On December 7, RM IB Seniors took part in an annual tradition: the field trip to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. The trip was not only an educational opportunity, but also a bonding opportunity for seniors to come together and have fun.

The day began with many students waking up early, as they were required to arrive at RM at 4:45 am. “I woke up at three, which I think might have been a bit earlier than some other people,” senior Siobhan Light said. This early start was necessary so that students could maximize their time in New York City, although some time was lost due to the delayed bus departures. “The buses departed from RM about 45 minutes later than they were meant to,” Light explained.

Nevertheless, the seniors arrived in New York City singing Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” with roughly five hours to explore the museum and the city. For many seniors, the trip was all about the famous modern art. MoMA exhibits some of the most renowned paintings in the world, including The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali. “Seeing some of the more classical paintings like Starry Night in person was super cool for me,” senior Ananya Krishnan said.

Other seniors found the more recent art appealing. Exhibits with new technologies such as virtual reality and acoustics enhanced the art experience for different seniors. “There was one where you could put on a VR headset and actually explore a model city. That was definitely my favorite,” senior Alan Tong said.

However, the trip was not limited only to MoMA. Seniors were also allowed to venture around Midtown Manhattan without a chaperone to visit famous attractions such as Times Square, Rockefeller Plaza, and 5th Avenue. The students had about three hours to enjoy their free time in the city and shopping was a popular activity. “Apart from MoMA, we also went to a bunch of shopping malls in NYC,” Tong said.

When it was time to go, many seniors were tired and ready to return home after spending the day exploring New York City. “On the ride home, a lot of people slept. Others were either talking or on their phones,” Krishnan said.

In the end, many seniors agree that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but many wished that they had a longer stay in New York. “I definitely could see the merit of potentially finding a way to turn this into a multi-day trip, and doing other unique things in the city,” Light said.