Last week, the freshman and sophomore classes visited New York City and Philadelphia, respectively. The goals of these class trips were twofold: first, to enrich the students’ in-class learning by experiencing the great historical and cultural contributions of these cities; second, to foster friendship among the students and between the students and faculty over a shared adventure. Read a few highlights from these excursions below.

Freshmen in New York

After arriving in the Big Apple, Heights faculty and students embarked on an urban hike through Central Park and up to Columbia University. Later that day, after taking a water ferry to Brooklyn, the group hiked back to Manhattan over the Brooklyn Bridge stopping for a somber and respectful visit at the 9/11 memorial. The next day, freshmen and faculty attended morning Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and then received a guided tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, both at The Met on Fifth Avenue and at The Met Cloisters, led by AP Art History teacher Joe Cardenas.

Sophomores in Philadelphia

The trip to the City of Brotherly Love allowed the sophomores to be present where the Founding Fathers met and established our nation, which is the topic of their core history curriculum (read more about The Heights Core Humanities Sequence here). On Thursday they visited the American Revolution Museum, The Franklin Institute, and Independence Hall. Dinner that evening was at Philly’s famous Geno’s, which claims to have the best cheesesteaks in town. The following morning the students and faculty visited the Philadelphia Museum of Art, followed by Holy Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.