A Review of the Humanities House New York trip
Nearly a month ago, both the freshman and sophomore members of UCONN’s Humanities House joined together for a day full of enrichment in New York in which we received the chance to absorb some of its culture while admiring and gaining a new appreciation from both nature in an urban environment at the New York City Highline and the arts at the Museum of Modern Art(MOMA). I think it’s safe to say that everyone who attended was able to gain something of value from this trip and being able to experience these things that we as a people usually take for granted with both friends and acquaintances alike brought us together in ways we previously wouldn’t have thought of.
The trip truly began for me after being on a bus for about three hours when we had first arrived in Manhattan. I vividly remember riding past all of the huge high fashion stores like Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Saint Laurent, and Chanel and being amazed at how well everyone walking down these streets were dressed. I recall comparing these sights to life on the UCONN campus and how drastic of a change these things were, especially coming from being on an extremely rural environment the majority of the week.
Shortly after stopping for breakfast, we arrived at the MOMA. The outside of the building didn’t do the amazing works of art on the inside justice. There were six floors with a seemingly endless amount of exhibits and I had absolutely no idea where to start. There unfortunately wasn’t enough time to visit every floor. It would have taken more than one visit to fully appreciate all the amazing art within this building. There were two paintings that especially stood out to me more than all the others: The Starry Night by Van Gogh and Emergency Room by Robert Colescott.
I was immediately drawn to the Robert Colescott painting because of the use of its vibrant colors and because it was such a busy painting, but upon further consideration, I was taken aback to say the least by its depictions of Black people as monkeys and other stereotypical characters especially coming from a Black man. On the other hand, I was completely and utterly amazed by Starry Night. This was one of the last exhibits we stopped at before leaving and was hands down the most popular piece in the Museum. I found myself having to weave in and out of the crowd to get close enough for a decent picture.
Moving on to the next attraction of our New York trip, we walked over to the New York City Highline, which is a repurposed railway located on the edge of the west side of Manhattan. I was instantly moved by the beauty and the nature around me. I was looking at the city from an angle that I had never previously seen it from and I found myself falling in love with the city all over again. Although the walk was lengthy, it gave me ample time to stop and appreciate the little things in life. The highline was easily one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure of coming in contact with. I found myself completely at peace after this trip which made for a reflective ride home.
All in all, I feel as though this trip showcased how important the humanities really are to our society and to our culture. The New York City trip showed me how important it is to ‘stop and smell the roses’ or to take time out of a busy life to really enjoy the beautiful and pure things that life has to offer us. Absorbing things like art and nature are fundamental and necessary every now and then so that we aren’t consumed by a fast paced, ever changing, primarily technological world.
