Posted by FHS Web Staff Monday, June 22, 2009 12:04 AM

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In front of The White House

Deciding that the only way to truly experience history was to see it first-hand, 14 Health Academy seniors embarked on a non-Academy sponsored field trip to Washington, DC this past March. The whirlwind five-day tour, arranged through Smithsonian Student Travel and heavily subsidized by the Farrington Alumni Community Foundation, took them to a multitude of museums, memorials, and of course, our nation’s capitol.

Just past baggage claim, through those arrival doors, and what do you see? You’ll see the Washington, D.C skyline, with the towering Washington Monument and breathtaking views of the National Mall and the Pentagon.

Welcome to Washington, District of Columbia; where everything in the world of American politics takes place; in a place where cherry-blossoms grow endlessly, and where every scientific discovery is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution Museums.

Visiting DC was a very memorable and breathtaking experience. Nothing can explain the feeling of standing in the middle of the National Mall, where thousands and thousands of people stood for the inaugurations of each President, standing at the exact spot where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addressed his “I Have A Dream” speech, and being able to see Ford’s Theater where President Abraham Lincoln was shot in.

I would like to share my experience at the National Air and Space Museum; this was the best museum for me because of my special interest in the aviation field. It contained the replica of the Wright Brothers’ original plane that flew on December 17, 1903 and it also contained simulators of a Northwest 747-200 plane (the actual part of the first 747 invented), a heritage 707 plane of American Airlines, an Airbus A320 and A380 simulator and exhibit set. This museum also contained a planetarium, and a rocket exhibit of the Apollo and other space shuttles owned by NASA.

I thought the most interesting place we visited was the Capitol Building. The building itself was gorgeous and it could be seen and recognized from miles away. The day we got to visit the Capitol, it was 22 degrees out! It was the coldest day of our trip and the coldest weather I’ve ever experienced. Although the weather was not the least bit desirable, we endured it. After all, we were at our Nation’s Capital and we knew that many other high school students would not have had the opportunity to tour Washington DC.

The inside of the Capitol Building was just as beautiful as the outside. There were paintings and statues that were done hundreds of years ago. We got to go into the exact room where President Obama had lunch after he was sworn into the Presidency. I thought it was interesting how there were different statues from each state. Hawaii’s statue was King Kamehameha and it caught my eye because it was the only statue that had the color gold on it. It was also the statue that had the most people lining up to take pictures with it.

We also went to the floor right below the Rotunda. This floor was called the Crypt. In the Crypt, there was a star on the ground. Our tour guide told us that if we stood on that star, we would be standing in the very center of Washington DC. It is where all the streets in DC were laid out and numbered. I thought that was very interesting and cool.

I’ll never forget this trip and I wouldn’t mind visiting DC again, and again, and again.

Going to Washington, D.C. during our spring break in March was my first time going to the Mainland. The atmosphere is very different compare to Hawaii. It was the coldest place I have ever visited. I could not believe how beautiful the city is. There were many different types of architecture that I have never seen before; as if I went back in time.

One particular place that struck me was the Capitol. I have seen it on television, but actually seeing it and stepping into the building was amazing – spectacular. The design of the building is astonishing. From the outside view, the capitol is an amazing work of art. The inside is incredible also, of course. The design is so open and wide that it made me feel very relaxed. When I stepped into the dome, I could not think of a word to describe it. The dome is not just a huge space, but a space filled with American history. It also has Roman-based architectural designs and paintings that are so vivid, that they represent what it means to be a citizen of the United States.

Seeing the capitol was something I have never thought of doing. Now that I have seen the heart of the United States, it made me more appreciative of living in this country. I felt that I truly belong here and that made me want to change my status from being just a resident of Hawaii to actually becoming a citizen of the United States.

Going to Washington DC was my third trip to the mainland. I never felt so cold! The experience there literally redefined the whole meaning of that four letter word. On our first day there, though, I saw something else that was truly cold. Not in the chilly temperature sense, but in the unfriendly and uncaring sense: the Holocaust.

