Activity 10

Jennifer Rios
Activity 10

I have always been a fan of class trips because I feel that it is easier to learn compared to when sitting in a typical classroom environment. After a while, the classroom and the routines that come with it become redundant and can possibly stump one’s intellectual growth since students learn to follow the routines instead of developing. This is why I believe that the trip to Fresh Kills in Staten Island was a great way to learn of this area, instead of having articles sent to us to read and discuss in class.
While on the subway heading to the Staten Island ferry, I must confess that I did have some expectations about what Staten Island was going to look like. Although I was born and raised in New York, I had never stepped foot on Staten Island because it is so far away and I have no reason to go to this area in the first place. I do know people who have been to this area in the past and they had stated that Staten Island was a horrible area to be in because of all the garbage that it had accumulated. I believed that it was going to be “steaming, stinking, seagull-infested mountain of trash” instead it “now green, or greenish, or maybe more like a green-hued brown, the tall grasses having been recently mown by the sanitation workers still operating at Fresh Kills, on the western shore of Staten Island” (Sullivan).
When we got to Staten Island, a tour bus took us to Fresh Kills, but I noticed that there was no garbage any in sight. To be honest, since Staten Island was never a major part of my life, I was not even aware that the garbage had been covered with soil and gravel, along with other things. This shocked me because it showed how I was so disconnected to the city that I was born an raised in. The tour group was told by the guide that we were actually standing on top of the garbage, which had been covered for the safety and health of citizens nearby and for the environment as well. At first I was disgusted at the fact that I was standing right in the middle of an area that was once considered dangerous for people to be around. I was bothered at the idea that my class and I were being put in harms way. In fact, the tour guide told us that “trucks enter the landfill, climbing the mounds and dumping clean soil over not-so-clean soil” (Sullivan), which is a way that the people in charge of the renewal in Fresh Kills continues to keep nearby citizens and the environment safe.
I believe that the renewal of Fresh Kills is a phenomenal idea not only because of it becoming a healthier area for people to live by and for mother nature, but also because of the plans that are being made for the future. It is believed that in thirty years, Fresh Kills would go from being known as Fresh Kills Landfill to Fresh Kills Park. I believe that a park in this area would be a wonderful idea because it would increase the forms of entertainment that people on this island can engage in. It may also attract people from other areas which would then increase the money being brought into Staten Island. This money could probably be used to further develop Staten Island in ways that can benefit these residents. Whatever the plans may be for the future, I believe that this is an area that must be kept in good conditions for people to benefit from its beauty. Such beauty was seen while standing on the east mound, the tour guide showed us how we were able to see different landmarks from different boroughs. For example, some landmarks were “Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, a span of the Outerbridge Crossing, and, on Coney Island, the very top of the parachute jump” (Sullivan). I believe that this is a place that people of all ages should enjoy since many residents of the five boroughs do not get to experience such beautiful views. Therefore, the view that can be seen from Staten Island is one of the many reasons why this area should be renewed and made more suitable for people.