 

New York City is famous for its wide range of food. “We went to Chelsea Market so kids could try some different foods and get what they want. We went to a nice Italian restaurant before the musical,” Stone said. 

Among the countless new experiences in New York, the yearbook staff went to the popular Broadway show “& Juliet”. “One of my favorite parts was the musical & Juliet. It was really funny, and I didn’t expect it to be a comedy,” Olivia Rivera said.  

For one of the seniors on the trip, AnaLyssa Chavez, it was her first time in New York and the experience of a lifetime. “I’ve never been to New York before but being there was a dream come true. I felt like I was in a movie. I loved being there with all my friends and experiencing it for the first time together,” Chavez said.