Telegram photographer Jed Carlson regularly volunteers with the Spartan Spin class at Superior High School, and writes about a recent field trip the class took to the Como Zoo in St. Paul
Elise Hintzman, third from left, one of two teachers of the Spartan Spin high school journalism class, points out a tiger in its cage to some of her students during a field trip to Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday, May 10.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — It seems like winter might actually be past us now — let me just knock on some wood for typing that. But another surefire sign of spring are school field trips.
I’ve seen buses from all over Wisconsin and Minnesota parked in the lot at the Richard I. Bong Veterans Historical Center; students walking the grounds of Fairlawn Mansion; and I know my son and most fifth graders in town got to tour the city's water treatment plant.
I even got in on the field trip action when I traveled with the Spartan Spin class down to the Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday, May 10. We left Superior High School at 7 a.m. as rain fell from the sky. By the time we stopped at Tobies Restaurant in Hinckley, the rain had stopped and the sun was out as we grabbed drinks and pastries.
Superior High School student Carissa Vagt, left, checks in with her teacher, Christa Kalin, in the bus on the way to the Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
We got to the zoo just before the doors opened at 10 a.m. and jumped in line with what seemed like thousands of other students-and their parents. Yep — their parents. You see, all of these students were a little different than the students from Superior — little being the key word here.
Apparently it was some kind of pre-school morning at the zoo. There were toddlers as far as the eye could see. And before you ask, yes, we did see at least one child on a leash. And yes, he was tugging on it like a puppy walking through Billings Park.
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But enough about that, our students had an assignment to complete and limited time to get it done.
The Spartan Spin is a journalism class at Superior High School. Whenever we go on field trips we always try to have an assignment for students to complete. I say “we” because I volunteer with the class as much as I can. I help out during my lunch break almost every day.
Superior High School students Ella Corbin, left, Cassidy Remington-Willis, center, and Bethany Roe take photos for their assignment while walking through the Enchanted Garden outside of the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the Como Zoo in St. Paul during a field trip on Wednesday afternoon, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
The students' assignment for this field trip was to document the trip in five photographs. They needed to concentrate on telling a visual story about the day. The students could use either their phones or the classroom cameras. Teachers Elise Hintzman and Christa Kalin threw in an added element to the assignment asking each student for a self-portrait on the trip.
I like going on field trips, and I’m always super excited to see how creative the students are in completing their assignments.
So here, I guess, is my assignment from the day. Hopefully I don’t get a bad grade for going over the five photo limit.
Feet hang out into the aisle of the bus as Superior High School students travel to the Como Zoo in St. Paul for a field trip on Wednesday, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
A pair of polar bears walk around their surroundings at the Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday morning, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Superior High School students Shaniyah Sales, left, Sophia Bergstrom, center, and Gavin Rivord watch a gorilla on Wednesday morning, May 10, at the Como Zoo in St. Paul.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Superior High School junior Cyrus Olson takes a photograph on Wednesday morning, May 10, for an assignment at the Como Zoo in St. Paul.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
A lion looks up from its cage at Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday morning, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Superior High School student Alex Lane takes a photograph with her phone near the koi pond inside the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at the Como Zoo in St. Paul on Wednesday afternoon, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Telegram photographer Jed Carlson shoots his self portrait in sunglasses as he waits for the Spire Sparky Show at Como Zoo on Wednesday, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Superior High School students Shaniyah Sales, left, and Sophia Bergstrom try to get a better angle while photographing a tiger on Wednesday morning, May 10, at the Como Zoo in St. Paul.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
A tired group of Spartan Spin students get ready to pull out of a parking lot after a quick stop in Forest Lake as they make their way back to Superior after taking a field trip to Como Zoo on Wednesday, May 10.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
Superior High School student Zander Scott holds his new wolf stuffed animal up in victory as he boards the bus after a quick stop in Forest Lake on Wednesday afternoon, May 10, after a class field trip to the Como Zoo in St. Paul.
Jed Carlson joined the Superior Telegram in February 2001 as a photographer. He grew up in Willmar, Minnesota. He graduated from Ridgewater Community College in Willmar, then from Minnesota State Moorhead with a major in mass communications with an emphasis in photojournalism.
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