My Washington D.C. Trip

by Marlon

I finally visited Washington D.C., the nation’s capital.  We mainly visited museums, but even went to many memorials and parks, some of which were very impactful and inspiring.  The locations that truly made me think of history and the challenges that Americans had to go through to create such a great country were the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the Korean War Memorial.  The most impactful experience of the trip, however, was our visit to the Newseum.

The Martin Luther King Jr Memorial was impactful to me because of the message the statue gave. The statue of Martin Luther King Jr has him crossing his arms, standing looking out at the horizon. But the statue isn’t done entirely. This is a message that tells us that the dream that Martin had, still has not come true, and that his work is not yet finished. Another part of the memorial was Martin’s quotes around the memorial and even on the side of the partially done statue.  One of those quotes was “I was a drum major for justice, peace, and righteousness.” This quote tells me that Martin Luther King was a man of justice and peace, and wanted equality for everyone.

Another location that was impactful was the Korean War Memorial.  This impacted me because it was known as the “Forgotten War” even though there were a lot of men that risked their lives in that war. Even the statues affected me, because they showed how those men were so cautious of their environment, looking all around them, even looking at you. Some of their faces looked scared or nervous, sometimes both. This signifies how dangerous and frightening war can be for a man, knowing that he could die any day.

The final and most impactful experience was the Newseum. This museum was the most impactful because of what it stores inside. The Newseum shows exhibits that changed the world forever. For example, 9/11, the Berlin Wall, the Journalists Memorial and even Pulitzer Prize Photographs. 9/11 was a big impact on me because it showed the challenges and risks that journalists had endure just to capture such a tragic story. The exhibit tells their stories through amazing artifacts and even a tribute to the photojournalist Bill Biggart who had died trying to cover the attack. The Berlin Wall tells how the news and the information helped take town the wall that first made such an oppressive society. The Journalists Memorial shows all the names of 2,323 reporters, broadcasters, photographers and editors who lost their lives trying to report the news. This memorial also expresses the dangers that journalists have to face around the world. The most impactful exhibit in my opinion in the Newseum was the Pulitzer Prize Photographs. The photos that won Pulitzer Prizes are displayed, from the first ever presented in 1942, to the most recent photos that won. A quote that I like by Eddie Adams who won a Pulitzer Prize in 1969 said, “If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry, if it rips out your heart, that’s a good picture.” So many pictures show torture, execution, despair, sadness, tragedy, and reunions. Every single photo made me feel a different type of way, which showed me that those pictures were amazing pictures that caught very important events in American history.

It was a fun and very heartfelt trip at the same time. Seeing all of those museums, parks and memorials, showed me the beautiful times, tragic times and desperate times of American history. Seeing these things made me appreciate more of this great country we call the United States of America.

 

Washington D.C.Trip Reflection

by Elaina

For my last year at SVN, I attended a trip to Washington D.C. with 23 of my other classmates. This was my first trip to D.C. and I had never been on an airplane before.  At first, I was really nervous to go on the plane but it turned out alright in the end. My classmates and I were really excited to go and we were also very grateful towards our school for providing the resources to be able to go on this trip. It is an experience I know I’ll never forget and I’m glad I had the chance to have this opportunity.
When we arrived in DC, we ended up visiting the National Air and Space Museum which was exciting.  It was exciting because I had never seen a rocket or spaceship in person before. The rockets were huge and they reached all the way from the ground floor to the ceiling of the museum. I was in awe as I thought of how people used rockets like those to transport themselves into space.

We also went the the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum had a great impact on me. It was so impactful because of how the museum was set up. The lowest floor had exhibits and artifacts of what happened during slavery.  The higher floors had more recent events in African American history. This museum made me sad to see how people treated African Americans as if they weren’t even a whole person. However, I loved visiting this museum and seeing all the pieces of history that unfortunately happened to people of color.

The place that we visited that had the most impact on me was the Lincoln Memorial. This memorial had the most impact on me because it looked very beautiful at night.  It was much larger than I thought it would be in person. It also had the place where Martin Luther King Jr gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. This was really cool to be able to experience and touch the exact spot where he presented this famous speech standing up for civil rights, that affected so many people.  When I looked out from the Lincoln Memorial it made me think of how many people filled up the space around the memorial when he gave his speech. It was a great experience and it was my favorite place that we visited while in D.C.

As you can see, I am very grateful to have gone on this trip and I loved being able to have the chance to visit the National Air and Space Museum, the National Museum of African American History and Culture, and finally the Lincoln Memorial. This was a trip that I will never forget.

