Seniors Hit the Slopes on Trip to Catskills

Skiing on the Catskill Mountains was a highlight of the trip. Photo: Richard Lin

By SAMURAH ISLAM, SABRINE UDDIN, OTTO LIANG and PHOEBE HUANG

As high school comes to an end, many seniors have been anticipating this moment for months — one last senior trip with friends.

After a long awaited three hour journey to the Catskills, the graduating class made it to their final destination: the Villa Roma Resort, where they were set for three days of tubing, snowboarding, skiing, and relaxation over the Regents break, January 23 to 25. 

After settling in, many seniors started their day early. “My roommates and I would wake up at 7 a.m. to be ready for breakfast by 8,” said Sofia Lamdichi. 

There were plenty of indoor activities, such as bowling, basketball, volleyball, pool, and an arcade. But being on the snow was the main attraction, Kiana Dayes said, though there was only one day to ski and snowboard.

“I learned how to ski in one day, how to play ping pong and pickleball,” said Dayes, who would have liked more time on the slopes.

Students had a lot of freedom in how they spent their time. “I liked that I was just able to have a relaxing time away from home and spend time with my friends,” said Stefan Simon.

“It’s not every day you can gather a bunch of friends and have them go up into the mountains,” said Richard Lin.

“Just being able to hang out away from home, on our own, felt pretty cool and freeing,” said Rami Ben-David.  

If there was a downside, it might have been the cuisine, which got mixed reviews. “It just felt like school lunch – really basic,” said Isabella Nguyen. 

“There was nothing special about the food, but on some occasions the selection was pretty good,” said Simon.

During the second day, there was a party set up for the seniors around 9 p.m.

“I was able to meet people that I would've never seen myself getting along with before, and I'm glad I was given that opportunity,” said Benjamin Nirenstein. “I was hesitant about going on the trip, but I left with no regrets.”

For many, the senior trip is a perfect chance to bond with classmates and make lifelong memories one last time.

“As cheesy as it sounds, hanging out with my friends was my favorite part,” said Alyssa Fan.

“Eating ice cream and talking with my roommates at 1 a.m was a specifically memorable moment for me because it was something only we shared,” said Dayes.

“I liked the bond that I created with my fellow classmates and the opportunity to make even more friends that I never had classes with,” said Elefterios Karoutsos.

Despite the $400+ price tag, many seniors thought the trip was worth it.

“I never spent more than the regular hours with this many people from school, which was fun and made me excited to dorm for college,” said Lamdichi.

“I enjoyed just being able to have intimate conversations with my friends,” said Simon. “It made me feel appreciative they had been on this journey with me.”