On Wednesday morning, October 7, the EMHS senior class gathered in the school's auditorium to receive final instructions before leaving for Washington D.C. The time had come for the annual Senior Trip, a long standing tradition for Eastern Mennonite seniors. Technically a field trip for Government class, this Fall trip has become an important experience for the senior class, a time of bonding and relationship building.
Unfortunately, the first step in this bonding process required seniors to gather inside the school at 6:30 am. By 7:00 we were on the road for D.C., chaperoned by Mr. Curt Stutzman and Mrs. Louise Hostetter, Senior Class Sponsors. After two and a half hours of driving, our first stop in D.C. was the United States Supreme Court. We were let off at the bottom of Capitol Hill and made our way up to the Supreme Court building where we were met with a line of several hundred people waiting to get into the building. Waiting in line proved to be just as interesting as seeing the Supreme Court itself. A variety of protesters milled about outside the Court, some pacing with picket signs, some shouting pure nonsense through a bullhorn. Eventually we were admitted into the court and were able to see the Justices in action.
Leaving the Supreme Court, we gathered by the reflecting pool for lunch and also to take our class picture. From Capitol Hill, we once again boarded our motor coach and drove to the National Zoo, a highlight of the trip for many Seniors. We spent several hours at the zoo, watching pandas, lions, sloth bears, elephant shrews, and many other types of animal life. When our time was up, the students somewhat reluctantly boarded the coach which was to take us to our hotel. At the hotel we received our rooms and prepared ourselves for ice skating, another fun tradition of Senior Trip.
With high socks and long sleeves, we drove to the ice skating rink and the EMHS Class of 2010 hit the ice, quite literally in some cases. Some locals attempted to continue skating once we arrived, though they were soon overcome by 50 high school seniors zipping around the rink in wobbly circles. Confidence on the ice varied greatly from class member to class member, yet that did not dampen spirits. The night only improved as the sponsors set out ice cream for all of the students, a treat not often linked with ice skating, yet quite welcome nonetheless. As our two hours on the ice came to an end, we posed for a final picture in our skates and hit the road, bringing an end to our first day.
Running on a few hours of sleep and a continental breakfast, the EMHS group headed back to Capitol Hill, this time to visit the Capitol Building itself. Outside the building, we met up with two more chaperones, Mrs. Roth and Mr. Crissman. Finding a much shorter line than at the Supreme Court, our group entered the Capitol Building fairly quickly and was soon on a guided tour of the Capitol. We saw many sights during our tour, such as the old meeting rooms of the Senate and House before they were moved to separate wings. We also surveyed much of the art adorning the Capitol, from murals of Washington to statues of Reagan.
Around noon, our group left the Capitol and walked several blocks to Union Station where we stopped for lunch. Following lunch, the group took a short drive to the WWII memorial. At this point, all of the students had some free time to visit the various memorials around the area including the Vietnam and Korean War Memorials. Splitting into small groups, students explored on their own and eventually met up in front of the Lincoln Memorial and the wise gaze of the Great Emancipator. A short walk brought us to the memorial of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a calming pathway walled by waterfalls, bronze statues, and quotes from Roosevelt. One of the less famous memorials, the FDR location provides a haven for contemplation and reflection in the busy city of Washington D.C.
From the memorials, the seniors returned to the hotel and dressed up for a night on the town. In dresses, ties, and suit jackets, the group from EMHS went out for a fancy dinner at an Asian restaurant. Immediately after dinner, some students gathered in front of the restaurant for a short game of Buck Buck before walking to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. At the Kennedy Center, we joined other, equally well-dressed students from area schools in a viewing of the play
Shear Madness.
Shear Madness is a comedy/murder mystery that uses audience interaction to decide the outcome of the story. One of the longest running productions at the Kennedy Center,
Shear Madness kept this group of high school students entertained the entire evening.
The next morning, we began our final day in Washington D.C. meeting with Ben Beachy, an EMHS graduate working in D.C. with Witness for Peace, an organization which advocates for justice in Central American countries. Following our short meeting, our group split into two: one group heading for the Holocaust Museum and on for the Museum of Natural History. Our groups reunited at the Old Post Office Pavilion for lunch, and finally boarded our coach for the last time before heading back to Harrisonburg.
Although the much anticipated and long-awaited Senior Trip is now behind us, we can't help but look forward with excitement to what the rest of this year has in store.
-- Andrew Hostetter
