Another of Trinity’s top international trips is the annual excursion to New York City, and this year it was Business and Economics students who were offered the key to the city during the half term break.
According to Mr Orungbamade, Head of Economics and Business, “The students had an incredible time, starting with guided tours at Madison Square Garden and Hershey’s Chocolate World. They were thrilled by a live performance of ‘& Juliet’ at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. The itinerary also included a guided tour of the Financial District and a Downtown walking tour covering the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, with a memorable visit to the Empire State Building on our final day.”
Upper Sixth student Semiloore shares his highlights of the trip:
After an enjoyable flight, we landed at JFK [before entering what has been, in my experience the longest ever security check in- about 1.5 hours]. Whilst travelling from the airport to the hotel, we all had our first glimpse of New York with its towering skyline and bustling atmosphere persisting through the night. But it was as we walked to the Hard Rock Café for dinner, to end our first evening, that the city truly revealed itself. An extravagant place with vendors, cyber trucks, and flashing lights plastered down the sidewalk. The atmosphere truly was like nowhere else in the world.
Tuesday started out fast, as after digging into breakfast, we toured Madison Square Garden: a venue hosting everything from basketball and ice hockey games, as home to the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors, to packed concerts from artists like Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo. All of this in addition to the historic moments the Garden has hosted, my personal favourite being the fight of the century between Muhammed Ali and Joe Frazier in 1974. The tour also delivered lessons in business, revealing the impact of diversification, tax exemption status and the importance of community outreach.
After the garden, and lunch at a local pizza shop (NY pizza does live up to its reputation), we wandered through Times Square, seeing the iconic space filled with everything imaginable from cosplayers to the New Year ball and the various businesses such as Hershey’s- our next stop.
Behind the allure of sweet treats, I discovered a remarkable level of depth in the firm’s business strategy, with our tour guide discussing the methods of harnessing nostalgia and brand equity through the Pareto principle alongside how Hershey’s enters other markets. Whilst Hershey’s may not be able to displace firms such as Cadbury which are well established in their native country, they’ve increased market share through acquisition and collaborated on projects such as Harry Potter themed chocolate to expand their global branding.
Wednesday began with a short ferry ride crossing to one of the world’s most iconic landmarks: the Statue of Liberty. Beyond the pristine view of the Manhattan skyline, the visit to Ellis Island also revealed an immense history behind the location as a former immigration centre labelled “an isle of hope and tears” where thousands of people would arrive, hoping to enter the country. Our return to the mainland commenced with an exploration of the financial district: seeing St Paul’s Cathedral, passing by the Charging Bull, walking through Wall Street – observing the progression of New York from a hilly island in the 1600s to the global financial hub in the modern day.
Our final day in the city concluded with a trek up the Empire State building, from which we gazed on a genuinely majestic view of the city. All before embarking back home to Heathrow, tired not from the flight but all the new experiences. From underground riding the subway to atop the Empire State building gazing at the city below, every place in New York was filled with wonder.
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