HISTORY / POLITICS TRIP TO AMERICA
CHICAGO + WASHINGTON DC + PHILADELPHIA
12 DECEMBER 2019
In mid-December the History and Politics department set off on our biannual USA extravaganza with 44 fantastic students joining us for what would be an epic trip to three iconic cities in America ’ s history and politics : Chicago , Washington D . C . and Philadelphia .
There are almost too many highlights to mention and do justice to including breath-taking views from the top of the Washington Monument ; our thoughtprovoking ( and this time tear-jerking ) memorial walk in Washington D . C ; and eye-opening tour of the Eastern State Penitentiary – which definitely could have doubled as a set from a horror film ! And what the teachers enjoy is often different from the students , with shopping and the sheer lunacy of American sport featuring top of many lists . With this in mind we went to Henry Kay , currently in L6 , for his take on the trip :
Chicago , Washington D . C . and Philadelphia . Three cities , three perfect examples of the USA . The diversity , the culture and the “ OMG are you from ENGLAND ”, it ’ s all there . The crisp , cold air of the Windy City hit us as soon as we walked out of O ’ Hare Airport , and seemed to follow us for the rest of the trip .
The first skyscrapers were built in Chicago , and going up to the Skydeck of Willis Tower , now the 2nd Tallest building in America at 527m , truly let us scrape the heavens . Chicago , the city known for its mob history and hard nature , showed us how churches scraped with bullet holes can end up alongside sculptures by Picasso and Grant Park , where Obama celebrated victory in 2008 . The Congress Plaza Hotel was our base as we roamed the high-streets , and Chicago is certainly the city for shopping , as many of us found ourselves entering nearly every shop in a square mile . Our first taste of sport came with the Chicago Bulls , inside a packed United Centre . Kobby and I even managed to get on the jumbotron !
Flying over to the District of Columbia , we came to the heart of the nation . Although not the raw cultural meltingpot of Chicago , Washington is the heart of the nation ’ s government , and every building , every place has historical significance .
The WW2 memorial , glorious in the dark . Lincoln sat proudly at the other end of the Mall from the Capitol , with the Washington Monument between . The spot of Dr King ’ s dream , and his memorial . The theatre where Lincoln was killed . The Smithsonian Museums , with everything from Armstrong ’ s spacesuit to a fossil . The modernity of the African American Museum was an incredible education in the impact of black culture on the nation .
The White House , surrounded by protesters , and the Capitol Building , where we stood , surrounded by TV crews , in the lobby of the House where on that day President Trump was impeached . For a keen historian like myself , it was incredible , and the ability of the teachers to show us so much was fantastic .
Our last stop was Philadelphia , where we visited the Independence Hall , the building where the Founding Father ’ s met . In one of the oldest cities , and the former capital , we observed landmarks such as the Liberty Bell and , of course , the steps from the Rocky training montage , which we raced up , all 44 of us . Here we spent a night watching Ice Hockey , cheering and chanting the Philadelphia Flyers to a convincing victory , featuring as a school 3 times in one game on the big screen , right from the top corner of the arena . Mr Hughes hasn ’ t stopped singing “ Feel the Shake ” since 20,000 people made that building shake with every goal and rendition of that song .
Overall , the combination of the culture , the history and the experience of true , urban America was unforgettable , and all my thanks go to the teachers , and especially Mr Braidwood , for their efforts to get us across the pond and back !
We couldn ’ t say it better ourselves !
It was an absolute pleasure to take this trip with such a polite and engaged set of students . My thanks goes to them and the incredible staff that came on the trip : Gareth Hughes , Adam Hall , Sam Cheadle and Anna Hughes .
Next stop , USA 2021 !
88 THE POCKLINGTONIAN