Every student is excited for when they become a senior. Senior year is meant to be fun and a heartwarming year to most. There are many opportunities and events that students also look forward to for their senior year such as senior assassin, project graduation, community service and volunteer hours, college applications, athletic opportunities, and so much more. Above all, however, there is a travel opportunity that seniors look forward to the most: the New York trip.
The New York trip is coordinated every year by the staff here at Woodford County. Seniors are able to tour New York, visit the 9/11 museum, possibly to be on The Today Show, and visit restaurants. Many go to enjoy their time with friends and gain new experiences. Students register to tour by depositing $200 at the beginning of the year with the information form that you get from either Mr. Ellis or Mrs. Probst. The first 44 students to turn in the forms and deposits are guaranteed a seat to go.
Where problems arise is when it comes to getting a second bus. After the first 44 students register, any student to register from that point on is considered to be on the “wait-list.” There needs to be a certain number of kids who are on the wait-list to fill another bus so they can go as well. This year, they were not able to get the amount of kids for said bus. Additionally, the students who were on the wait-list after the first 44 students were told to collect their deposits from the library. To get an insight on the students’ reactions and maybe find a solution, I was able to interview a student who was on said wait-list, Nevaeh Marston.
How much did you look forward to going to New York for senior year?
“When the opportunity first came up, it sounded really fun especially because I’ve had Mrs. Probst since sophomore year so I have been able to see her work with the seniors and go on the trip every year. She has always come back talking about how fun it is. I think that is what really led me to want to go on this trip even more, and I would be with one of my favorite teachers. I really wanted to go on the New York trip and what added to it was that I would be able to go with my friends and be able to room with my friends, having this experience together.”
Do you believe many students were upset when they found out they couldn’t go? Why or why not?
“Personally, I was. When Mr. Ellis sent the email to tell us to come get the deposits we had turned in, I really didn’t want to believe it. I was really upset because I was excited to walk around New York and have this experience with my friends. I know it isn’t completely the school’s fault that they weren’t able to get enough kids so they could get a second bus. But, I still feel that those who wanted to go and were on the wait-list, like I was, should have been given the chance to go.”
What do you believe would be the best course of action that the school should take so that all future students who wish to go are able to have that opportunity?
“I think one of the biggest issues was that students didn’t know exactly when the actual deposit was going to be due before school started. They started taking payments the second week of school and have apparently been sending emails throughout the summer. I went back to my email, however, and couldn’t find anything regarding the New York trip. If they did, I didn’t see it, and that is most likely the same problem that other students experienced too. Not many students check their emails during the summer either. I feel like it really comes down to communication, if they had communicated better- such as when payments were going to be due, and how much deposits were going to be. Maybe if the information sheets were handed out a lot earlier it would have helped. I feel like we would have had a lot more sign ups if people knew ahead of time that they needed $200 by September.”
Thank you to Nevaeh Marston for your time and being open to discussing this. Based on the interview, the New York trip is not just a simple trip, it can mean a lot to a student. It brings opportunity, fun, and something they can look forward to for senior year. It also seems that better communication and more outreach could help more students who wish to go on the New York trip in the future.
