By ANDREW GOUDSWARD
News Editor
Dodging rain, cold, and traffic, the class of 2014 went to Princeton Canoeing and Kayaking and Allaire State Park in Wall for the annual senior canoe trip.
The main concern throughout the day for the trip’s organizer, fitness teacher Virginia Clevenger, was the weather.
“When I looked at the weather last night, I was a little concerned,” Clevenger said “But I saw they had changed a little by this morning.”
A steady rain did fall for much of the morning as the seniors canoed, but it cleared up by the afternoon.
For senior Sarah Pearson of Howell, the weather was an issue.
“The trip would have been more fun if it hadn’t been cold and rainy,” she said. Clevenger acknowledged the weather was not “sunny and beautiful” like last year and the cold did bring students back to school from lunch at Allaire State Park about 40 minutes earlier than planned.
However, Clevenger did not think the rain dampened the mood of the students. “Everybody was laughing and people got wet and no one good hurt, so it was good.”
One of the the students who got wet when his canoe was tipped over was senior Tyler Paley of Howell.
“It was awesome. I was prepared to end up getting wet and I feel like that really adds to the fun of the trip,” he said.
Senior Olivia Iannone of Middletown said she was happy she “didn’t stay in bed” like she considered.
Iannone also felt the trip was a bonding experience within the senior class. “I definitely saw bonds being made when canoes were in giant piles with people on top of them. They were having a blast,” she said.
Pearson agreed, saying the trip helped to break apart cliques within the Class of 2014.
Paley summed up the trip as “an awesome kickoff to senior year.”