[00:00.00]NARRATOR: Listen to a conversation between a student and the director of the Student Activities Center.[00:08.00]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Hello, Jack. Is everything set for the trip this Saturday?[00:12.00]MALE STUDENT: Everything’s ready—uh, fifteen people have signed up! [00:14.57] Our train gets into New York City at noon—which leaves plenty of time to get downtown to the art gallery for the reception.[00:20.30]FEMALE PROFESSOR: It's great you could organize this …[00:22.10]What an honor, having a painting by one of our students in that exhibit![00:25.40]MALE STUDENT: Yeah … My roommate's so modest …[00:27.70]if we weren't such good friends, I'd never realized his work was being exhibited. [00:31.50]So, since I was going anyway—for the opening and all—I figured I might as well make a student event out of it. [00:36.84]Working here at the Student Activities Center's made me realize how popular our activities are. [00:41.60]I figured there'd be interest in it.
[00:43.20]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Well, you’ve done a super job organizing everything! [00:45.60] Those posters look great… [00:46.95]and they went up in no time!
[00:48.30]MALE STUDENT: Thanks… and I'm glad you could approve the funding for us.[00:51.00]FEMALE PROFESSOR: My pleasure … uh, [00:51.77]by the way … how're you getting to the gallery from the train station?
[00:55.40]MALE STUDENT: Well, there’re buses that run downtown—[00:57.85]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Right, you grew up in New York City, didn't you?[01:00.30]MALE STUDENT: Yeah, but—the bus … well, that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about …[01:04.70]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Yes?
[01:05.62]MALE STUDENT: I realize it's last-minute, but … well—the weather for Saturday's supposed to be really nice—sunny, warm …[01:11.50]it’d be a great opportunity to walk the High Line.[01:14.20]FEMALE PROFESSOR: The what?
[01:15.00]MALE STUDENT: Uh, haven't you—?[01:16.20]Oh, I guess not everyone's heard of it …[01:18.15]it’s this amazing —[01:20.30]uh, it’s like this … this park in the sky![01:23.33]FEMALE PROFESSOR: A park in the sky?
[01:24.88]MALE STUDENT: Yeah … Well, see: There was this old train line—[01:27.55] y'know, one of those “elevated lines,” the kind that run high above the streets?
[01:31.09]FEMALE PROFESSOR: OK …
[01:31.70]MALE STUDENT: Well, this one was used for freight, not passengers.
[01:34.73]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Um-hmm …[01:35.35]MALE STUDENT: But when it got cheaper to move freight by trucks, they stopped using it …[01:38.86] it was abandoned for a long time [01:40.77]and then, a few years back, the city agreed to turn the tracks and surrounding area into a park! [01:46.33] It’s not very wide—but it’s over a mile long …[01:48.84] and it goes from the train station all the way downtown, near the gallery. [01:52.85]I’ve walked it before—it's really cool! [01:54.70]There’s grass and flowers everywhere … and, since you’re high up, you get these great views of the city.
[01:59.80]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Sounds wonderful … but, have you considered—not everybody might be interested in walking that far …[02:05.00] they might prefer the bus.[02:06.55]MALE STUDENT: Couldn't we just split up, [02:07.75]y’know, have some of us walk, and the others take the bus?
[02:10.70]FEMALE PROFESSOR: But remember, Jack, the poster advertises you as the tour leader. Not everybody’s as adventurous about getting around the city. [02:17.21]You'd need to find someone to accompany people on the bus … then you’d take the walkers …[02:22.00]MALE STUDENT: Yeah, but who—? [02:23.70] The trip’s in two days …[02:25.80]FEMALE PROFESSOR: Well, I did my graduate work in New York. Of course, it was a while ago … but I still know how to get around the city.
[02:31.90]MALE STUDENT: Yeah …[02:32.68]FEMALE PROFESSOR: And I'd love to see that exhibit …
[02:34.50]MALE STUDENT: You'd go? [02:35.30]Ah, that'd be great!