Paly World and U.S. History teacher Jaclyn Edwards is seeking participants for this year’s Close Up trip to Washington D.C.
The trip will take place Feb. 11 to 17, a week before Palo Alto Unified School District’s scheduled ski week, leaving participating students absent from school for four days. The cost is $1,654 per person, according to Edwards, who went on the trip as a high school student. The price includes all expenses, including plane tickets, hotels, food, buses, tickets to tourist attractions and an accompanying nurse, Edwards said.
Close Up is an organization which gives high school students from across the nation a chance to explore Washington D.C. in-depth by visiting historical landmarks, participating in debates and discussions, taking a night tour of the local monuments and talking to congressmen.
For the past five years, Edwards has only taken between five and 16 students, but she hopes to take up to 20 this year. According to Edwards, the trip is open to anyone who has taken, or is in the process of taking, U.S. Government and U.S. History, but is primarily targeted at juniors and seniors.
"Students should be aware of current national issues," Edwards said. "It takes a lot of sophistication to participate in seminars."
For senior Brigid Hurn Maloney, who attended the trip last year, one of the highlights was meeting people from all over the country often with different political views.
"I am very opinionated when it comes to politics, so when I found out that I was in a room with two very conservative girls from Orange County, I was extremely apprehensive," Hurn-Maloney said. "But I soon came to find that I really liked these girls. We became good friends. I learned that I could have discussions with people that disagree with me. Me not hating someone that disagreed with me politically was an amazing revelation!"
According to senior Tyler Stetson, another student who attended last year’s trip, students stay in a hotel room with one student from their own school and two students from a regionally different school.
"They want you to live with someone with other political views," Stetson said. "At first, [my roommates and I] were not very close, but then we grew a bond."
Edwards also emphasized the importance of meeting a politically diverse group of students.
"If you are not confronted with differing opinions, you never know what’s out there," Edwards said.
"Even though everyone’s different, we’re all American," Stetson said. "You come to respect others’ opinions. It’s important to hear others’ because it gives insight and can even change our own beliefs."
On last year’s trip, students had the opportunity to attend a question-and-answer session with California senators Barbara Boxer and Diane Feinstein on Capitol Hill. According to Stetson, Boxer and Feinstein, wanted to find out what issues students cared most about, and found that students were most concerned with gay rights, immigration and abortion.
In addition to listening to speakers, visiting landmarks and participating in debates, students have a day to go on an outing of their choice. According to Edwards, popular places to visit include the Smithsonian, the Spy Museum and local colleges. In addition, students often go ice skating or shopping.
Last year, Paly students chose to visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, having an emotional impact on students, Edwards said.
"When we went to the [Holocaust museum] it really brought the Holocaust alive," Stetson said. "I learned a lot more [about the Holocaust] than I knew before."
Hurn-Maloney had a similar experience.
"I don’t think you can really explain how much it can affect you until you go," Hurn-Maloney said. "There is no way to compare it to any other museum. You understand and learn so much more then you would from a textbook."
For Paly junior Alex Ackroyd, her interest in politics fuels her interest to go on the Close Up trip this year.
"I’m really passionate about the issues in our country and hopefully working to change them eventually," Ackroyd said. "I love the Constitution and I want to see how politics has corrupted its perfect theories."
Hurn-Maloney and Stetson encourage students to go on the trip for its ability to launch students’ interest in politics.
"Before I went on this trip, I loved politics," Hurn-Maloney said. "But the trip and all the activities really opened my eyes and inspired me to pursue my interests more." Stetson said, "I’ve always been closed-minded. This trip brought out my political side. The only reason I disapproved of Bush is because of my parents. The trip made me realize my stand."
Students interested in participating in this year’s trip should see Ms. Edwards in room 304 or email her at [email protected] or [email protected] by the end of September.