The 11th grade Italian classes embarked on their long-anticipated field trip to New York City on Friday, Dec. 15. The trip’s main purpose was for the students to engage in Italian culture with a focus on Christmas during “Il  Tempo più Meraviglioso dell’Anno,” in English, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” Students piled into the buses and arrived at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where they explored the exhibits and got to appreciate the culture. Some of the highlights included the Christmas tree and Neopolitan Baroque Creeche, the Michelangelo Exhibit, and Leonardo DaVinci.

Italian Teacher Maddelina Coletta, who organized the trip, stated, “I loved the Michelangelo exhibit. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was extraordinary.” Julia Tucker agrees: “I had so much fun seeing the Michelangelo exhibit. The sculptures there were really intriguing!” Leo Glassman adds, “It was so different seeing in person, first-hand the Italian culture that I have studied, but never been able to see, with my own eyes.”

Other students focused on the exhibits that reflected some of the civilizations they learned about in world history and geography. Isljam Purisic says, “I thought it was fascinating that I was able to see something in the modern day that happened thousands of years ago, especially the Egyptian practices emphasizing the afterlife.”

Other students chose to visit the Musical History exhibit where they saw instruments that were hundreds or even thousands of years old. Danny Neri says, “Seeing a trombone from hundreds of years ago so similar to the one I love to play today was really cool because it made me feel connected to the musicians of the past.” Eric Levine agrees saying, “The French horns were really awesome, and I liked seeing how they developed throughout history.”

Lastly, students like Matt Venezia enjoyed viewing Arms and Armor, which displayed the history of weaponry. “I enjoyed seeing weapons of antiquity, and I have always been interested in them. Seeing ancient weapons I’ve seen in movies and video games in real life was an excellent experience.”

Next, the group took a short stop at Rockefeller Center to look at the Christmas tree. Juliana Condoleo says, “The tree was really pretty, and it’s always a nice way to get in the holiday spirit.” Kierstin Aroksaar enjoyed it too, saying, “Rockefeller Center is the Christmas-lover’s dream!”

Last but not least, the students enjoyed lunch at Eataly, an authentic Italian marketplace with many different types of Italian food and restaurants. The place was pretty crowded, but it was worth the wait for the delicious food. Kyle Schneider states, “Despite being a little pressed for time, I was pretty happy with experience because my sandwich was really good.” Sal Cimato agrees, stating that his pasta “felt like eating real Italian food like my mom would make.” Brando Orofina thought his calabrese panini was “benissimo,” (very good). Most students also enjoyed a crepe from the Nutella shop after lunch. “I love crepes from this place. After last year, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one. They’re so good!” says Julie Boni. Dylan Clarke adds, “I really enjoyed my cappuccino. It was made exactly how I like it.”

Overall, the students had a fantastic time and really enjoyed themselves. “Every year it gets better and better. It was a perfect trip. I enjoyed my pasta and bought tons of bread. It was the best trip ever,” sums up Coletta. Teacher Vincent Lentini, who chaperoned  the trip, said, “It was an excellent interdisciplinary trip that combined fine art, culture, and language, and the food was unbelievable.”