City Saturdays, hosted by the Office of Multicultural Affairs, have returned for another year, kicking off this semester’s tours with a trip to New York City’s Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

On Sat. Feb. 28, 12 students led by Director and Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs, Cornell Craig and Rachel Simon, respectively, traversed Grand Central Station and the streets of Manhattan to get to MoMA and enjoy what the museum had to offer.

In an effort to introduce Pace students on the Westchester campus to the sights of New York City, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Programs launched the City Saturdays initiative in the fall of 2013.

“We started City Saturdays in order to get students to engage themselves in the city,” said Craig. “We found out that a lot of students from the Pleasantville campus really weren’t taking advantage of the benefits of New York City. Sometimes students aren’t familiar or comfortable going [to the city] alone, so we thought this would be a good initiative to get them involved and learn.”

The City Saturdays program takes its participants into the heart of NYC via rail and often utilizes the subway to reach its destination.

“If students aren’t from this area or don’t know anyone in the city, it’s kind of daunting to go and explore on their own, or even with a group of friends,” Craig continued. “It’s a little easier when things are outlined for them, and we help with taking care of costs for travel and admission to any of the events or sights that we go to.”

According to Craig, City Saturday events, which are often announced via email or flyers, usually have an average turnout of 8 to 10 students. However, at certain times, it has reached a participation of over 20.

Students who attended this week’s City Saturday seemed quite pleased with the activity chosen and enjoyed the walking tour of midtown Manhattan and the museum.

“My favorite part of the day was walking around with Rachel [Simon] and having her teach me things about all the artists that I didn’t know about,” said junior applied psychology major Jordan White. “I felt good learning new things, and if I can, I’ll go again.”

Simon, the Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity, explained the significance of the sites chosen for these Saturday afternoon trips.

“We think of places that are interesting and culturally significant…places that students probably wouldn’t know about otherwise go to alone,” Simon said.

“It’s really just another way for students to partake in a campus opportunity on the weekend,” Craig added.