 

 Washington D.C. Reflection

by Emily

Finding out that your going to go on an amazing trip with your classmates is the best news you can hear it in the whole 10 months of 8th grade. It makes you feel nervous and excited at the same time. During our 5 days in DC, some of the places I really enjoyed going to and that caught my attention were the National Archives, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the National Museum of American History.

The National Archives caught my attention because as we sat outside in the hall where the Archives where, Mr. Robb was talking about how we should really pay attention and read about what the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution talks about. Something that I was curious about and interested in was why all the people who signed the documents decided to sign them without knowing what the outcome would be for them. We learned that if things didn’t go as planned, they would probably be hung or killed by the British army for treason.

Another thing that caught my attention was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This Museum was amazing because as I was reading all the small paragraphs and headings, i realized that many people had suffered for other people’s pleasure and personal gains. It made me feel empathy for all the slaves and angry of how they were treated, like animals, when all they wanted was equality and to be free.

The last thing that I had interest in was the National Museum of American History. I had interest in this museum because it talked about all the people who changed history and what people thought about people who were not of the same ethnicity. I thought this was interesting because those people are remembered really well and someday i would probably want to join that group of people who are changing the current course of history and leaning towards fixing immigration.

After the trip to DC, one thing experience taught me was to treat people the way I want to be treated.  I also learned to have empathy for other people and to always help people who are in need of help.

 

 

Washington D.C. Trip Reflection

By Abdulwahid

Before going on the trip to Washington D.C. I knew it was surely going to be the major highlight for the first part of my life. I was so excited about having the opportunity to visit places like the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and the White House. I was so excited that I could not sleep the night before the trip.

Once we were at Washington D.C., we saw the National Archive of the U.S. This Archive was a site I’d wanted to visit for a long time. I wanted to be one who could brag to others that I had actually saw the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in person.  I got to see the original John Hancock signature and also signatures from Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. The National Archives was also the museum with the highest security. This was probably because it held the nation’s most important scriptures.

We also got to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This museum displayed the struggles and atrocities African Americans faced from slavery to the present. It showed the cabins slaves slept in. It also showed the lynchings and riots caused when African Americans spoke out. We saw exhibits that were dedicated to the most famous African Americans like Muhammed Ali, Oprah Winfrey, and Jackie Robinson. This museum made me so proud of African Americans and how they persevered through such tough times.

The most memorable and impactful experience on my Washington D.C. Trip was the Lincoln Memorial. This memorial was exceptionally impactful to me because it had the Gettysburg Address engraved on the walls. This Address set the African Americans free from slavery. Another reason this Memorial was so memorable was getting to see where Martin Luther King Jr. stood when giving his famous “I Have A Dream Speech”. I pictured in my mind hundreds of thousands of people standing around the Reflecting Pool and listening to this influential speech. He also had to deliver this speech while in grave danger. Martin was receiving hate mail, threats, and his house also got bombed by people who feared the change he could make. These are some of the reasons why the Lincoln Memorial bypassed all the other sites we had seen in terms of its impactfulness.

Overall, I learned a great deal on this trip to Washington D.C. This trip is one I surely will never forget and I feel so appreciative to Scuola Vita Nuova’s board members and staff for allowing us to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

 

My Trip to D.C.

by Ian

Recently, my 8th grade class and I participated in a yearly tradition here at SVN, we took a trip to Washington D.C.  At first, I was scared to go to D.C because I had never been on a plane, but I made it to D.C anyways which is good. I have wanted to go to D.C. since I was in kindergarten, when my older brother went D.C. himself with his class at SVN.

On the second day of our trip to D.C., we went on a night tour.  One of the memorials from the night tour that really stuck out to me was the Korean War Memorial.  It was very eerie but not in a bad way, it was quiet. At the memorial, there are 19 stainless steel statues that represent all branches of the military that fought in the Korean War.   Also, there is a giant wall that shows soldiers who fought in the Korean War, not with names but with pictures. As you look at the statues, they say the statues are always watching you. They are, since the Korean War was the first war that the U.S. had experienced guerrilla warfare used against them.  So, they always had to keep watch. That is why I find the Korean War Memorial very interesting.

Another place we went while we were in D.C was the Newseum. This museum was all about our first amendment rights. It had exhibits about the news and exhibits about the FBI, and a lot of other things that I unfortunately did not get to see because we ran out of time.   We even got to see part of the Berlin Wall, part of the World Trade Center and items from both Iraq wars, and news papers from the past. That is why I found the Newseum interesting.

Also, while we were on the night tour we also saw the Vietnam War Memorial, a huge wall with all the names of soldiers who had fought and lost their lives for our freedom.  It was built on March 26th, 1982. This memorial honors all people who fought in Vietnam, even the ones who luckily had survived. There are two statues, one of three soldiers looking at the memorial and a statue of three women representing the women who had giving a helping hand and fought in the war.

