senior program summer site : weekly trip listings

August 1 >

Washington, DC
(Friday, July 31-Sunday, August 2)
This two-night trip to Washington, D.C. will give you an exciting taste of our nation's capital. You will arrive Friday evening and dine at the ESPN Zone before heading out for a tour of the city's monuments. During the weekend, you'll visit the Pentagon Memorial, Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the White House, the National Archives, and the Holocaust Memorial Museum. Saturday night, you will cruise the Potomac River on the Monuments Speedboat Tour, discovering fun facts about the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. Make a final stop at the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall before arriving back at Yale on Sunday evening.

Boston
(through Sunday, August 2)
This weekend will give you the opportunity to experience some of the most exciting highlights of “Beantown.” You will get to know Boston on a Duck Tour in an authentic, renovated World War II amphibious landing vehicle that will carry you through the streets of Boston and into the Charles River. You will also see the USS Constitution, Boston Common (the oldest public park in the United States), and dine at the Hard Rock Cafe before seeing the Blue Man Group. Glimpse Boston's past when you visit Quincy Market, Fanueil Hall, and the Freedom Trail. Other not-to-be-missed Boston sites include the Museum of Fine Arts, Fenway Park, and the unique shopping area of Harvard Square.

Sailing Clinic
(through Sunday, August 2)
Come experience this two-day intensive Level II sailing clinic for beginning sailors. Held at Yale’s recently renovated sailing center, this clinic will provide 8 hours of training with two Yale Sailing Instructors who will lead you through a number of sail and rigging demonstrations as well as thorough on-the-water training. Learn basic maneuvering, capsize and rescue, and landing techniques while you brave the waters of Long Island Sound. After just two short days, you will be ready to charter your own (small) craft and sail off into the wild blue yonder.

CAMPUS VISIT: Brown University
This sampling of Brown University and the surrounding area starts with an exploration of the Brown University grounds (note that this trip will not have a Brown tour guide). Lunch can be enjoyed on the Main Green or you can take a look around the various restaurants and shops that surround Brown. The day finishes up with a trip the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum of Art.

CAMPUS VISIT: NYU
This sampling of New York University and the surrounding area starts with an exploration of the NYU grounds (note that this trip will not have a NYU tour guide). After lunch in scenic Washington Square Park you can visit the Grey Art Gallery (NYU's fine arts museum) , Kimmel Center (NYU's center for student life), or Washington Square East Galery . The day concludes with a trip to the NYU bookstore.

College Workshop
The college search process can be full of surprises and stress, but there are ways to reduce the stress and this weekend workshop can be one of them. You will learn about the traps to avoid such as the “Holy Grail Syndrome,” relying on rankings, and rushing too quickly toward early decision. You will come away with a timetable for the search, recommendations for guidebooks and the web, and tips on doing campus visits. You will also learn how colleges select a class. What is the hidden agenda? What are admission hooks? What about testing, transcripts, recommendations, and interviews? The day will end with case studies to help you learn how admissions officers rate candidates. By the end of the workshop you should feel more comfortable approaching and managing the college search process.

Golf Clinic
Ever want to break free from the shackles of miniature golf, and just launch the ball through the windmill and into the distance? Do you want to be the next Tiger Woods? Or perhaps the next Happy Gilmore? A tall task for one day, but we’ll at least get you started on your way. This clinic will adjust your stance, fix your glance, and make your golf ball dance. (Maybe it’ll even teach you to rhyme, but probably not.) Learn the basics of golf so that one day you will be swinging with the pros.

West Side Story
More than fifty years ago, a show about New York City changed musical theatre forever. Now, it’s coming home to make history once again. From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Arthur Laurents’ book remains as powerful, poignant, and timely as ever. The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as one of the best ever written. And the extraordinary, Tony-winning choreography by Jerome Robbins completely changed the language of Broadway dance.

Shrek
A very big, slightly gross, and entirely beautiful new musical has come to your neck of the woods. Based on William Steig’s classical book and the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, Shrek the Musical tells the story of a swamp-dwelling ogre who goes on a life-changing adventure.

Bronx Zoo
Not to be confused with the The Lion King or with the crazy sights of Central Park, the Bronx Zoo is home to over 4,000 animals. Come nose-to-nose with Western lowland gorillas in the “Congo Gorilla Forest,” spot snow leopards in the “Himalayan Highlands Habitat,” and walk through almost an acre of an indoor Asian rain forest. Chinese alligators, radiated tortoises, spiny lizards, and ground geckos will be glad to greet you. Make sure that you don’t miss the grand opening of the exhibit featuring all those weird creatures from the bar scene in Star Wars. Okay, not really, but there is a glow-in-the-dark scorpion! It’s a jungle out there.

