Political Pioneers Washington, DC Trip

Andrew Larsen, Staff Writer for The Powderhorn

Day 1

We had an early start, arriving at school around 6:45 a.m. and leaving at 7 a.m.

From Boone, we went to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home, in Charlottesville, VA. There were concerns about whether or not we would be able to do this due to poor weather conditions throughout the region, but all we had to do was change our dinner location. From Monticello, we finished the drive to D.C.

Day 2

We started the day by walking to the Supreme Court, stopping along the way to look at the U.S. Capitol. After viewing the museum in the Supreme Court, we went to the Library of Congress. Next, our group split, with one group going to the National Gallery and the other going to the American Indian Museum. We then took a tour of the U.S. Capitol, given by Virginia Foxx, and got the chance to watch the House of Representatives vote on a resolution. Finally, we took the metro to the Pentagon, where we visited the 9/11 Memorial.

Day 3

This day was quite heavy. We started by touring Arlington National Cemetery and watched the changing of the guard, followed by a trip to the US Holocaust Museum. That night, we visited the World War II Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam War Memorial.

Day 4

We started day 4 with a tour of the White House and visited the White House History Museum next door. Afterwards, we visited the National Archives, where we saw the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, as well as the Magna Carta. To finish the day, we took a sunset walk across the National Mall and visited the Smithsonian Castle.

Day 5

On the final day, we left early and toured Mt. Vernon, George Washington's home. We took a tour focused on slavery at Mt. Vernon, and participated in a ceremony honoring deceased enslaved persons. Afterwards, we headed home and concluded our trip.

Political Pioneers

Many of the students who went on the trip are members of the WHS club Political Pioneers. If you are interested in going on trips like this in the future and are interested in politics and civic engagement, come to the meetings every Monday from 3:30-4:30 in Mr. Vining's Room, 3605.

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