In conclusion, all the memorials and museums we saw were all interesting but I found these ones in particular to be some of the best things I saw in D.C, including all the good memories I had there.

 

 

Washington D.C. Trip

by Dominick

Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? Well I have, even better, I have been there with my class.  In D.C., we didn’t only go to different places looking at how unique it is, but we took this trip as an opportunity to learn more about our history and how our world once was. These are three of the favorite places our class visited on the trip and why.

First, as a person that understands the times and events that happened in our nation’s past, I would like to recognize the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  I say this because walking through this museum can be tough on anyone. This is because at a certain time in history, humans made bad decisions that impact us today. As a class, we took in the sad truth and made positive out of it. We took this opportunity as a reminder of the society we live in today. This was a very touching and inspiring place to go through, to see what our nation once was and what we are today.

Second, another place we visited along the way was our little trip to the National Air and Space Museum. This was a very interesting place for me because I discovered the way airplanes and aircrafts work and fly.  Also, seeing many different airplane models in one place was an amazing opportunity for our class. This also was one of my favorite places to go to because I saw a very famous celebrity that happens to be one of my favorite rap artist.  He name is “Ski Mask The Slump God”, Yes, this is a very unique stage name but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity so I did what any other person would have done. I went up and asked for a picture. However, when I asked his bodyguard for a picture of Slump, he calmly replied, “he’s not taking pictures.”  So I simply took a step back and started taking pictures. They walked off and so did I. When I went back to my class, little did I know, I got yelled at by all of my teachers, being put into shame. Even though I got in trouble, I realized that it was worth it overall. Although the Museum itself was pretty interesting and there were a lot of different outstanding models of aircraft, seeing Ski Mask was my favorite part of the trip to the National Air and Space Museum.

The last place that I was very fortunate to visit  was the Vietnam Memorial, while our class was on a set up night tour, thanks to our school. We got to see the names of the people who died in the Vietnam War. This was very touching to our class and our teachers. To hear the silence of the others while memories of their fallen loved ones flooded their minds was saddening. This was a very hard thing to take in, to just see how many families were hurt inside.

In conclusion, Washington D.C. is a place that I did not want to miss out on because, not only are there many learning opportunities, but also we got to actually experienced these monuments and museums with our own eyes. Having a huge group of teenagers walk around in public wasn’t the easiest task to do, especially when some of them act crazy. But somehow our teachers managed to pull it off with ease. Overall the trip was really tiring, but it was worth it. This trip is something no should miss out on.

 

 

 

Washington D.C. Trip

By Emerson

Before the trip to Washington D.C.,  I was a little nervous for different reasons, although my nervousness was not noticed.   I was also anxious. My nerves were high because it was my first time on a plane and my first time visiting Washington D.C.  I was anxious because Washington D.C. is a very different city than the one I’m used to. I had in mind that this city is much more attractive and it would be much easier to let myself be carried away by its beauty.   Therefore it could be much easier to get lost in it. But, I also felt excited to see important places and things in United States history.

One of the places that caught my attention was the Newseum, This place got my attention because it is a very interesting place with many interesting things.  For example are things from 9/11 other than this it has a very beautiful view, and many things that are They make me interesting in the personal was the museum that I liked the most in my trip to Washington.

Another place that I found interesting was the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial.  It was and was the place I liked the most because of the history. I really enjoyed this place because Martin Luther King helped not only black people but people of all races.  I appreciate his work because he helped black and white people join together. I wish I could have learned more about Martin Luther King Jr’s work. But, it was hard to understand what I was learning because I do not speak English.  The statue was not finished. This is because Martin Luther King Jr. had not finished his work in the world. This place was very fascinating and special and this is why it was my favorite place in Washington D.C.

Finally, a very famous place we visited was the White House.  The White is important because that is where the President lives. I really liked this place because this may be the most important house in the United States.  I say this because the United States is one of the most powerful countries in the world. It is interesting because although it looks like a normal house that anyone with money can have, the interesting thing is that it has a lot of security and comfort.  I liked the White House a lot.

On this trip I learned a little bit about the culture and history of the United States.  I am very happy to visit the capital of the United States since few people have this opportunity and I am happy to know that I was fortunate to learn about the Capital.

 

 

 

 

Washington D.C.Trip

by Kevin

I never thought that the day would come where I finally go to Washington D.C. I had never been away from my parents for 5 days in a row so that was going to be kind of weird.  I also never had been on an airplane before so that was scary as well. Despite that, I was very excited to go to Washington D.C. and experience a new environment for a couple of days.

