Close-up Students Visit Washington, D.C.

Ms. Fetterly, Social Studies Teacher
February 27, 2024

Seven students attended the annual close-up workshop in Washington D.C. on February 11-16, accompanied by their teacher, Ms. Fetterly. Else Wermanger '24, Graydon Hummel '24, Madelyn Hobbs '24, Sara Brost '24, Clara McMahon '24, Tealah Boua-Koran '24 and Liam Johnson-Grass '25 spent the week learning about Government, Politics and Foreign Policy while exploring D.C. with other schools from around the country.

The students explored the American History Museum, The Natural History Museum, The Portrait Gallery and the Holocaust Memorial as well as many memorials and monuments of our Nation's Capital. After a day of touring the city, Close-Up instructors led discussions and workshops in the evening which included a Mock Congress, current issue debates, and small group discussions. Hummell, who has always wanted to go to Washington D.C., said that for him the most prominent experience of the trip was “the information I read and saw at the holocaust museum.”

The highlight of the week was "Capitol Hill Day" where the students visited the offices of Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Tina Smith and Representative Betty Mccollum. They were able to meet with congressional staff and ask questions about policy, procedure and personal questions about the career path into politics. This was a favorite for Hobbs, who said the best part of the trip for her was “meeting our representatives and their staff to speak on actions being taken in the federal government today!”

After a private tour through the Capitol and House floor viewing, the students went out for dinner and then attended a theater production of "Shear Madness" at the Kennedy Center. The end of the Close-Up workshop week included a banquet dinner and dance for all of the students. It was an action packed week of examining the Nation's Capital, "Close Up", and they had a fun time learning, meeting new friends and feeling inspired by the functions of government.