The time spent outside with peers and being able to explore a college campus were just some of the many benefits of the field trip on Friday, May 19 to Bergen Community College’s Teen Arts festival.

The exposure to the masterpieces of several other teens of Bergen County highlighted the trip for the students who attended. The field trip offered over 100 students the opportunity by to visit Bergen Community College for the entirety of the school day at no cost.

Students met at 7:40 a.m. in the cafeteria and were then bused to the festival. Each student was given a program that listed the location and time for every event. Students were able to freely navigate the campus, exploring exhibits that ranged from visual art to live music put together by other middle and high school students.

“Many of the students, including myself, were allowed to experience Teen Arts any way we wished,” Chris Fink (‘20) said.

The trip runs every year, so many students will have opportunities to attend in the future, though not all were given the opportunity this year, as art teachers were given limited spots for students to invite. Particular students had already been given such opportunity either in past high school years or in middle school. Either way, teachers hope that students will continue to attend the festival for several years in the future.

Theatre Arts and English teacher Ms. Juliet McKinley expressed her personal appreciation for the festival and its student participation.

“I enjoy seeing all of the student work and the support that the students have for one another,” McKinley said.

While the opportunity did appear very appealing to many, some students, like Dylan Miller-Jones (‘20), did not want to miss an entire day of school by going on this trip.

“I decided not to go because of the work that would be missed in school,” Miller-Jones said.

However, he did describe his experience as positive.

“Last year’s highlights were eating and hanging out with friends,” Miller-Jones said.

Chris Fink also described this year’s experience as “highly enjoyable”.

“I found the classes and activities that were offered there very interesting and enjoyable,” Fink said.

While the groups and exhibits will change each year, Glen Rock High School students are likely to return to the festival next year. If you are taking an art class next year and are interested in the trip, be sure to pay attention come springtime when teachers begin student selection and permission slip administration.

“I would like to go to Teen Arts again to experience the other events,” said Fink, who is already expressing interest towards next year.