We visited the Holocaust Memorial Museum and the first exhibit felt like I was going through a haunted house. Although I don’t remember the exact name of that exhibit, it took me through a little boy’s experience during that time. We saw the images of the exhibit get increasingly morbid and unreal. It went from kitchens and bedrooms to images of the ghettos and camps. This exhibit represented all the kids who suffered through the Holocaust, innocent kids. It really made you question how other human beings could run those concentration camps and not let the sufferings and deaths of so many children faze them.

Soon after, we visited the permanent exhibit. Seeing what the Nazis did was so cruel and unbelievable I couldn’t bring myself to see that those they were tormenting were other humans like us. One of the images of a truck hauling bodies into a mass grave is still fresh in my mind. The bodies looked so emaciated that it’s no wonder the Nazis were able to do such things to them: they didn’t look human anymore. Even more disturbing to me was seeing those frail sunken bodies being dragged and thrown like bags of rice by the Nazis. You could imagine the Nazis just wanting to be rid of the bodies because they started to smell, no remorse for anyone but themselves. After seeing that exhibit, I concluded that it wasn’t the victims who weren’t human; the Nazis weren’t.

During our visit to Washington, D.C., we visited the US Capitol Building. The Capitol is the home of the U.S. Congress—the House of Representatives and the Senate. Upon arriving at our nation’s capitol, we were given headsets. Our guide gave us descriptions of our Capitol through these headsets as we toured.

The Capitol was built through slave labor. The construction of the original building took about thirty-four years. Its development was managed by six presidents and six architects. They gradually built a Capitol that depicted American and European traditions. After it was completed, the Capitol was discovered to be too small. There were proposals to extend the building. However, the extension dramatically changed its physical appearance.

Visiting our nation’s capitol was a bit overwhelming. Initially, I determined that my exposure to the capitol would be limited to documentaries. However, I was fortunate enough to be allowed the opportunity to learn more about our nation with my classmates and teacher through an educational trip. This momentous experience has broadened my knowledge and views of our nation.

I enjoyed visiting the White House because it felt like the greatest one-chance-in-a-life-time thing. I always see the White House on TV but never dreamt of ever seeing it in person. I learned that the back of the White House is what they usually use in pictures for the media. When I first saw the front part of the White House, I didn't believe it was the White House till I saw the back.

On the last night of our trip, we went to Madame Toussaud’s Wax Museum. I thought this was very fun because we got to take picture with waxed versions of celebrities, like the Rock, Beyonce, President Obama, and many more. This is one of the places I would recommend people visit because they will enjoy it as much as I did.

This trip was fun and I learned a lot. I also got to experience going to the east coast, which is something I never imagined I would ever do. I am the first from my family to go there and I feel very special for that. I got to experience a different environment from Hawaii and it gave me a better perspective of Hawaii and also the mainland.

Of the many historical sites we visited, one place that was really special to me was the Lincoln Memorial. It was special because Abraham Lincoln is one of my role models; as I walked up the stairs and finally saw the huge statue of him, I was speechless. Another thing that blew me away was realizing that this is where Martin Luther King, Jr. did his “I Have a Dream” speech. I was actually standing right by the block where he stood when he made the speech. I looked out at the reflecting pond where thousands watched and listened to him and it was hard to believe I was in the area where such a significant event took place. Overall, the trip was valuable and unforgettable.

Of all the sites that we visited in Washington, DC, I really enjoyed visiting Arlington National Cemetery. I feel that I could relate to this cemetery because I have a lot of uncles in the military; when their time comes, they may be put to rest there. I also enjoyed seeing the tomb of former president, John F. Kennedy.

While we were at the cemetery, we visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I loved actually seeing the tomb because Lt. Col. Carlson from JROTC spoke of the tomb. I learned that there used to be two bodies in the tomb but DNA testing allowed one of the bodies to be identified and the family was able to take their son home.

