A group of Kosciusko students witnessed history last week.
Nine students from Kosciusko High School stood among eager supporters and protesters in Washington, D.C. as President Donald J. Trump took the oath of office Friday.
“Every four years America witnesses democracy in action – the U.S. presidential inauguration,” group leader Jamie Sample said. “The group stood with hundreds of thousands of their fellow Americans to discover how our political process shapes this country and experience the nation’s past, present and future uniting.”
The group was able to observe President Trump take the oath of office and to listen to his inaugural address.
“They can say that they truly lived history that day,” Sample added. “No matter what your political loyalties are, it is truly amazing to see the peaceful exchanging of political power right before your eyes. This is what makes America so unique and great.”
Bailey Britt, Art Cook, Max Cook, Garrett Dickerson, Britt Grace, Zachery Kinney, Katie Rodgers, Loveish Sarolia and Sam Sample were the students and chaperones who attended the six-day tour that spanned from New York to Washington D.C.
“Inauguration Day was not for the faint-hearted, as the trekkers actually walked 14.6 total miles during the entire day,” Sample added. “There were barricades all over D.C. surrounding the Capitol that rerouted all the human traffic. It took the travelers 5 ½ hours to walk three miles because of all the rerouting. Once they got to the gate, they had to go through security. The Kosciusko group got in to the National Mall area with only 10 minutes to spare before the inauguration began. They were very lucky to get in as there were literally thousands behind them who were not able to get in at all.”
The trip started Monday, Jan. 16 with a flight to New York City. In NYC the group toured Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, Central Park along with a walking tour through midtown Manhattan and even a visit to Trump Tower. On Tuesday the group visited Greenwich Village, the Statue of Liberty, Trinity Chapel and the 9-11 memorial. That evening the group experienced Broadway, watching The Phantom of the Opera.
On Wednesday the group traveled to D.C. visiting the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Korean War Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial and the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. They would continue their tour on Thursday, visiting the Newseum, four sections of the Berlin Wall, the Smithsonian Museums, the National Archives and the American History Museum. On the Saturday after the election the group was able to visit the Arlington National Cemetery where they witnessed the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
Mrs. Sample’s next planned trip will be June 2018 when she plans to take a group to Switzerland and Italy.
