By Kirana ’28
An essential part of every student’s school experience is the famed field trip. In addition to a classwide trip, Harvard-Westlake offers field trips for many of its elective classes. Although many people may be tempted to decline an optional field trip to avoid missing class, it’s an educational opportunity unlike any other.
I’ve only been at Harvard-Westlake for six months now and I have already gone on two field trips in my electives. First, was my Graphic Design and Photography trip to Melrose Avenue. Graphic Design is an amazing class for those looking to fulfill their art requirement without any prior knowledge or skill. The assignment we had was to go to an artsy street and do a scavenger hunt of different types of designs (ex. A bad design, a good design, a t-shirt, a visual of globalism, etc.) Then, when we reconvened at the next class, we discussed the designs we observed and talked about how they could influence our next project, which was redesigning an album cover. To do this, our teacher decided to take us to Melrose Avenue with the photography class. We were excused from periods 3-8 of that day, and all loaded into suburbans and drove to Melrose. We had about five hours to complete our assignment and grab lunch, and if we had finished we were permitted to shop. I don’t think I had ever noticed the art that shapes our city before that day, and it has changed my lens on the streets I used to drive through so passively.
More recently, I attended a field trip for my favorite class, Ethnic Studies. Ethnic Studies is a class that allows you to explore your roots, the culture of others, and the history of LA. I learned a lot about the different generations of people that settled the city and about how it relates to me and my family. For our trip, we went to Olvera Street and the El Pueblo de Los Angeles monument. We were taken on a guided tour of the street and were immersed in the rich history of the area. We were also given free time to shop, and our teacher treated us to taquitos for a snack, lunch at a local restaurant, and churros. I even bought a bracelet as a memento of my time there. I spent most of my day exploring the street with my friends, and everything about the trip was unforgettable. From the bonds I made with my friends and teachers, to the food we ate and the history we learned about, my trip to Olvera Street is an experience that will stay with me throughout my high school years and into the rest of my life.
Of course, I believe that attending classes is important. But missing one class will not destroy the A that you’ve worked so hard for. Field trips can provide you with hands-on learning that you simply cannot get from a textbook or a lecture, and you’ll make memories that you won’t soon forget. Part of the reason that Harvard-Westlake is such a special place is because of the opportunities its students get to learn in ways other schools just don’t give. We should all take care to take advantage of every single opportunity presented to us because we are lucky enough to be able to say yes.
