By Brianna Ciniglio

STAFF WRITER

The ‘60s call a lot of powerful images to mind. This decade is often associated with the demand for peace, empowering music and the development of a culture that the world had never seen before. All of these elements were encompassed by Woodstock, a music festival that took place in August of 1969 on a farm in Bethel, New York for a crowd of between 300,000 and 500,000 people. On May 1, Hofstra students will be given the opportunity to step foot on those grounds and learn about a time that isn’t entirely different from our own.

The trip is being arranged by William Marinelli, a professor who teaches a WSC 002 class at Hofstra titled “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll: The Woodstock Nation” and had the chance to go to the original Woodstock festival.

“I wanted to do this topic for awhile because I’m a product of the ‘60s,” Marinelli said.

Marinelli feels that this decade has shaped our current society greatly. He wants to give others the opportunity to learn about this time period and the famous festival, which Woodstock.com states is perhaps, “the most pivotal moment in music history.”

Marinelli arranged this trip for the first time last year and said that the students loved the experience. Ten of the students who attended last spring have already signed up to go on the trip again this year.

The trip will be an all-day event in which guests will have the opportunity to tour the grounds, learn about how the property was acquired and visit the stage where performers such as Jimi Hendrix and The Who played.

“[My favorite part is] revisiting the area,” Marinelli said. “[I like] being there and feeling the vibes.”

Last year, the students even went across the road to visit the camp where people stayed for the three-day event in the ‘60s.

The trip costs $38, which may be given to Marinelli in his office in 222 Mason Hall during his office hours on Monday and Wednesday from 2:00 to 2:45 p.m. The trip is open to anyone who is interested, including non-Hofstra students and parents. Marinelli asks that you act fast, as the money must be in by the week of April 3, the week after Hofstra’s spring break.

Email Professor Marinelli at [email protected] for any further questions.