Senior Trip

In a much anticipated email released on April 1, the Masterman administration announced the location for the annual senior trip. The administration explained that the trip would take place at Medieval Times, an indoor jousting reenactment venue in the Lyndhust New Jersey-land of industrial parks and fulfillment centers. The email came out after the school circulated a Google Form with three trip options, as noted in the picture above. Students were complimentary of the proposed trips.

“I was so excited for the New York option!” remarked Isabella Mortarano (12-3). “I thought I might even get scouted in the audience of Hamilton!”

Mortarano was not alone in her excitement. Malcolm Margasak (12-3), president of the Masterman Socialist Book Club said that he was, “really hoping the DC trip would get the most votes. The chance to discuss issues with the president, I mean, that’s once in a lifetime.”

However, the reaction to the administration’s decision was mixed. Many felt the results of the form had been rigged and that the administration had only involved students for appearances sake.

Senior class president Nora Stocovaz (12-4), who was involved in decision making with the administration explained, “I’m really frustrated. I feel that the administration did not keep their promise to listen to students and involve them in the decision process. We had multiple meetings and exchanged emails, but in the end, the results from their Google Form do not add up. The idea to involve students and give my peers different options resulted in a bait and switch operation”

Voices reached out to another member of the student administration mediation team, Taryn Flaherty (12-1). “I feel like the administration only involved students in the decision process to save face, lest there be another critical Chalkboard article,” remarked Taryn Flaherty on the walk back from a track meet where she dropped a 4:30 mile. “The whole mediation process was disheartening. All I can say is I have zero interest in watching sweaty, underpaid college students on horses charge at each other.”

An anonymous source close to administrative staff stated that, “Initially the administration was sincerely interested in hearing out students. But once word got around that alumni were getting involved and forming a concerned alumni group, the administration decided to do it, well, their way.”

The administration declined to comment.

Although some students were outraged with the administration’s handling of the senior trip situation, many did not know what was happening.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that I have never opened a Google Form on our Class Page,” explained Keith Obod (12-3) on a call he took from his bicycle GrubHub route. “When I heard we were going to Medieval Times, I was psyched! I don’t get what the deal is about the form.”

Obod was not alone in his experience. “Yeah I haven’t opened a Google Form since September,'' explained Noel Chacko (12-1). “But the fact that there were apparently all these other great options and we settled on Medieval Times is weird.”

The form, the result of hours of mediation between administration and a group of seniors, did contain other options for other trips. Seniors reached out to hundreds of alumni to come up with viable trip plans that would result in a special trip. The idea to attend Medieval Times was proposed by the administration.

After the book pick up on Friday, April 16, seniors loaded into two yellow buses and made the two hour journey to Lyndhurst. The atmosphere in the bus was celebratory. Students sang music class favorites, including Richard Corey and Simon and Garfunkel’s Feeln’ Groovy.

“It just feels nice to see each other again,” said Ethan Soloway (12-4), looking up from a chess strategy book. “The circumstances don’t really matter.”