The trip has a long history. Mr. Richard Roper, English teacher and college counselor, created the tradition forty three years ago in 1978.

I asked Father Duffy if it would be okay if I took a bunch of guys up to New York City to see a show,” Roper said. “He said sure, so I started doing that.” 

The trip has evolved greatly over the years. It became more organized and started including middle school.

“Initially, it was just ninth grade through twelfth grade because we hadn’t started a middle school yet. When we added a middle school, we started including them,” Roper said. 

Now, the excursion takes forty four students on a day trip to New York City and back, twice a year. Roper added some interesting additions to the event. 

“I’m the one that added the Staten Island Ferry because I’d rather go on a boat than go through a hole in the ground to get to Manhattan,” Roper said.

A few years ago, students were able to see the Tony award winning show, Hamilton.

“We were able to see Hamilton two years ago because Mrs. Geiger found tickets that she was able to procure for that,” Roper said.

Mrs. Jackie White, Visual Arts Teacher and Duffy Arts Lead, started working with Roper on the trip shortly after her arrival at Malvern in 1995. She recalls the day’s events. 

“We usually get on the bus by 7:30 am,” she said. “We’re on a coach bus and they actually bring newspapers and snacks and hand them out. In the morning we get juice boxes and any kind of breakfast bar.”

Next, students take the Staten Island Ferry.

“It goes under the Verrazano bridge, and then we go through Manhattan and get to see the sights,” White said. 

The group then goes to lunch, which could be at Hard Rock Cafe or various other places.

“We switch up the restaurants,” Roper said. “We never go to the same one twice in a row.”

After lunch, everyone heads over to the theater. Sitting in the theater is Roper’s favorite part of the trip.

“I’m the happiest when I can sit down and say, ‘okay they’re all here. Now I gotta have some fun,’” Roper said. 

When the show concludes, the bus picks them up, supplies snacks, and returns to Malvern.

White believes that the trip has a meaningful impact on the students. 

“We’ve had students thinking they’re just going on the trip to get out of the [school] day, and they come back and say it was the best thing they’ve ever done,” she said.

White looks forward to the continuation of this tradition and values the rare opportunity of its existence. “Being able to give the students this opportunity to experience something that’s not on their regular radar is so good,” White said.