After being in D.C. for a bit, we went on a night tour around D.C. But what really stood out to me was the Vietnam War Memorial. This was at night and was still crowded by groups of schools. I got a chance to see the names of all those who served and died in the war. I saw a couple of Veterans at the Vietnam Memorial honoring there fellow troops. It was very touching as well as very calm and peaceful.

While in D.C., we were able to go to the Newseum and this place was special The Newseum is a museum that promotes free expression of the first amendment in the United States Constitution. It was fun and entertaining but also full of a dark past and history. Upon entering the Newseum I saw some of the remains of the Berlin Wall and a watch tower on the other side used to spot and shoot anyone who tried to get over the wall. Inside the Newseum, I also got to see a support beam from the World Trade Center that fell due to the terrorist attack on September 11th, 2001 when a plane flew into the buildings. There was also parts of the planes that flew into the tower as well on display. It was so fascinating to see 9/11 artifacts in person. I have only seen them in documentaries and seeing them in person was really interesting.
On the final day of our trip, we went to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. This place was very impactful to me and others because it talked about how people of color and African Americans were treated in the past.  The place was very cool because you start at the bottom of the exhibits and then make your way up through six floors. It feels like you are in a time machine going through history. You begin the museum during the time of slavery. You get to see what some slaves were wearing and where they slept. You also saw the terrible stories of the KKK and how they killed and tortured African Americans. The higher you went up the closer you get to present day so we got to see some of the first Air Jordan shoes, as well as some nice cars and equipment used by celebrities.   For example, we saw Muhammad Ali’s boxing gear. But most importantly you got to see how African Americans history changed over time.

As I think back over our class trip to D.C I feel very lucky to have been able to participate in this very fun and learningful trip. There is a lot of activities to do in D.C, many where you get to see the life of other groups or people. Being able to grow closer with my friends and see this big piece of history in our world definitely gave me a lot to learn from  being in D.C. It is a trip I will never forget.

 

My Trip to Washington D.C.

by Keavionte

Last year when I figured out that the 8th grade class goes to Washington D.C. I was not too hyped for the trip even though I was now in 8th grade.  I really never thought I would visit D.C. I still wasn’t jumping out my seat on the ride there. It was just like “ok, let’s go see some nice things”.  I did see some cool things. Still I thank the people who provided for the trip

The first thing that had a mark on me was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Some reasons that it left a mark on me is because we saw so many brave men who gave their lives to give us our freedom. Also, seeing how sad that was for some people who had lost parents, grandparents and friends made sad. Also seeing women who fought in the war and seeing how strong they went from being underestimated to helping win a war was inspiring . The Vietnam Veterans War Memorial was one of the most memorable experience that left their mark on me from our trip.

Another place we visited was the Martin Luther King Jr Memorial.  This memorial was also was a powerful experience for me for many reasons.  The fact that Martin Luther King was an African American, like myself, and that he led the fight against injustice and segregation was inspiring.  It was also amazing how other people saw the same thing through his eyes and believed in his words that he spoke in his “I Have a Dream” speech. Another impactful part of this memorial is the fact that it is unfinished.   This made me wonder if The MLK memorial will ever be completed. Will the people ever get to see the full Martin Luther King dream for his people ever come true? Will we ever get to say his dreams came true and finally finish the memorial. The way I see it, it may never be finished and still only remain a dream. I will never forget the feelings and thoughts I had experiencing this monument.

Last but definitely not least, we visited the  African American Museum. I knew this was gong to leave a  huge impact on as soon as we enter the building. There was a guy who gave us this strong speech about what to expect and he told us “there’s nothing like this place”  and he was right. There was nothing like this place. The first floor was the strongest part to me because it showed what African Americans had to go through from getting hanged and burnt during the times slavery.   I truly believe there was not one African American person during that time who did not feel what there people were going through. After all of that, we got to go to the other floors. My favorite was the sports floor.   It showed what hardships that African Americans had to experience and how after those hardships we showed respect for our people by putting that fist in the air to represent how strong African American are. That is something that made me proud to be a African American because whatever, whatever gets thrown at us, we will overcome.  This perseverance is in our blood . That is the impact the African American museum left on me.

That is how the trip to D.C was for me. It did not live up to the hype level that my teacher put it on. It was ok for me just because I got to see some things that took my breath away.  So, I am glad I went on that trip and thankful for those who paid for it. Without them, I would have never got to see the things I saw or ride an airplane for the first time. It was a cool experience full outstanding moments that I will never forget.

