Immediately after davening last Wednesday morning, Yeshiva University High School for Boys (MTA) sophomores boarded the buses for a fantastic two-day grade trip. The trip began by going to a sports complex inside a huge bubble-dome where they played a variety of sports such as kickball, ultimate frisbee, volleyball and dodgeball. The trip continued at the Palisades Center Mall where the sophomores had a choice of several enjoyable activities including bowling, a ropes course and ice skating. The next stop was Dave & Busters to play some arcade games and win cool prizes. After stopping at ASHAR in Monsey for a special shiur from eighth grade rebbe (and part owner of Camp Regesh) Rabbi Leibel Chaitovsky, mincha and a delicious dinner, the boys were on their way to the Pinegrove Dude Ranch. The Dude Ranch is a hotel, but with a southern style, with random longhorns suspended on the walls, fireplaces, wooden statues and the like. When the boys arrived, they settled into their rooms before going swimming, stargazing and roasting marshmallows with chemistry teacher Mr. Chayim Goldberg, playing ping pong or just chilling. The evening culminated with a kumzitz with the rebbeim and Dean of Student Life Rabbi Jon Green’s famous midnight barbecue with delicious meat and chicken.
The next day the boys woke up, davened Shacharit and had breakfast and shiur with each of their respective rebbeim. After, the boys enjoyed a jam-packed day full of fun at the ranch. There was horseback riding, archery and snow tubing. In the afternoon, the boys participated in a massive paintball event; they went to the middle of the woods with camouflage suits and paintball guns stocked with hundreds of paint splattering balls. The boys were divided into teams and had to shoot their opponents, or capture the flag, to win. After a bunch of thrilling rounds, with everyone having lots of fun, the boys refueled with a well-earned lunch. After hanging out at the ranch for a bit longer, they headed back to MTA and caught the buses to return to their homes after an amazing trip.
The talmidim were so thankful to all of their the rebbeim and faculty for putting so much effort into making the sophomore trip as awesome as it was.
By Yedidya Schechter
