A Wonderful Trip to New Haven, CT
Story by Ariyana Robinson Sean Beach, Jerell King, and A’Myri Thornton. Photos by FNN News Team.
MAY 5, 2017: Sean Beach: From April 17 - April 19, 2017, three reporters from Tech Prep and two reporters from Collegiate had the chance to take a trip to New Haven, CT over spring break. We were able to tour Yale University’s famous Beinecke Library to view the Harlem Renaissance exhibit. We toured the entire Yale campus along with the engineering school. We stayed at the Friendship News Network director Ms. Kaufman’s house in Hamden, CT which is about 20 minutes from New Haven. In my opinion, we truly had a great and amazing time there. Yale is the second oldest college in the world. The architecture of the school was really nice and it is so old-fashioned. I didn’t expect it to look like that. The Beinecke Library was a great experience for me and I truly “loved” the Harlem Renaissance exhibit because I was able to learn about some of the many things that happened during African-American history and how we had a rebirth in Harlem. I have also learned that the African-American rebirth didn’t just happen in Harlem, it also happened in Washington, DC. I also learned a lot of the history of Yale University and New Haven. Read more about the trip from the other travelers, opinions from A’Myri Thornton and Jerell King.
Jerrell King: I was really excited for this trip and it really did live up to the hype. Yale is one of the top schools that I will apply for in college. Seeing the actual campus and the atmosphere of the college was a real eye opener for me. I also want to major in engineering, so taking an extra tour of the engineering school was very thrilling. I was so intrigued by all of the computer rooms, labs, and equipment at your disposal at the engineering school.
A’Myri Thornton: Recently I got a chance to visit New Haven, Connecticut. I had an amazing experience. I got to tour Yale University and their priceless library. The library was so amazing. They had so much stuff there such as the first book ever to be printed, The Gutenberg Bible. I also got a chance to go shopping and meet new people. Ms. Kaufman made us a Jewish breakfast and a New Orleans-styled dinner that Sean and Jerell helped out with which was amazing by the way. I got a chance to play with Shadow and Tanner. They’re Ms. Kaufman's dogs. I would love to visit Connecticut again. It's so beautiful there.
Ariyana Robinson: My experience at Yale University was awesome! The tour guides were great. Before I went to the college, in my mind the school had a traditional theme. The school I was picturing had students in nice uniforms who were always ready for success. I believed that Yale was a dusty, old building and that the students didn't live on campus. After visiting, I found out that Yale covered about 1,000 acres of land and that the students lived on campus. Even though the students at Yale University set high expectations and goals, they also taught me how to be “chill about coming to college.” I learned that before the school year officially starts, the students are given a week long period they call “Shopping Spree” just to experience the class so they can take another course if they think it's a better fit. This way, there is a less chance that students are in a class that doesn't support their major or a class that doesn't interest them. Yale did give me some nice options and broadened my thinking on a future career choice. I am interesting in pursuing a career in the child development field. I am interested in this field because I feel as though I have a strong connection with babies and younger children. I was astonished to see the campus and its true meaning and history. Yale University is most definitely at the top of my list of college choices.
As you see, we had an amazing time at Yale, with Ms. Kaufman and FNN in New Haven, CT. We all were able to experience something new. As Ms. Kaufman said, “You can now take New Haven and Hamden off your bucket list.” That’s exactly what we did and we had the time of our lives. We all want to come back—HINT HINT Ms. Kaufman.
Sean Beach and A’Myri Thornton are 8th grade scholars and Jerell King is a 9th grade scholar at Friendship Tech Prep Academy.