By Kathryn Kwapniewski, Staff Writer

Although bad weather first forced the freshmen to postpone their class trip to Six Flags Great Adventure by a week and then threatened to ruin the fun on the rescheduled date of May 13, the ninth graders still managed to enjoy themselves while participating in Physics Day by exploring the physics of roller coasters at the theme park in Jackson, NJ.

Freshmen Anna P., Kelsey O., Mia H. and Grace K. enjoy Physics Day at Six Flags Great Adventure on May 13. Photo by Alyssa Morreale

“I never would have thought that there was so much physics behind roller coasters,” freshman Colleen Cusat said. From kinetic energy to potential energy, the ninth graders learned it all while riding on the roller coasters themselves.
“I had never been on any intense Six Flags rides before, but by the end of the day, I went on almost all of them,” freshman Grace Kenney said. Favorite rides among the Trinity Hall brave included Nitro, Superman, El Toro and Batman.

Even the faculty chaperones enjoyed a few rides, including STEM teacher Faina Tarasyuk who organized the Physics Day trip to Six Flags for the second consecutive year to give the students the chance to truly see physics in action outside of the classroom while bonding as a class.

“Physics day was very informative…We were able to learn a lot about physics in a fun environment with all our friends,” Cusat said.

A few days prior to the freshman excursion, the sophomores took a day trip to New York City where they visited the Madame Tussauds Wax Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 11.

“The trip was a great way to take our minds off the AP World History Test that was the next day,” sophomore Mairead Mark said, voicing the sentiment of most of her classmates.

After arriving in Manhattan by coach bus, the tenth graders stopped at the wax museum

Sophomores McKayla Q. and Alexandria P. pose with the wax statue of Pope Francis at Madame Tussauds wax museum during the class trip to New York City on May 11. Photo courtesy of The Royal Record

where they posed for pictures with wax figures of celebrities from sports and politics to music and movies. From Eli Manning to President Obama, the museum boasted a wide assortment of life-size and life-like characters.

“In the main lobby, it was hard to tell apart the actual workers from the wax figures…They were so realistic,” sophomore Cate Toomey said.

Next, the sophomores got back on the bus to head to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, otherwise known as the MET. With art dating back to ancient times all the way to the modern day, there was something in the museum for everyone to enjoy and discover.

“My favorite exhibit was “Fashion in an Age of Technology.” All of the dresses were so cool and incorporated many of the features that we learn in engineering, like 3D printing,” sophomore Kailin BurnsCohen said, proving that the trip integrated what the students have been learning not only in their arts classes but in their STEM and humanities classes as well.

Before the sophomores left, many made their way to the rooftop garden where they enjoyed the sunny weather and the beautiful skyline of New York.

“The MET is one of my all time favorite museums, and even though I’ve been there tons of times, I always learn something new during each visit,” sophomore Kate Burgess said. I am very grateful for the opportunity to go and learn in new experiences such as this with my classmates.”