SAB will cover admission to the Indiana park for as many as 40 students, making this a cost-free excursion to kick off the school year, according to Director of Student Activities and Affairs Madelyn Clark. Students have the option to take transportation provided by SAB or drive themselves to Fort Wayne, which is about 90 minutes south of Hillsdale. 

The Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo opened in 1965. Tripadvisor named it one of the top zoos in the country in their 2015 ratings for “The Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Zoos in the U.S.” With more than 40 acres of land, the zoo boasts 200 species and over 1,000 animals. 

Junior and SAB member Gabby Lewis said in addition to a free zoo ticket, attendees will receive three tokens. These tokens are redeemable at the zoo for guests to participate in extra activities not included with general admissions. 

“There are plenty of unique experiences like one of the oldest carousels in the Midwest as well as an opportunity to feed stingrays and giraffes,” Lewis said. 

According to Clark, SAB chose the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo because multiple members have been to the zoo and enjoyed it. 

“I have personal ties to the Fort Wayne Zoo,” Lewis said. “As soon as we were brainstorming, we knew that we would love to share that experience with the student body.” 

Lewis said she is especially partial to the orangutans and the carousel. Those two exhibits bring back fond memories of her childhood, as Lewis and her grandmother would frequent the zoo when she was young, she said.