On March 17, teachers David Small and Mitchell Pace took the TV Production class and the SGA officers on a trip to New York. Hopping on an Amtrak train at 8:55 a.m., they arrived in New York at 3:30 p.m. later that day.
“Stepping out of the train station, I was in immediate awe. Everything was so tall, and it was just so much different than rural Fluvanna County. We walked everywhere, so we saw so many things,” said senior Dylan Fulk.
The purpose for this expedition was for the Fluco TV class to visit New York, film locations, and visit the “Today Show” broadcast. While they were there, the students visited the Brooklyn Bridge, East River Ferry, Midtown, the Upper West Side, Central Park film locations, Greenwich Village, Times Square, MoHo, SoHo, lower Manhattan, and the 9/11 memorial site.
“Central Park was very underwhelming, in my opinion. I thought the city was cooler. I really enjoyed the Brooklyn Bridge and walking under the Manhattan Overpass because we could see the skyline over the water, and it was super neat. It wasn’t as packed as I had thought it would be, though,” said Fulk.
Some of the students agreed that their favorite part was the first night there. “We walked to Brooklyn over the Brooklyn Bridge while the sun was setting, and it was such a pretty sight. We walked to some pretty picture spots, so we took most of our pictures that night. To end the night, we took the ferry up the river and then walked to Times Square. It was funny seeing all the tourist attractions there,” said senior Sophia Stewart.
Even though the SGA officers were not a part of the TV Production class, they still wanted to go.
“It pushed me out of my comfort zone. When we all had to sign up in the fall, I didn’t want to go, but my mom talked me into it, and I figured by the time the trip actually rolled around, I would be excited to go. I low-key dreaded going until the day before, when my family was getting me excited for it. I am so glad I went. It really was an experience like no other, and I didn’t end up being anxious or nervous at all like I thought I would have been,” said Fulk.
For her part, Stewart said the weather was a little “bipolar.” “In the mornings and evenings, it got really chilly, especially with the wind, but during the day the sun was out and it was hot. But overall, it was not that bad, the walking kept us warm,” said Stewart. She added, “I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. We did so much sightseeing and visited some famous streets, which I really enjoyed. It’s definitely made my senior year, and it’s a trip that I will remember for the rest of my life.”
