Page 27 - May 2014 Dell & Cannon

WHAT’S
Happening
at RE
Ransom Everglades School I Dell + Cannon I May 2014 25
RE Students Witness Government Firsthand on Trip
to Washington, D.C.
Gregory Cooper, Social Sciences Faculty & Director of Student Activities
During Spring Break, I had the pleasure to travel with 16 students and Ms. Jennifer Nero to Washington,
D.C. All of the attendees were current or former U.S. Government students (with one current Economics
student). Unlike the unseasonably warm weather we had in 2012 (with the cherry blossoms beginning
to bloom), this year’s 5-day trip featured colder-than-normal temperatures (20s and 30s) and a full day of
snow! Nonetheless, we all soldiered on and had an excellent week. Here are some highlights from the trip:
Day One
After settling in at the hotel, we embarked
on a quick walking tour of the National Mall,
with a stop at the World War II Memorial, on
our way to the White House. Although the
fountains were shut off due to the temperature,
the beauty and scope of the monument was
nonetheless impressive, and was a good intro
to our week in Washington. The highlight of that
first day, however, was meeting up with Lisa
August, Ransom class of 1976 and analyst at
the Office of Management and Budget, to tour
the West Wing of the White House. Lisa was
able to take us through the entire West Wing,
with stops in the Rose Garden, the Roosevelt
Room, the Cabinet Room, the Press Briefing
Room (for some great pictures), and the Oval
Office. We then wrapped up that evening with a
nighttime visit to the Lincoln, Vietnam Veterans,
and Korean War Memorials.
Day Two
On Monday, we headed to the Supreme Court, where we not only toured the public exhibits, but were also able
to view an oral argument. Although the case was not a particularly exciting one, it was still a treat to be able
to see the Court in action, and to witness firsthand how a Supreme Court argument unfolds. And after the
argument, thanks to RE parents Mr. & Mrs. Kennedy, we had the honor of meeting Justice Anthony Kennedy,
who spoke to the students about the role of the Supreme Court, and about the rule of law in general. After
our visit there, we headed to the National Gallery of Art for lunch and a quick visit, followed by a tour of Ford’s
Theater and the Petersen House (where President Lincoln died), before wrapping up the day with a tour of
the Washington Bureau of the Wall Street Journal and a visit with Sudeep Reddy, deputy economics editor at
the Journal.
Day Three
We started off the day with a special tour of the Capitol, including visits to the galleries of both the House and
Senate. Although it was not a busy morning on the House and Senate floors, students were able to observe
some interesting speeches about the situation in Ukraine, as well as the Farm Bill. As we left the Capitol,
students witnessed democracy and free speech firsthand, as protestors were lining the sidewalk in front of
Continued on next page.
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