 

 

Washington D.C. Reflection

by Alex

The thought of flying in an airplane 30,000 feet above the ground didn’t really scare me because it wasn’t the first time I’d been on an airplane. Being away from my family for the five days we were going to be in D.C. did scare me because it was the first time I would be away from the people I’ve been around my whole life. On the other hand, I was excited to go see all of the amazing things my brother told me about when he went on this trip, back when he was in 8th grade. I was also excited because it would be a time where all of my class could spend time together and have a good time outside of the school environment.

On one of the days of our Washington D.C. trip, we all got to hang out at the 4H Center.  We also visited the National Museum of American History. There, we got to see many important things that happened in the history of America.  We got to see the original Star Spangled Banner. Not just that, but we got to see the original Kermit the Frog, and we even got to see one of the biggest things in pop culture history, the Batmobile.  The Batmobile on display was the exact one used in the Batman movies. It was loaned to the museum from Warner Brothers.

While on the trip, we also got to go on a guided night tour. On the night tour, we got to see the  memorials that were dedicated to the veterans that had served in wars. We got to see the National World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Korean War Veterans Memorial.  On that night, we also got see the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial as well as the Lincoln Memorial. The Lincoln Memorial was amazing and beautiful and had the entire Gettysburg Address engraved on the walls of the building.  There is also a huge statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting on a chair with the American flag draped on it representing the union he tried to keep together. Also, right outside of the Lincoln memorial is where Martin Luther King Jr. stood to give his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The most impactful experience for me on the trip was on our last day in Washington D.C. We got to visit one of the most amazing museums I have ever been to.  It was one that I’ll never forget. In the National Museum of African American History and Culture we got to see a lot of the most important things that happened in African American history.  It was a very emotional for me and the students in my class. When we first went into the museum, they took us to an elevator that took us down to the beginning of the museum. When we got out there was a man waiting ounce everyone was out of the elevator he gave an amazing speech about the museum and the things we would see.   When he finished the speech, we went on to the elevator to start the museum. We got to see a lot of the things slaves had to go through, we got to see the little cabins they had to sleep in, we also got to see Harriet Tubman’s clothes that she used to wear. We also got to see the Ku Klux Klan masks and clothes that they wore during that time period and what the leader of the KKK wore.

As I think back on this amazing trip, I am grateful for everything SVN and its teachers have given to me in allowing me to become something successful in life. I am very fortunate to be part of this amazing trip to Washington D.C. and to have had the opportunity to experience the wonderful things that I got to see in D.C. with my classmates.

 

 

 

Washington D.C. Trip

by Alisson

I never really thought about our Washington D.C. trip until a few days before it actually happened.   I was pretty scared and anxious about leaving my home without my parents and being with people I spent all day with at school but didn’t really know.  I was feeling anxious, nervous and excited. Preparing for this trip was much harder than I thought. I didn’t know how our rooms were going to look or if the trip was going to be fun or tiring. I was also confused on how things would work. It was my first time flying and that made me even more nervous, but I had friends there to support me through the process. I was excited to learn and explore more about the District of Columbia.  I was also excited to get to better know some the classmates I see every day.

Once we arrived to D.C., we noticed several of the national museums dedicated to people who impacted our country.  When we had our guided night tour, we were able to visit many monuments and memorials. However, there was one that stood out to me.  It was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was dedicated after a march to its site by thousands of veterans of the U.S. and Vietnam conflict. This monument had a huge impact on me because we witnessed many veterans who had fought in the war looking at names of those who were once their friends. We were also able observe many people looking for their loved one’s names on the wall. This reminded me of how hard people fought for all Americans so that we are able to enjoy the freedoms we have today.

On that same day we also visited the Lincoln Memorial. I was very excited to see this monument because of how much of an affect Lincoln had on the United States.  The Lincoln Memorial is an American national memorial built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The memorial has a huge statue of Lincoln with two very important speeches he gave, his Gettysburg Address and his Second Inaugural Address. Seeing this memorial was one of the craziest and best things I have ever seen because of how important and influential  Lincoln was to others. This had a huge influence on me because it reminded me about slaves journey to freedom, how much they had to go through, and of how Lincoln helped save many of them. To me Abraham Lincoln represents how one person has the power to  make a a difference in our country.

