Twice a year the students taking Ecology are given an opportunity to participate in the famous Raquette Lake trip. This trip is widely-known, and one of the main reasons that students enroll in ecology.
Full disclosure: I was lucky enough to be able to attend the 2024 winter trip and the only words that I can describe the trip with are life changing, and eye opening– if you have the chance, go on the trip.
I have grown up in a household that is not outdoorsy in the slightest: we do not camp, we do not hike, and we do not have lake days. I went skiing for the first time when I was fifteen years old. Reasonably, this made going on the trip a very uncomfortable thought. I was nervous to step out of my comfort zone and take that step to spend four days doing things I had never experienced. However, I can say that I would not trade my experience for anything, and by the end I was wishing to stay longer.
Our trip consisted of fifteen students and four chaperones, run by our ecology teacher Mr. McNair. Mr McNair, obviously a big advocate for this trip, talked to me about why this experience is so valuable.
“ My favorite part of this trip was bearing witness to the deep connections you made to each other and sharing the joy that you found in the community you created,”Mr. McNair reiterated one of his favorite opinions, adding, “Every student should sign up to take ecology and a trip to Raquette Lake should be a graduation requirement!”
The other three chaperones, Mr. Williams (High school English), Mr. Arnold (Computer teacher- Hughes Elementary), and Ms. Greer (Third grade- Hughes Elementary), all also shared their thoughts on the trip with me.
“I really enjoy the opportunity the trip offers to slow down and unplug from the rigors of daily life,” Mr. Williams reminisced about his time at Raquette. When asked what he would say to those debating going on the trip or not, he expressed, “Do it! You will learn so much beyond the four walls of a classroom. You will also make memories that last a lifetime.”
Because Mr Williams works in our high school, he knows the older, teenager-version of the students on the trip, but this is not the case for our other two chaperones Mr Arnold and Mrs Greer (Elementary school teachers), who have either not seen the students since sixth grade, or had never met them before if they did not go to E.R. Hughes. This put a different perspective on the trip for them. While Mrs Greer has attended this trip as a teacher before, Mr Arnold, who attended his Raquette Lake trip as a student, was attending this trip as a first time chaperone this winter.
“The impact of the trip was completely different than it was 26 years ago when I last attended. Overall, seeing young adults disconnect with the everyday and connect with the outdoors and each other was extremely gratifying and rewarding,” Mr. Arnold shared his experience. He adds motivation to future students thinking about attending with “ Regret the things in life you do, do not regret the things you didn’t do- These experiences are more valuable than you realize.”
The positive impact of this trip was not limited to the teachers. From the 15 students in attendance, if you asked any of them about their experience, they would spew positivity. Adian Acker, Junior, shares the impact the trip had on him, “I had built amazing relationships with everyone, and learned that everything is better when you’re with the people you care for.” He encourages students by saying- “Go on the trip, and do everything you can. Do all the optional challenges and soak it up because it won’t last long. Be in the moment and make bonds with people.” Luke Dischiavo, Junior, shares his take on his favorite part of the trip, which may be controversial to many teens,” My favorite part of the trip was 100% being without my phone. The bonding and connection to nature that I was able to achieve with this group (…) The trip made me really susceptible to making new friends and open to opportunities that I wouldn’t have taken.” He adds, “ This trip is honestly something so special to me and it’s a once in a lifetime experience.”
Looking at the list of attendees before the trip, this group of 15 students and 4 chaperones was an unlikely bunch. We were not friends, in fact some of us had never even met, this is what makes these experiences so special. I now have memories and relationships that will last a lifetime with people who I may have never met, and I hold this trip close to my heart. To reiterate one last time – Go on the Raquette Lake trip, it will be an unforgettable experience making unforgettable memories.
