Lawrentians in the Big Apple: ROTTA Trip to the Met

This past Sunday, Lawrenceville’s Reach Out to the Arts (ROTTA) program hosted a bus trip for a group of students to visit New York City’s Metropolitan Museum, colloquially referred to as the Met. Known for its extensive collection spanning through centuries and across continents, the Met avails students to new cultural and artistic experiences.

Matthew Brooks ’25 described the trip as “a refreshing experience, where [he] broke free of the little bubble at Lawrenceville.” In particular, he enjoyed viewing the “Astor Chinese Garden Court,” an exhibition replicating scholar retreats in Ancient China. While this was not Brooks’ first ROTTA trip, he enjoyed the “less stationary artistic experience” that is unique to museum visits. Even though he acknowledges that “it is difficult to find time to attend events like this,” Brooks argued for its benefits. “We, as a community, need to decide between things that are good for [us] versus things that are productive,” he contends, “There are unexpected values in engaging with the arts. More students should take advantage of ROTTA.”

Like Brooks, Mila Cooper ’26 is a keen participant of ROTTA events. Specifically, Cooper enjoyed the exhibition “The Art of Music through Time,” which displayed an evolution of musical instruments from the Ancient Greco-Roman times to modern day. “It’s interesting for me to examine the visual component of music, which is an art form in itself,” she explained, “There is nothing that I would change about this experience.” However, she encourages more members of the School to take advantage of the program: “Everyone is aware of this opportunity, but most of the time, only people who are already involved in the arts attend,” she elaborates, “Everyone should get out of their comfort zone and enjoy new experiences.”

Matthew Fu ’27 agrees with Cooper’s call-to-action. Despite his uncertainty on his proposal’s feasibility, Fu hopes to have more time to explore the museum. “We only had about three to four hours,” he explained, “but there’s just so much more that could [have been] explored.” In particular, Fu enjoyed the exhibition on Buddhist Mandalas. “I learned a lot of new things about the Buddhist faith and their traditional arts,” he elaborated. 

“Hop on a bus and fill your weekend with the arts,” Brooks urged, “Take a moment to appreciate the opportunities around you.” Ultimately, ROTTA took advantage of the School’s proximity to the city, providing students with an experience both enjoyable and educational.