On our last day, we got to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I was in awe by this museum, it was one of the most affecting and touching museums out of all the previous ones we had been to. The National Museum of African American History and Culture is dedicated to the journey of African Americans who have suffered from the beginning of slavery to the civil war. This museum has over 36,000 artifacts from African Americans who wanted or did make a change and who fought for their freedom. As we were exploring the museum, I saw many impressive artifacts. For example, one amazing thing that I saw was a suit of the band Earth, Wind and Fire.  Another eye catching object I saw was Emmett Till’s casket. Emmet Till was a fourteen-year-old who was accused of whistling at Carolyn Bryant, a white woman who was a cashier at a grocery store. Four days later, Bryant’s husband Roy and his half-brother J.W. Milam kidnapped Till, beat him and shot him in the head. This museum was a very powerful experience because I got to learn so much more than what I already knew or didn’t know. This museum made me realize how much African Americans suffered and still do. African Americans fought so much for their freedom. Many African Americans today are still being criticized and segregated from others. The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was also a big part of this experience because his statue is not all the way finished and it’s because his work is still not finished.  This makes you wonder when it will be finished or if it will ever be finished. The National Museum of African American History and Culture was pretty amazing and a great learning experience.

Overall, this was a powerful and influential experience. Getting the chance to explore Washington with my classmates and learn new things made it an amazing experience.  I got a chance to make new friends, while learning more about our country and world. Personally seeing all these monuments and museums impacted me in a good way and gave me a great impression of Washington D.C.

 

 

 

 

Washington D.C

By Demetrius

I never thought I would have the opportunity to visit the nation’s capital. But when I came to SVN, I learned that in 8th grade there was a trip every year where 8th graders get to go on an airplane and visit Washington D.C.  When the time finally came for me to visit Washington D.C with my eighth grade class, I was really excited to see the many monuments and museums out in our nation’s capital. While on the trip, I did see many monuments, museums, and exhibits, but there were some that  I truly enjoyed.

One museum that I really enjoyed was the Newseum. The Newseum had many exhibits that I enjoyed. Some of those exhibits at the Newseum that I enjoyed were the modern history it displays. Some of the modern history that the Newseum introduced me to is were the Berlin Wall that was knocked down in 1991.   There was also a part of the twisted steel poles that stood on top of one of the world trade centers after 9/11. This was really fascinating to me because many people do not see the parts and pieces of these world changing events like I was able to do.

Another thing that I really enjoyed was the night tour. On the Night tour we saw many memorials dedicated to veterans of wars and hero’s of this country. One of the memorials that really caught my attention was the Lincoln Memorial.  The Lincoln Memorial caught my attention because the statue of Abraham Lincoln was so grand and big it left in me in awe. It is hard to believe that something so grand would be dedicated to one person. It also made me think of how big a hero he was in the 1860’s.
The last museum that I enjoyed most was the Smithsonian Museum of African American Culture and History.  I really liked this museum because it is the first of its kind dedicated entirely to African Americans and their rich culture and history. The museum had many things that were unbelievable. Many of the artifacts in the museum were  from the 20th century such as Michael Jordan’s jersey, and Mohammed Ali’s Boxing gloves. This really caught my attention because these people are my heroes and they showed the world what African Americans can accomplish and shows and proves that they are equal everyone around them.

There were many things In Washington D.C that I really liked but these were my favorite things that I got to see. I also had fun with my teachers and eighth grade classmates while in D.C. Many schools do not have the opportunity to go on end of the year trips, so I am grateful for what SVN has given me.

Washington D.C Trip

by Ayub

Going to D.C was an enjoyable moment and fun time. I saw many things there that most people aren’t able to see. Some things that I saw were the National World War II Memorial, and the National Zoo. The most memorable place I went to however was the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The National World War II Memorial was a place that honored the soldiers and the states that participated in that war. When I saw all the states on the wall I was surprised to see that people risked their lives just to protect our country. It is a pretty big memorial. This monument honored all the soldiers who fought for our country during that important time in history.

While in D.C., we also visited the National Zoo. This zoo wasn’t as big as the Kansas City Zoo but it was still a good zoo. When we got there I was excited to go see the animals. It got really confusing and we kind of got lost. What made it confusing was that all the paths looked similar. The good thing about the zoo was that it was totally free. That is why I enjoyed the National Zoo.

The most memorable place that we visited in D.C was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was very important to me because it showed the history of African Americans and what they went through. Some things that I saw made me upset because of how African Americans were treated wrong.  For example, seeing the types of cabins that slaves were forced to live in made me uncomfortable. Some reasons that they made me feel uncomfortable was the condition of the cabins. They were small, dirty, and run down. On a brighter note, somethings made me happy like seeing exhibits dedicated to famous athletes. For example, I saw statues honoring Michael Jordan and Muhammad Ali. These two will always be remembered for their great achievements. All in all, this museum was something special.

To summarize the Washington D.C. trip, it was exciting and fun.  I got to see many things. I would like to thank the Board for funding our trip so we could enjoy ourselves. Not many schools have this opportunity.

