May 11, 2025
By Nicolle Alvarez
Staff Writer
Stepping away from traditional classroom learning, 29 students from the International Culture Club and Italian IV Dual Enrollment course visited the Met Cloisters on April 17.
A branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met Cloisters is located in Fort Tryon Park in Upper Manhattan. It showcases art, architecture and medieval European gardens to evoke the later Middle Ages.
Italian teacher Signor Raguseo said the purpose of the field trip was for students to engage with artistic expressions and global cultures.
“When people understand and respect each other and each other’s customs, I feel there’s more harmony and peace in the world,” Raguseo said.
After the students arrived, they explored the museum in three groups chaperoned by Raguseo, art teacher Mr. Petruzziello and science teacher Ms. Valle.
Raguseo said the Met Cloisters, which LHS students last visited on a field trip in 2019, is a unique museum.
“The beauty about the Met Cloisters is that you’re on the periphery of New York City, so it is not as hectic, not as busy,” Raguseo said.
Junior Aaron Johnsen, a two-year member of the International Culture Club, said he decided to attend the field trip because he enjoys on-site learning.
“I thought it would be a cool chance to experience art and history in person, not just through a screen. Plus, I am interested in medieval art because I am in [Advanced Placement European History],” Johnsen said. “I was able to recognize a lot of themes behind the art after analyzing it in class.”
Johnsen said he found Raguseo’s discussion about the history of the Met Cloisters to be especially informative.
“I was surprised to learn that a lot of the architectural pieces were actually brought over from real medieval monasteries in Europe. I thought it was just a replica,” Johnsen said.
The building, which is composed of five medieval monasteries from France, was disassembled and transported to the United States in the 1930s to be rebuilt and converted into a museum, which opened in 1938. The project was made possible by financier and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller Jr., who contributed $16 million in Depression-era currency, donated works from his own collection and created an endowment for future purchases.
Senior Ariana Feliciano, who is enrolled in Raguseo’s Italian IV Dual Enrollment class, said she went on the field trip because she believes it is important to expose oneself to art and culture.
“It is a good way to learn [about] new ideas and embrace different [artifacts] around you,” Feliciano said.
“When people understand and respect each other and each other’s customs, I feel there’s more harmony and peace in the world.”
As a gift, the Metropolitan Museum offered all students in attendance a family ticket for up to four people to visit the Met Cloisters or its main branch on 5th Ave. by June 30, 2026.
Feliciano said she would use this pass to bring her parents and sister to the Met Cloisters.
“My family would feel excited about visiting the Met Cloisters. I think they would like going to the city, spending time with each other and seeing the art,” said Feliciano.
