BY LANCE GAITHER

lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

The Boyle County High School AP U.S. Government and Politics class recently took a trip to Washington, D.C.

“We took a look at a lot of the historic sites, federal agencies, the different monuments, and museums,” said student Landon Scott. “We got a feel not only for the actual location where the federal government does what it does but to also get an idea of the history of it and how it was structured in D.C. I personally really loved the Library of Congress. Its very ornate and beautiful buildings. They have such important historical documents. They have a 500 year old Bible that was originally printed by the Gutenberg press in the 1500’s in Germany. It was one of the first books of its kind ever printed. That kind of stuff was particularly interesting to me.”

The course helped the students appreciate the significance of D.C.

“After learning the ins and outs of government we got to see it first hand,” said student Ben Reynolds. “It was nice, we went to all three branches. Congress at the capital, the supreme court, and we got go through the White House East Wing. My favorite thing was seeing the tidal basin at night.”

Other students were moved by the memorials.
“I loved the Lincoln Memorial,” said student Ashley Goode. “All the memorials were big and encapsulated a lot of things and lived up to what they were memorializing. The Lincoln memorial especially, during the whole trip I thought there was no way I was going to make it up those steps. But climbing up to the top and seeing the statue really let it sink it. It was a really big moment for history and it really made me view the monuments in a different light. I was in awe.”

Even though the class teacher Tyler Murphy has been to D.C. numerous times, his classes each year give him a fresh perspective.

“When I take students I get to see in anew from their eyes,” said Murphy. “I’ll never get to experience for the first time again, but each group asks different questions and focuses on different things. That is always refreshing and enjoyable to me. We had a good time, it was great group. When they learn about the concepts in class it can seem abstract, but them being there in person where the action happens helps bring it to life.”

This years trip was made possible with a contribution from Farmer’s National Bank.

“In a small community local businesses are key to making these things possible,” Murphy said. “I want to give them a shout out since they helped the trip possible. We appreciate their partnership.”