Class visit to D.C. magnifies learning

We boarded the bus with blankets, pillows and anticipation. Our long-awaited class trip was finally beginning. On April 11, 2019 at 2:00 in the morning, 34 seniors departed Cloquet High School and headed for Washington, D.C.

Chris Swanson, a social studies teacher at CHS, organizes the incredible experience every year. Since 1985 the school had followed the Close Up program, designed to bring students to our nation's capital. In recent years, however, Swanson has taken over the entire operation on his own. Organizing itineraries, plane tickets and tours, Swanson has created a remarkable experience - and for many, it's the trip of a lifetime. Swanson, Wendy Waha, another social studies teacher at CHS, along with two parent chaperones, guided us through five jam-packed days.

Day 1

Thursday, April 11: Washington, D.C.

Library of Congress

Supreme Court

Capitol Building

Monuments by Moonlight tour

Jefferson Memorial

Vietnam Memorial

Korean Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

John F. Kennedy Memorial

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial

The White House

My biggest realization from Day One was the size of the Supreme Court. The building - especially the pillars - is massive. Standing in front of the building I felt microscopic. When I walked the marble corridors, I could hear the echo of whispers from across the room. What struck me was standing where the Supreme Court justices form their decisions. Decisions that impact every American. The major Supreme Court cases we had studied back in Mr. Swanson's room were argued and decided here. The size of the building - inside and out - was large, but the Supreme Courtroom was the size of a high school classroom. Incredible, the impact of that small room.

Day 2

Friday, April 12: Transitions and Roots - the familiar and the unfamiliar

Potomac River Cruise

Mt. Vernon

National Museum of American History

Movie at AMC

As I clumsily tripped walking up the stairs at President Washington's home of Mt. Vernon, I was informed that the banister that caught my fall was the same one George Washington used as he made his way to bed each night. Mt. Vernon was breathtaking. As I followed the tour and devoured every inch of the home with my eyes, I was awestruck with each room. The color on the walls varied from deep blue to vibrant green. The authentic pieces from 200 years ago seemed as though they hardly aged; yet, at the same time, they had enough wisdom to speak to me. The chair he sat in. The desk where he wrote. The bed he slept in. Each additional piece added to his story and to my memory. The sheer size of Mt. Vernon was impressive, but the view of the Potomac was equally impressive. As Mrs. Waha put it, "No wonder George Washington wanted to retire to Mt. Vernon." This place was absolutely breathtaking.

Day 3

Saturday, April 13: Executive Time

Lafayette Park

The White House

Blair House

Renwick Gallery

Executive Office Building

Nuclear proliferation protest

Peaceful protester

Smithsonian Museum of Natural History

National Archives

Declaration of Independence

Bill of Rights

Constitution of the United States of America

Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

As I stood in line with my classmates on either side of me, I took three steps. In front of us rested our nation's Declaration of Independence. In the afternoon of our third day, we went to the National Archives Center. The power within such a small room seemed to overflow into the hallways. Within the room were our country's founding documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the United States Constitution. Going into it I was excited, but I didn't expect to be overpowered with emotion. After all, I had already read each document and studied them often. Walking up to the glass-encased documents one at a time, I knew they were much more than any prior thoughts or assumptions. Realizing that men had risked their lives for our country and the document lived to tell their story was beyond any emotion I could describe. I suggest experiencing them for yourself if you ever get the opportunity.

Day 4

Sunday, April 14: Memory

Holocaust Memorial Museum

Food Trucks

Hirshhorn Gallery

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian

Cherokee nation performance of dance and song

From having to stand in a single-file line to the stark design of the building, the experience of the Holocaust Memorial Museum was emotional. We walked through a child's story of survival. We were given identification cards to "help [us] realize that the numbers are large but the individual stories are larger." We read about World War II and how it intertwined with the Holocaust. We read about what the United States knew at the time. The longer we stayed, the quieter we became. Since middle school, we've been educated with statistics and famous stories. No amount of time and statistics would sufficiently prepare me for rounding a corner and seeing a pile of shoes. The worst part was that I knew this pile was a small representation of the millions of lives lost.

Day 5

Monday, April 15: Dignity and Respect

Arlington National Cemetery

Eternal Flame and the Kennedy family

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Changing of the Guard

I'm not quite sure if "favorite" is the best word, but Arlington National Cemetery was the single most powerful experience of the trip. We paid our respects to the Kennedy family at the Eternal Flame. We walked by the gravesites of the men and women who served our country. White crosses marked their sacrifices in all directions. We stood in somber silence at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The most moving time for me was the changing of the guard. As the crowd stood in silence with their hats at their sides, I couldn't help but think of the dignity and respect given the Unknown Soldiers by the men and women who watched over them. As the changing of the guard came to an end, so did our trip in our Nation's capital.

As we began our flight home, I was struck by the multitude of places we were fortunate enough to visit. I had read in books and browsed the internet for several years - informing myself of American history, architecture, and documents - but nothing came close to experiencing D.C. and our nation's history firsthand. A heartfelt appreciation to those who risked their lives to help form our nation, incredible gratitude to the men and women who serve our country both yesterday and today, and sincere appreciation for our teachers, parents, chaperones, school, and district that made the Washington D.C. senior trip possible.