On June 17, thirteen eager students will board a bus in the Westminster parking lot with the hopes of reaching their first destination: Chicago, then hopping on a plane to fly off to their second: New York City.

This ten day trip will consist of seeing sights, taking improv classes, sitting in on architecture lectures, and nights on the town to see some of the most famous productions in some of the most historical theatres in the United States. Westminster has substituted this seminar into the slot that was originally occupied by the trip to New England, and decided that a summer trip dedicated to strictly fine arts and theatre would appeal to more different part of the student body.

“I am so excited for this seminar! I can’t wait to go back to Chicago and New York City and see all the shows and see the sights!” said Annie Canfield, junior.

The  students will spend the week and a half playing tourist; exploring both cities and learning about their backgrounds as well. After being in high school productions, this is a great chance for these high school students interested in pursuing theatre in future years to see how it’s applied in the real world.

The main goal is to expose the students to see how professional actors live, performance techniques, and how their lives are affected by living in the “big city”.

The directors of Westminster’s drama department, Jim Butz and Helen Scott, as well as bible teacher Larry Hughes and his wife,  will serve as the chaperones and directors of this trip.

“This is a more education based seminar than we have previously had, and I am looking forward to the different types of artistic expression we will be experiencing- art, architecture, Broadway and Improv.” said Scott.

This seminar is a drastic change compared to trips in the past, and other current seminars. The other seminars offered this summer to students are South Korea, Oregon, Gettysburg, and South Dakota. All of these trips except Korea have a component where students spend time outside in the wilderness hiking, biking, and experiencing nature. They’re all different because they are targeted towards different audiences and hobbies.

Given there is a lot of traveling and money involved, this new adventure holds much promise for a new seminar to be inducted into the ones Westminster now has, and open doors to prospective students who are interested in pursuing the fine arts.