By Avery Powell
Seventh grade SAMS headed to Zone 28 for a late-year field trip on Friday, May 23.
The day gave students a chance to celebrate the end of a long and successful year, and by all accounts, it was a great success.
Much of the credit goes to Mr. Alexander, who passed out order forms, collected money, ordered buses, and secured the bowling alley. He even called parents to ensure every student who wanted to go had the chance. Thanks, Mr. A!
Following a Period 1 locker cleanout, students and teachers packed buses and headed to the Zone 28 arcade, where they played laser tag, air hockey, basketball, and other games. The kids ate pizza, ordered treats, and bowled for three hours before heading to Fox Chapel Community Park. At the park, kids spread out to enjoy the swings, slides, merry-go-round and balance beams. They played soccer in the fields, walked around a track, and waded into a fishing pond to retrieve a lost ball.
Before the trip, I asked several students about their hopes for the trip. Afterwards, I spoke to them about their experiences to see if the trip lived up to expectations.
The results were clear: the trip was a blast!
Chris said he was looking forward to everything about the day, but that he was “looking forward to laser tag the most.” That seemed to be the highlight for many prior to the trip.
Rachel was also excited. “I feel really good about the trip and think everything will be fun,” she said.
I was most excited about laser tag too. The fact we got to pick our groups for bowling made kids happy.
To rate the event, I asked those interviewed to score it out or 10.
Chris rated the trip a 9.75/10, Rachel rated the trip 10/10, and I rate the trip a 8.5/10.
The trip was spectacular! In addition to laser tag, which even attracted a few teachers to play, SAMS students enjoying putting money into arcade games in hopes of winning bowling alley prizes.
The arcade had many different games to play. There were VR games, monster games, car games, and racing games!
One of the best games was the car racing game, which had a long line for most of the morning.
The VR game was amazing as well! Students lined up to use their arcade swipes. Every arcade game looked exciting and really fun!
As predicted, the laser tag was definitely the best part of the trip.
We walked into a super cool room and we watched a video on how to play. Then, we went into another room that blew air everywhere and was neon. Then we got harnessed up and ready to play.
We wore futuristic vests with laser targets and guns attached to them. Following a countdown, we ran around a warehouse room that featured rows, walls, and obstacles that were great for hiding behind. We spent our time shooting and running from the other players. Each battled lasted for about 7 minutes.
Bowling was also a very good experience. We got a little tablet to customize our names, take pictures, and make a theme.
There were lights, music, and even a couch for us to sit on. Zone 28 put our names on a big screen when it was your time to go up and bowl. We loved it!
Everyone got pizza but those who wanted (and had the cash) could get fries and other foods with. Chicken fingers were a big hit. Even the teachers ordered food, which was delicious.
Overall, this was a great experience and everyone had a great time! This is a great place for anyone of any age to go to have fun. After this trip, I totally recommend it for anyone who likes bowling, arcades, good music, and great food.
The SAMS Salmon 