Jacob Marshall and Marcus Payne
Staff Writers
It has been three years since Jamesville-DeWitt High School seniors have had an end-of-the-year trip to Darien Lake. But now, thanks to science teacher Rich Adler, on June 8 they will be returning to the amusement park.
Originally the senior trip was never really a senior trip. It was a trip for seniors that took physics. But a few years back, Mr. Adler had an idea to make it a senior trip. Unfortunately “it didn’t pan out because not enough seniors were interested,” said Mr. Adler.
This year though, some seniors in Mr. Adler’s physics class asked him what happened to the senior trip and wondered if it could start back up again. “I asked the students ‘If it was for every senior would you go?’ And a bunch of seniors said ‘yes’ and asked if I’d give it a try again,” said Mr. Adler.
Currently they have 15 students signed up and the deadline is Friday, April 20, the day before spring break. Mr. Adler is working hard to make the trip happen. He has talked to Principal Paul Gasparini about it and to the bus garage about transporting the students. But if nobody else signs up, or if only a few more people sign up, then they won’t be able to go.
Though Mr. Adler hopes that the senior trip will be an annual event, he is uncertain on what exactly the future for the senior trip will be. When they switched from just physics students to all seniors, Mr. Adler was “shocked” that they had to end the trip because of the lack of students that wanted to go. “I don’t know if year-to-year the class dynamics are different, I’d like to think that the seniors every year are going to go,” said Mr.Adler.
As of right now the only teacher chaperones going on the trip are ESL teacher Kristine Wisnieski, Chorus teacher Beth Quackenbush, and Mr. Adler. He’s still looking for more chaperones.
Most of the seniors are excited to go to Darien Lake. “I think it’s really exciting because its fun since it’s the end of the year and hopefully the weather will be good,” said senior Katie Lutz.
Senior Luke Smith said that Darien Lake is a good place to go to for a trip because it’s not too far away and it has “great rides.” Senior Parker Wing says he feels “great” about the senior trip coming back. “It didn’t affect me while it was gone because I wasn’t a senior, so now I’m glad that it came back just in time,” said Wing.
Not everyone is excited about the trip. Senior Dewey Riley didn’t even know the senior trip was coming. “I’m not going,” said Riley.
The seniors are paying $30 to cover the tickets, bus and bus drivers. The students also have to bring money or food if they want to eat there, as the school will not provide lunch. Much to their dismay “every senior has to take the bus because it’s a school activity. No exceptions. You have to turn around if you show up and weren’t on the bus,” said Mr. Adler.