Movie Tour + Film Clinic
Start the day with a bus tour of New York City where you will visit locations that have been used in more than 60 movies and shows including Friends, Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty, Spiderman, Hitch, and many others. Following the tour you will take part in a film-making workshop at a premiere film academy in NYC. Here you will get an introduction to each step of the film-making process and get a chance to create your own film with your friends that will be screened at the end of the day.

August 2 >

Golf Clinic
Ever want to break free from the shackles of miniature golf, and just launch the ball through the windmill and into the distance? Do you want to be the next Tiger Woods? Or perhaps the next Happy Gilmore? A tall task for one day, but we’ll at least get you started on your way. This clinic will adjust your stance, fix your glance, and make your golf ball dance. (Maybe it’ll even teach you to rhyme, but probably not.) Learn the basics of golf so that one day you will be swinging with the pros.

Self Defense Clinic
Empowerment. Self Confidence. Self Protection. Safe Response. In a modern world, safety is key. In this program designed for high school students, we’ll explore self defense skills to increase confidence in threatening situations. Addressing the situations that can occur in high school, we’ll learn, execute and practice both verbal and physical techniques. No experience necessary for this clinic, just bring a willingness to realize your inner potential and confidence!

The Lion King
Giraffes strut, birds swoop, and gazelles leap. The entire savanna comes to life and, as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly rises out of the stage. This is The Lion King. Marvel at the breathtaking spectacle of animals miraculously brought to life by a cast of over 40 actors, as one of the most successful films in history is stunningly recreated live on stage. Winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Musical, The Lion King remains, as one reviewer called it, “theater to roar for.”

Whitewater Rafting
Speed past Dunbar Brook, Dragon’s Tooth, Labyrinth, on your way to Mordor. Well, maybe not the Mordor part, but the first three will all test your skills with the oars, as you raft your way through the Deerfield River’s most exciting rapids, and most breathtaking views of the northern Berkshires. Helped through this maze of rocks, holes, and waves by a team of highly skilled guides, this trip is not for the faint of heart. ADVENTURE WAIVER NEEDED

Litchfield Jazz Festival
Lively piano improvisations. Bold saxophone spirit. Soulful vocal vamping. This is the Litchfield Jazz Festival, a combination of some of jazz’s renowned and emerging artists, set in the rolling hills of Connecticut. Just sit back and take in the tunes, cultivate some seriously jazzy dances, or just practice your air saxophone alongside the greats. Whatever your idea of a good groove, it’ll make Ray Charles (an alum of the festival) proud: this festival has been called “what other jazz festivals wish they could be.”

NBC Studios/Madame Tussaud’s
Mix and mingle with A-list celebrities including Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney. Sing alongside the stars of American Idol and brave Simon’s feedback. Ride alongside Lance Armstrong. Pitch to Derek Jeter. Give the President and other world leaders an earful. Audition for a blockbuster movie starring Will Smith. Go face-to-face with The Donald. You can do all this and more at Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum. If you’re not too star-struck, after that we’ll check out NBC’s New York headquarters, including an opportunity to get a firsthand look at some of NBC’s most famous studios, like those used for “Saturday Night Live,” “Nightly News with Brian Williams,” and “NBC Sports.”

Rock Climbing
Thousands of feet in the air. No ropes. No guides. Just the clothes on your back. Just kidding. This introductory course is designed for first-time climbers, focusing more on experience than instruction. You will, of course, get enough information so that you’ll feel safe, and then you’ll move onto the actual climbing. This isn’t your father’s rope climbing course – you’ll never see a climbing wall, instead finding yourself at St. John’s Ledges and Pinnacle Rock, two well-known climbing locations in western Connecticut. Dig deep and discover your inner Stallone! ADVENTURE WAIVER NEEDED

Bike Tour
Biking, swimming, and tanning: what summers are made for. You will spend half the day biking around Lake Waramaug in western Connecticut, and half the day at the lake swimming and beaching. A relaxing day with an active twist, come and enjoy some of New England’s beautiful scenery, and hot summer sun. ADVENTURE WAIVER NEEDED

Misquamicut Beach
Spanning seven miles, this is Rhode Island’s longest stretch of beach. With its pristine waters and white sand, Misquamicut is a great place to enjoy swimming, strolling along the boardwalk, or just relaxing in the sun and surf. Whether you want to tan, toss a Frisbee, take a dip, bodysurf, or build sandcastles, Misquamicut Beach is the perfect setting.