Students explore Washington, D.C., during a class field trip.
By Eliana Li ’26 and Elle Hardy ’26
Twenty-six students traveled from Wallingford to Washington, D.C., on the annual U.S. Government and Politics II trip (Gov. II). From January 28-30, trip attendees met members of Congress, other government officials, and Choate alumni. They also received a tour of the U.S. Capitol.
Gov. II is a single-term course that examines the form and function of the American government. Students learn about the effects of political culture and opinion in society and explore the media’s role in shaping and implementing policy. Near the end of the course, students have the opportunity to see what they have learned in real-life in the field trip to Washington, D.C..
“Meeting the people who do the work of the nation in the place where the work gets done is so different than reading a tweet, or scanning a video, or even simulating a branch of the government,” Gov. II teacher Mr. Jonas Akins said.
In Gov. II, students analyzed Gautam Mukunda’s Picking Presidents and discussed how to best make an informed vote for President, which served as a reference on the trip. “In D.C., we met with several government officials who held opposing viewpoints on the likely candidates for the 2024 presidential election,” Emily Levin ’25 said. “It was interesting to hear these conflicting perspectives in the context of Mukunda’s book and then fun to debate them afterwards with other students on the bus.”
Additionally, students met and conversed with several Choate alumni, including the Deputy Director of the U.S. Department of State Mr. Chris Wendell ’96, Congresswoman Ms. Stacey Plaskett ’84, Foreign Service Officer Mr. Stewart Wight ’98, and Political Analyst Ms. Raven Gaddy ’11. They also watched the House of Representatives in session, toured the Library of Congress, and listened in on a panel with counter-terrorism and intelligence officials. “The fact that the panelists and guests were speaking off-the-record allowed for much more vibrant discussion,” Zoe Dieringer ’25 said.
Students appreciated the expertise of the congressmen and senators they met. “We had so many incredible meetings, but our conversation with Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro was by far my favorite,” Elia Ahmadi ’24 said. “Rep. DeLauro was passionate, inspiring, and really challenged us to think about the changes we want to see in government.”
Celeste Shattuck ’25 particularly enjoyed the discussions surrounding legislation and appreciated the questions her peers asked the government officials. “It was interesting to hear what kinds of issues and pieces of legislation were important to them, and I gained a lot of insight into what it is like to sit on committees and work to pass bills. Everyone in our group asked really great questions to all the speakers, which I think made the experience even more valuable,” she said.
The trip provided the chance for students to envision what the future may have in store for them. “Seeing the halls of power in-person lets students imagine that they might, themselves, someday be walking down them again,” Mr. Akins said. “This was a great trip, as good as any of the other five I’ve been on.”
