Each year the choir program hosts a trip available to all choir students to a selected location. In previous years, the program visited Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, as well as Dallas. The program does a major trip out of state every other year, and this year’s the choir traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, from April 13-16.
“My favorite part of the trip was Salem because it was interesting to learn about the background of the witches and the aftermath of the trials,” senior Jenna Hastings said. “Choir is one of my favorite things to do, and to be able to do it with people who have the same passion I do, is just amazing. This trip brought me closer to them.”
The Boston trip consisted of attending a Friday Boston Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles game along with a VIP tour of Fenway Park. On Saturday, they visited the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and shopped at Quincy Market, concluding with dinner at Cheers – a restaurant based off an 1980s sitcom – and a ghost tour around Boston.
“This trip has brought me closer to the choirs since we all went to a new place,” sophomore Jacob Ruiz said. “[We] shared new experiences with each other. Choir is such an inclusive department and can really bring everyone closer together.”
On Sunday, the choir attended events such as attending a Blue Man Group show. Monday brought a visit to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, touring Harvard University in Cambridge and a guided tour of the Freedom Trail.
“I met a lot of new people and got to hang out with them,” freshman Abby Grant said. “Being able to have fun and still learn some things was definitely cool.”
SThe trip ultimately contributed to a stronger program by allowing students to bond outside of their classrooms.
“The parents were an amazing asset and truly got to experience what organizing and maintaining large groups was like,” Choir Director Wendi Burwinkel said. “Mrs. [Beth] Williams and I chose to go to Boston because neither of us had ever been, and I firmly believe that large trips like this for students should come with experiences they will remember forever and that they will learn from.