This year’s Tenth Grade intensive brought us to Washington DC. Through our investigation of the ancient Greeks, we have taken up the foundations of our modern institutions: specialized work, political and religious institutions, law and morality and the beginnings of democracy. One of the themes in our curriculum for the tenth grade is comparing and contrasting and a visit to our nation’s capital is a wonderful place to compare and contrast the past with the present. A simple walk around the Mall is illustrative: Washington’s Obelisk, Lincoln’s Greek Temple, the Supreme Court building, Jefferson’s Roman Temple, and Martin Luther King’s forward looking monument, combined with a talk and personal tour of the House of Representatives with our Congressman Jim McGovern’s aides provided us with rich insight into the past, the present, and e ven the future. I really enjoyed taking a tour of the Capitol with Representative McGovern’s aides. It was cool to learn the history behind the symbols placed around on the inside of the Capitol. ~Gabriel The Washington Monument when lit up at night next to the reflecting pool was rather beautiful, especially when a helicopter flew by very low to the ground over the nearby pond. ~Callum Lying on the cold stone at the base of the Washington Monument and looking up at the tower so bright-white against the moonless sky was an outstanding and memorable sight. ~Johanna Walking around the monuments in the darkness, all standing on their own, all lit up, was a breathtaking moment for me. Also, as we walked the streets of D.C., we were exposed to lots of diversity. It was wonderful to meet new people and see new faces. ~Kara During the trip we saw a show by my favorite comedian James Veitch. His bits work with the world of technology and social platforms such as email. After the show we ran into him outside the theater and got to know him more personally. I learned that the one thing that has not changed throughout history is our love and mastery of the art of storytelling. ~Janna I really liked the African-American Museum. It was a real eye-opener. We talked a lot about civil rights last year with Mr. Myers, but it was so cool to see pictures and writing from other people’s perspectives during that time of slavery. I also liked the free times, when we got to walk around the city with a friend and explore. ~Leela The mall night and day with the Capitol and all the memorials was quite cool. Also the museums, especially the Natural History Museum, where they had many cool gems and the Air and Space Museum, where there were many life-sized airplanes and parts of rockets. ~Ilya The Capitol: Nice people and nice buildings! You could feel the “government force,” and I enjoyed the tunnels, too. At the Science Museum you could find out a lot about NASA and the moon and planets. Thank you! ~Laurenz