This January, the class of 2024 took a two-night-long trip to the Villa Roma Resort in the Catskills for their senior trip. The upperclassmen enjoyed various activities and events that took place both indoors and outdoors.
Upon arriving at the resort on January 17, students were able to explore the many activities Villa Roma had to offer with their classmates. The indoor amenities included basketball, bowling, ping pong, rock climbing, swimming, pickleball, laser tag, and more. Students also had the option to participate in winter activities outdoors, such as skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.
“This year’s trip was really fun,” said Coordinator of Student Activities Jamie Baranoff. “The seniors really took advantage of all of the amenities and activities offered by the resort. It was super cold up there, but that didn’t stop people from being outdoors and participating in all of the activities.”
Senior Class President Rachel Tan, who helped organize the trip, said, “I coordinated with my advisors and vice president to ensure that everything was organized and ready, and constantly checked in with students throughout the trip.”
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner were held in the main dining hall at set times throughout the day. Breakfast and lunch were buffet-style and students ordered dinner from a menu.
The food was less popular than the activities.
Senior Mia Esquivel said, “I think the food was a major issue for a lot of people, so that could have been better.”
“I feel like there should have been more vegetarian options, especially for lunch,” said senior Zarah Masud.
Harrisites had the option to attend two DJ dance parties during their stay: a Pajama party and a Black and White party. In the former, students were encouraged to arrive in pajamas, and in the latter, students wore either black or white semi-formal attire.
Students departed from the resort Friday morning and were scheduled to arrive back at THHS by noon. However, due to weather conditions, their return to the school was delayed by over an hour, causing buses to arrive by 1:30 pm.
“I think the only thing that could have been better was the length of the trip, [as] a couple [more] days would have made it a thousand times more worthwhile,” said senior Anis Djerdjare.
Senior Advisor Blayne Gelbman said his favorite part of the trip is always the same: “Watching Townsend Harris kids be kids, having fun, and enjoying themselves instead of being academic machines all the time. We forget that these are 17-year-olds, so going on the trip and seeing them be kids is the best part of it.”