Though we went to many places during our tour, I thought visiting Ford Theatre and Mount Vernon were most interesting. Ford Theatre was where President Lincoln was shot; immediately after that, we were taken to Petersen House. Petersen House is across the street; this is where Lincoln was taken after the shooting and that is actually the place where he died.

I also enjoyed visiting Mount Vernon, which is where George Washington lived. I learned that Washington valued hard work and he never forgot where he came from; many of the painting are based on the idea of farms since he grew up on a farm. We got to tour the whole mansion and I thought it was beautiful.

Getting the opportunity to go to Washington D.C. was one I never ever thought I’d get. When I think of Washington D.C., immediately I think of the Lincoln Memorial and the White House. I knew right away I wanted to see these attractions.

Lucky for me, we visited the Lincoln Memorial on the first day. I thought this was very interesting because we see it in a lot of movies that take place in D.C. When we arrived at the memorial, it was packed with students! The stairs to walk up were a little scary because they were so steep. There wasn’t much room to put your whole foot on a step. When I finally reached the top, I didn’t realize how humongous the statue of Abraham Lincoln was! I thought I would be able to touch it, but he was too high up!

Towards the end of our trip, we visited the White House, though we didn’t get to go inside. I was surprised at how small the White House is. I mean, it’s much bigger than a normal house, but I still thought it was going to be bigger. On TV, it looks huge! So when I saw it in person, I was a little disappointed. Still, it felt weird to be standing in front of the house where the President of our nation lives.

One place that we got to visit while in Washington, DC was the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial. The memorial wasn’t like a cemetery-type memorial; instead it had famous quotes on stone walls said by FDR and his wife, Eleanor. We visited this memorial at night and since the lights are dim, it was more dramatic. One quote that caught my eye was, “I hate war.” This quote was not on the stone wall but in blocks of stone and each stone contained one word. This quote caught my eye because I also hate war. People lose loved ones and it’s frightening to have someone you know caught in the fighting for country.

Overall, the FDR Memorial was very interesting to see. The quotes posted on the walls were deep and to the point and I enjoyed being able to see it.

On the first day of our trip, we went to the Holocaust Museum. Of all the museums, I appreciated this one the most because I valued learning about the Holocaust in class. Everywhere I looked in that museum there were tons of pictures of Gestapo, Nazi Soldiers, concentration camps, and of course the Jews. The majority of the Jews looked undernourished; young and old, short or tall – it didn’t matter; they were all sick. A sense of despair lingered in the halls, despite all of the chattering going on. I remember looking at a picture of a synagogue that was blown up and thought, “What if this was my church?” I’ve been a member of my church ever since I was baptized, it was where all of my family members got married, or were blessed before every burial. To wake up one morning and not see it there would shatter my insides like you could not imagine.

The museum was endless; it seemed like the further we went on, the more ashamed I felt. I felt ashamed because, I take so many things for granted everyday and it seems like it’s never enough when it actually is. I should be grateful to have clean water to drink, wonderful food to eat, and a beautiful place to call home. But the reality is up until the time I spent in the Holocaust Museum, I was very spoiled. Then we came to a part in the museum I will never forget. There was an actual section of a train that hundreds of enslaved Jews stood in before meeting their terrible fates in the crematoria. I went in with my classmates John, Charmaine, and Jenalyn. Even though there were only four of us, it didn’t feel like we were the only ones there; it felt like we were amongst the hundreds stuck in that cart like cattle. Then towards the end of the museums were the piles of shoes. All of those shoes had a face; the faces of children, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, grandmothers, and grandfathers.

The trip was presented to us as a way for us to learn outside of the classroom. Eager to get started, we began fundraising and asking for donations during the end of our junior year. We were fortunate enough to have FACF donate monies for our trip. Without the help of FACF, we would have not been able to experience the many wonderful museums, memorials, and monuments D.C. has to offer. Thank you all for supporting us!

Arlington National Cemetery

On Capitol Hill at the Capitol Building

President Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial

Office of Senator Daniel K. Inouye (D - HI)

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