Washington D.C Trip

by My

As an 8th grader, I really wanted to make my last year be special before I go on to high school.   Fortunately I’ve been given the opportunity to go on a trip to Washington D.C with my teachers and classmates. I was nervous to go on the trip for five straight days away from home, but at the same time I was electrified and excited to see the many astonishing museums, exhibits, and memorials.

One of the many exciting things we did on the trip was take a guided night tour. One of the memorials that was moving for me was the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. In the memorial, we walked down a pathway where on one side, there was a wall.  The wall had names of soldiers that had sadly passed away in the Vietnam War. I started to have a heavy heart because I couldn’t imagine there would be such a massive amount of names of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the war.

On that same evening tour we also got the chance to see the Martin Luther KIng Jr. Memorial. The reason why I’ll never forget this specific memorial is because of the Stone of Hope. The Stone of Hope was created by Lei Yixin. It is a sculpture of Martin Luther King Jr that appears to be unfinished where Martin Luther King is coming out of a huge stone wall behind him. I anticipate the reason why Lei Yixin left the sculpture unfinished is to represent how MLK’s work of a world full of peace and equality is still unfinished. Mr. King didn’t finished what he believed in, and I hope that my  generation can help finish the dream and movement he started.

The most impactful moment of our trip was our visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. During our tour of the museum, it was hard for me to think that a human being can do things that were so cruel and evil to other human beings.  For example, there was an exhibit that displayed a mother holding her newborn during a slave auction. The exhibit showed the mother holding on to her child as long as she could while slaveowners pulled her and her child apart. Reading so many stories like this give me chills.

As I look back throughout my last year of being a middle schooler at SVN, I hope that my fellow future 8th graders will have the same opportunity I did to go on a remarkable trip like mine.

 

 

 

My Washington D.C. trip

By Melissa

Since I was in 6th grade, I have always been excited to go to Washington D.C. as an SVN eight grader.   My friends and I always talked about how we looked forward to go to Washington D.C and have a fun time.  Then, when I was in 7th grade I became more excited because I only had one more year until I got to go to Washington D.C.  I talked about it all the time and the teachers were really annoyed by it. However, I was also scared because it was going to be the first time flying on a plane without my family members. I was also nervous about being very high up in the sky and there would be nowhere to get out if something happened to the plane. Well I finally made it to 8th grade and it was my turn to go to Washington D.C.  Now, I’m excited to tell you all that we explored while there and about our experiences.

Once we got to D.C., one of the places we visited was the National Museum of African American History and Culture. I really liked that museum because it showed what sports African Americans did and what type of clothes they wore while when they were in sports. It talks about what they did during sports and told us why they had those specific clothes. Also in the same museum, there was a train tha they used in the past  The museum showed what happened during the 1800s and the 1900s and how African Americans had to use old and nasty bathrooms in the back of the train. It also showed how African Americans weren’t really treated nice by white people. Allo, the museum showed the stuff that people use in the past such as their houses, their plates, every little thing that they had used was in the museum.

My second favorite place that we went to was the night tour.  I explored a lot of things that I never knew about. We went to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial and I explored a lot of things there like the poem that he wrote which was on the side of his statue. The people that were building the Martin Luther King Jr statue didn’t finish it because he passed away.  But the statue was really amazing and cool how Marther Luther KIng Jr was popping out of the rock.

Finally, the last place that I found surprising was the Lincoln Memorial. I really loved it because it has a statue of Abraham Lincoln sitting down and it was right across from the Washington Monument.   Right on the very top of the Lincoln Memorial steps was where Martin Luther King Jr gave his “I Have a Dream” speech to everyone that came to come hear him. I was pretty excited that I was standing where all the people were when Martin Luther King Jr was giving his speech.

As you can see the Washington D.C. trip was very fun and exciting. I learned a lot of things and saw things I never seen before. The cool thing is that if you go to Washington D.C., you can also explore places you’ve never visited before. I also got to see and explore the Washington Monument, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial and lots lots of amazing places. This trip was very important to me because this was going to be the last trip that I took with my classmates and the last memories of being with my friends. Thanks to SVN because I really had lots and lots of fun being there.

 

Washington D.C. Trip

by Cecilia

I never imagined I would go to Washington D.C. and see all the things that I’d seen from the internet, in books, or on TV.   In the beginning of the 8th grade year, I was excited and nervous at the same time because this was going to be my first time going in a plane and I was kind of scared. Everyone in the class was excited. On the other hand, most of them were nervous also about going on a plane for the first time and being so far away from home. For me, the trip to Washington D.C. was the most exciting event in my life so far.

