AHS ninth-graders make trip to D.C.
Published 12:00 am Friday, March 28, 2003
Seventy-five ninth graders are getting some real perspective on their history lessons.
Students in the Honors American History classes at Austin High School left Wednesday afternoon for the annual Washington D.C. trip.
The students will be touring most of the famous historical sites from American history including the Gettysburg Battlefield, Ford's Theatre and Arlington National Cemetery.
"I'm really excited to see the Washington Monument," student Mariel Goettsch said. "I think it's really neat to see places that are such a big part of our history."
Earlier in the year, students worked in small groups researching one of the items on the itinerary. Once in Washington, they will act as student tour guides at their respective sites for the rest of the students.
Student Brian Nguyen researched the Smithsonian Institute.
"It's really exciting because there are so many parts to it," Nguyen said. "There's American History, Scientific Exploration, things like that. You can also do hands on activities inside."
Principal Joe Brown is one of the chaperones for the trip. He said he has seen the difference the experience made for other students from past trips, and expects the same this year. This is the third year students have gone.
"When we proposed the idea to the school board, we wrote that we thought it would increase the civic participation of the students that went on these trips, and sure enough, it has," Brown said.
He said many students now in the student council went to Washington in years past.
"Who knows, maybe we're taking a future governor along with us," he said.
Two items that were taken off the agenda are visits to Congress and the White House. Due to the war in Iraq, those places will be off limits for the students. Brown said they will probably spend more time in the Smithsonian Institute instead.
Tightened security will probably be noticed even at sites that are not closed.
"Our students are going to see things they've never seen before," Brown said. "There are tanks, there are anti-aircraft guns, there are planes flying over all the time."
"I think it might slow things down a little bit because there are a lot of security measures," Goettsch said. "I think it will be OK. We'll feel more secure."
Matt Merritt can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at :mailto:matt.merritt@austindailyherald.com