Hannibal is a place where drivers happily stop to let pedestrians cross the street and where candy shops dot each corner. It is a destination where the Missouri river meanders in the background. In Hannibal, chaos appears to fade and smiles are exchanged more frequently around town.
It was originally English teacher Mr. Sean Rochester’s idea to take all junior English classes to Hannibal on April 6 and pay tribute to the renowned Mark Twain, one of his favorite writers. It came to his attention this past summer that some of the sites were becoming run down, but due to the lack of funding there was not much that could be done. Mark Twain is a favorite among many of the English teachers, so it was easy to find support for the idea. Teachers such as Mrs. Cynthia Krone, Mr. Kevin Kloth, and Ms. Laura Lukowski attended the trip as well. Without the support and dedication of the English department as a whole, the trip would not have worked.
Those wanting to attend the Hannibal, Missouri trip required a serious appreciation for Twain, as the students were asked to meet at 7:45 on Saturday morning. Some were wide awake, some only through the influence of Starbucks, and some, such as Simon Lu, didn’t catch the bus at all.
The students spent their time weeding and mulching an area surrounding a statue of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and eventually around Mark Twain’s former home.
The newly established spring weather allowed for hard work and dedication.
“There was a lot of work, but it paid off. We were able to beautify the home of one of the greatest American literature authors,” junior Brendan Hynes said.
Lunch break arrived quickly and many students made more good use of what Hannibal had to offer. They purchased candy, ice cream, and fudge at some of the local shops.
“Basically every other store was a sweets shop. There were truffles, chocolates, fudge, gelato, and anything else you could possibly want. Everything we tried was incredible,” said Leeore Levinstein.
After the work was complete, students were free to explore Hannibal and tour the house of Mark Twain. Upon departure, several Hannibal residents walking along the sidewalk expressed their gratitude for the service that was completed. Mr. Rochester and the other teachers agree they will definitely offer the field trip next year.
“The satisfaction of helping, even in such a small way, to continue Twain’s legacy, reinforced the power of working for a force beyond yourself. It was invigorating to truly feel part of a bigger, enduring network, one that will be around much longer than we are.” Mr. Sean Rochester said.
As the bus drove away, leaving the lovely and peaceful town of Hannibal, chaos ensued once more. The buses managed to make three wrong turns, one set of car keys was thrown away, and there was an emergency bathroom break. Luckily, the class of 2014 had a safe return.