The second day that we were in Washington D.C, we went on a guided night tour. In the night tour, we got to see all the memorials in Washington. The memorials were the National World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. These memorials were impactful for me because I have never seen the Washington Memorials that close and in real life.

On the third day in the trip to D.C,  we went to the National Air and Space Museum. The National Air and Space Museum was about the planes and ships that people used in the past years. This was one of my favorite museums because the planes have changed a lot from the past to where we are now. This impressed me because I had never seen planes that old from the past and it’s hard to imagine how the people in the past built these planes and made them work well to fly.

The most impactful place of the trip was on our last day in the D.C.   We went to see the Washington Monument to take pictures and got the closest we could. It is tallest tower in Washington D.C and I was excited to see it. The monument was much bigger in person than it seems in photos. The Washington Monument was a big tower with flags of the United States all around the Monument. This experience was the most exciting for me because I always wanted to see the Washington Monument in real life and not from pictures from the Internet that people posted or sometimes from Google. That last day in Washington I felt excited to see the Monument because this time I was going to stand near by the most biggest monument in Washington D.C with my 8th grade classmates.

Going to Washington was the best opportunity to see the monuments and memorials that represent the United States.  It was so much fun to share rooms with our friends and sometimes we could choose what we wanted to eat. All the 8th grade class spent time with each other at the 4-H center and at all the places we went to visit. Going to Washington D.C was the best experience that I have had in all my life.

 

Washington D.C. Trip

by Angeles

As we were preparing for the our trip to Washington D.C., I was not ready to leave my home because I would be far from my parents and my brother’s ashes. It would be a big change the first time away from my family, but I also thought about the good side like being with my classmates and the teachers that have taught me since  6th grade. It would be a happy five days of my life and it was a once life opportunity. But, there were some expectations that we had to meet in order to go. The expectations were to complete all 10 hours of community service by April 1. Also your kickboard point average had to be above a 45, and you could not have any failing grades in any class. Some places that had me thinking before we left for our trip were the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The Lincoln Memorial was one of the most wonderful places that I saw during our night tour.   What made this memorial amazing was going up the steps and seeing the view of the national mall.  You could also see the National world war II memorial and the Washington Monument. I also saw where Martin Luther King Jr gave his “I HAVE A DREAM”  speech to thousands of people. All the 8th class walked up the steps where he give his speech.

We Also got to see the Korean War Veterans Memorial on the night tour.  There were people who were crying throughout the night tour. It was a sad thing to think about all the people who served our country and all the people who lost their family members in the war. The people that died in the Korean War were a big help to all Americans we should feel thankful that the Veterans served for us and made a big change to the U.S.

A final place we got to see was the National Museum of African American History and Culture.  It was a sad to think about that all that happened African Americans. They had to go through slavery and with not been given as much freedom.  It was sad to see that so many white Americans had anger and hate for African Americans and treated them like trash, when they are the same as every American and are the same as white Americans.  I couldn’t believe that white Americans had that type of mindset to treat other humans so unfairly that should have the same freedoms as anyone else.

These are just some of the places that had me thinking and wondering how could the things I learned about visiting the Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial and the National Museum of African American History and Culture happen.  But everything all happens for a reason. It was an amazing trip to go to Washington D.C. with my class and teachers.

 

 

My Trip to Washington D.C.

by Brian

I can still remember the first time I found out that as an 8th grader at SVN, that I would get to take a trip to DC.  I was in 7 grade and found out by my cousin miguel that the 8 graders were going to washington. I was kinda excited about that because that meant that I would of been going to DC. I was worried a little bit because what if I would’ve forgot something important or something would of gone wrong on are way to washington.

One of the places I like the most was National Museum of African American History and Culture. The National Museum of African American History and Culture was helpful to me because I could see how everything was in history of African American. For example how the slaves were all shipped to different states and how their lives were.

The second places I liked was the vietnam war memorial. I liked this place because it was important to many people who had family in the war. Those people in the war fought for us to live. Many people died in that war people lost family members or brothers and uncles. In the vietnam war memorial everyone had to be respectful because dose mostly saved are lives.

The third places i liked as one of my favorite was the white house. The white house is every important because its the capital states building. Also almost all the president lived in the white house from john adams to donald trump. In the white house also congers people live in it the white house is very special because people can’t go inside of it only every important people.

I liked the trip because it was fun I got to spend time with all my friends and do fun stuff with them. I learned a lot on this trip like the history of africans americans and why was the vietnam war memorial important. Also I have experience how it feels to be in an airplane. The trip to washington dc wa fun I enjoyed it and I learned a lot from it.