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Visiting Historical Sites in New York City

Students in Nancy Spencer’s Outsiders in American History class braved the extremely cold weather Feb. 16 to visit a number of historical sites in New York City. The class is studying what is it like to be an outsider in American society and what happens historically to outsider groups in the United States.
 
The group spent the morning taking a walking tour of Chinatown and Little Italy. “My most vivid memory was seeing all of the fresh food and fish, including the dried shrimp and fish sitting in a bin along the side of the street,” said Phebe Huth ’15. “I also liked seeing all of the people gathering everything they needed and bargaining for prices.” For Elizabeth Foster ’15, walking past two very different churches on the same street was striking.
 
The group then had lunch at Katz’s Deli on the Lower East Side, where many enjoyed turkey and corned beef sandwiches.
 
Following lunch, the group boarded a ferry to Ellis Island that passed by the Statue of Liberty. “The statue was breathtaking because of its history and size,” said Bryan Connell ’16. Isabel Tibbitts ’15 was surprised by its color. “I’ve seen all of the pictures, but for some reason, I thought it would be a foggy green and not as bright as it looked in person,” she said.
 
While on Ellis Island, the students were reminded of the experiences of the thousands of immigrants who passed through its halls a century ago. “I imagined all the people who were once in those rooms and how they felt,” said Julia Cooper ’15. “I felt like I was immigrating on the ferry.”
 
Later in the day, the students visited the National September 11 Memorial and were stirred by its emotional impact. “It gave me the chills reading the names,” said Emma Filler ’15. “There were so many names and so many of our own people lost,” added Eliza Christman ’15. “The square at the bottom of the foundation seemed to go down forever, taking the names of who died with them.”
 
The eventful day, which also included a stop for hot chocolate to help everyone warm up, ended with dinner at a family-run restaurant in Little Italy and the bus ride back to campus. All in all, it was a great trip, and a wonderful opportunity for Westminster students to experience the vitality of New York City. “This field trip is special to me because I see how much the students get out of the visit,” said Nancy. “They have the opportunity to literally walk in the historical footsteps of 19th-century immigrants to America. It’s an experience that they will remember for a long time.”
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