Personal Highlights of DC

From November 24th to the 26th, the junior class traveled to Washington, D.C. to explore the historical foundations of our nation. The trip was an impactful experience that opened my eyes to the problems we have in society both now and in the past. 

Although the bus ride was quite long, the experiences gained were worth it. Immediately after arriving in DC, we went to the Holocaust museum. It was my first visit to the museum, and I learned a lot about the Holocaust through the historical artifacts and the video clips presented. 

One of the most memorable exhibits I saw was a shockingly large pile that contained around 4,000 shoes belonging to men, women, and children. The vast amount of shoes was a clear reminder to me of the magnitude of the amount of lives lost. From the different exhibits, I was able to look at the Holocaust through a lens of someone who went through the experience and gain a better understanding of the material I learned in school. Additionally, every visitor to the museum received a identification card of a victim from the Holocaust, making the experience even more personal. I was able to get a glimpse into the life of one person in the Holocaust and it made my walkthrough of the museum more meaningful as I was able to understand the struggles that the people were going through. 

On the second day, we were given a choice to gain a better understanding on a topic of our interests. Topics included but were not limited to arts, judicial/legislative, science, civil rights, presidency and journalism. I went on the judicial/legislative strand in which we were able to tour the Supreme Court and practice our lobbying skills. One of my highlights of the day was learning about the Voting Rights Advancement Act, which would help reduce racially biased voter suppression. The act would do this through restoring preclearance provisions, an action that required federal courts to pre-approve voting laws that caused bias against a particular race. Personally, I have never learned about the issue or the act before and it made me realize how there are still so many racial barriers in our world today. 

Overall, the trip was truly an eye awakening experience that incredibly increased my understanding of history and current political issues in society.