The Emerson Senior Choir took a trip to Hersheypark in Hershey, Pennsylvania, to compete in a contest for Music In The Parks competition. They were away from May 4 through May 6. They competed in the morning of the 5th and was given the award of 3rd place in the competition later that evening. While they were there, they were given the opportunity to explore and enjoy all the rides and attractions in the world-famous Hersheypark. 

The choir was under the direction of Emerson choir teacher William Ullman, and chaperoned by Emily Burns and Victoria Corso.

The High School Choir and certain members of the Middle School Choir were pulled out of class in the last period of the day to put their luggage onto the bus. They took off at approximately 2:30 p.m. for a four-hour long bus ride to their first stop, Miller’s Smorgasbord in Ronks, Pennsylvania, a huge Amish buffet of various foods and desserts. Once they filled up, they went to their hotels at the Holiday Inn, just off Interstate 83, right next to a McDonald’s.

The hotel offered them and other schools staying with them breakfast, where they boarded the bus again to perform their songs “Weep O Mine Eyes” and “Plaudite Manibus” at Linglestown Life Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Then, as a gratitude for performing for the program, they were given the entire Friday to spend at Hersheypark, from 10:00 p.m. to the park’s closing, at 8:00 p.m., with a brief interruption at 5:00 p.m. for the program to announce winners of certain awards. Sarah Walsh and Alicia Gadek represented Emerson to receive the 3rd place award for Superior High School Choir Performance.

“As a senior, it felt amazing to be a part of such a talented group, and I loved being able to represent us all,” Sarah commented.

When they got back to the hotel at around 9:00 p.m., Ullman permitted the students to go across the street to McDonald’s to treat them to the fast food restaurant that the kids have been begging to go to all day.

After eating breakfast on Saturday, the rest of the day was spent touring the Gettysburg Museum, where students looked around the museum of the Civil War battle of Gettysburg for a few hours, then were given a professional tour of the historic two square-mile-wide battlefield for two hours.

At 4:00 p.m., the bus left Gettysburg to head back to Emerson to conclude a terrific weekend in Pennsylvania. After stopping at Wendy’s for a brief dinner, and watching Sing on the ride home, the bus arrived at Emerson High School at approximately 8:45 p.m. where parents picked up their students to take them back home.

Regardless of whom one may ask, it seems like everyone is in agreement that the trip to Hershey was a wildly successful one, and now the choir has their attention directed towards the spring concert on Thursday, May 18, and Cavopalooza in early June.