Dear Readers

Dear readers, 

What a week we had in New York! Once again, there was a lot to see and much to experience in the city basking in an October heatwave. The group of twenty eager students and we teachers surely made the most of our time in one of the greatest cities in the world. Also, I suspect there are numerous new New York enthusiasts among us due to the variety and quality of everything this magnificent city can offer be it culture, history or any aspect of American life.

Do read the accounts written by my students. They certainly had their own favourites on our itenerary. Mine were the Metropolitan Opera, as usual, and the 9/11 Memorial and Museum. Furthermore, the extraordinary team-spirit this particular group had needs to be acknowledged. 

I would like to thank all my wonderfully enthusiastic students, their very supportive families, as well as my colleague Ville. NYC is a city to be experienced and I hope to be able to continue being a part of that experience for groups to come. ”The sooner, the sooner…” as we got accustomed to saying. Until next time, New York!

Love,

Mervi

Selfie time!

US Embassy in Helsinki May 2015

Moments to remember...

Metropolitan Opera "Il Trovatore"

Bus #10

Freedom Tower

Information overload...?

Until next time, New York!

Columbia University

Columbia University

We visited Columbia University on our 6th day in New York. We went there by bus after we had visited the Museum of the City of New York. Before the campus tour we had lunch just outside the university area. We also visited the Columbia University bookstore and did some shopping, for example notebooks and hoodies.

First we had a lecture which was full of information and interesting details in the auditorium. After that, one of the Columbia students gave us a comprehensive tour at the campus. It included the library, canteen, residence halls and walking around the campus area.

Dining hall

Columbia University seemed an ideal place to study and all of the students seemed to enjoy being there. Campus area was really beautiful and pleasant. The tour guide mentioned that every student in Columbia University had a passion for something what they are studying for. The location of the University was quite perfect. Far enough from the busy traffic and loud noises of New York City. Who knows, maybe some of us will be studying there someday!

Future students, perhaps?

 http://www.columbia.edu/

Museum of the City of New York

Museum of the City of New York

We had a guide called Sarah during our museum visit. First she showed us a video about New York´s history called “Timescapes”. Sarah asked a question: how did the city became as it is today? Answer to that question was e.g. through immigration and Industrial Revolution. Then Sarah led us to the activist exhibit in the museum. Activisim in New York stood for nationalism and women’s suffrage. After listening to our guide we went downstairs to another exhibition called “Saving place”. It was about New York´s landmarks and their preservation. Buildings that were chosen to this gallery were either popular landmarks or somehow important to the people of New York like the Empire state building and Saint John´s chapel.

http://www.mcny.org/