Crescent Heights High School Cosmetology Students travelled to New York City from March 3 to March 8, 2023. They are seen here at their visit to the Fire Department of New York. -- PHOTO COURTESY OF MEDICINE HAT PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION
reporter@medicinehatnews.com
Teacher and organizer of the Crescent Heights High School cosmetology trip to New York Michelle Schneider gave a presentation to the Medicine Hat Public School Division board at the regularly scheduled meeting on April 25.
Each student created a video picture journal of their experiences and the presentation to the board was mostly created by them. It was a 2 a.m. departure from Medicine Hat and not one student was late.
“That’s a first again,” said Schneider. I’ve never had that happen before.”
Educational outcomes were numerous given the different things students were exposed to on the trip. The students had a checklist of things they really wanted to see, including the Fire Department of New York, Greenwich Village, Taylor Swift’s house on Cornelia Street, the front of the building used when filming Friends, Time’s Square, doing the Big Bus Tour, Statue of Liberty and the Supreme Court. They visited lots of historical landmarks, such as Rockefeller Plaza, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, Hamilton’s Grave, and the Museum of Natural History.
The group went on a food tour, which took them through Greenwich Village. Even the fussier students tried everything that was on offer. They managed to have Italian Pizza and Brooklyn Pizza but ran out of time before they could try the traditional New York slice of pizza.
On the trip there were discussions about history, different cultures, a sense of belonging, and traditions that students would not necessarily be exposed to in Medicine Hat. The 9/11 Memorial had a notable impact on many of them.
“They weren’t born when it happened and don’t know the degree of it and how the world changed after,” explained Schneider. “I’ve been there so many times, I could tour them around.”
On the Big Bus Tour, they learned about the brown street signs in the city and how they are historically preserved areas in New York. The highlight of the entire trip was Michael Jackson the Musical.
“It was like a rock concert. There were kids crying and laughing.”
Something new on the trip this year was touring NYU. Schneider brought back some numbers to share with the board. Tuition starts at US$56,000 and can be as much as US$62,000 per year. On top of that, room rates are about US$19,000 on average, which doesn’t include textbooks. On average, a single year at NYU costs roughly US$90,000 and is double for an international student. One of the libraries at the university houses more than 15 million books in print.
“It was very interesting. I don’t know if I’d do it every time, but I had a student who was thinking of going to NYU law.”
That student is unsure now if that goal is still attainable, but the experience was valuable.
On one of their trips into Central Park, the students gathered around a man playing guitar and began a group sing-along with a crowd of about 300 watching. Many texted home saying it was the best part of their day. The students remained for almost a quarter of an hour at the spot.
They talked lots about active lifestyles as, during their short time in New York, the group walked about 98,000 steps.
Another highlight, more for the students than Schneider, and something on their list to see, was a New York rat. The subway system offered plenty of opportunities for sightings. The group didn’t manage to have a celebrity sighting, walk across Brooklyn Bridge – there was not enough time – or to take the Staten Island Ferry, as it was too cold that day.
