Close Up trip to D.C. and New York provided 'living classroom' to students

High schoolers crammed a lot of sightseeing, education and history into this year's Close Up trip to the nation's capital and to its largest city.

The students were able to view many of the great landmarks and monuments, including the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and White House in Washington, D.C., and the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island in New York City.

Instructors held classes at each location.

"The whole 10 days we're gone, it's like a living classroom," adviser and chaperone Sarah Merritt said of the April 19-29 trip.

"It was incredible," freshman Andrei Bardin-Siekawitch said. "Definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Made some friends. I loved it."

"I thought the trip was amazing," said sophomore Clara Edens via text. "100% would recommend."

Merritt, who runs the Legislative Information Office in Wrangell, has been teaching the Close Up class since 2007, meeting once a week with the students during the school year before she takes them on the annual trip. While Washington is the primary focus, she added New York in 2008, and the students have since always chosen it as a part of their itinerary.

Having gone on the trip as a high school junior, Merritt wanted to be able to provide the experience for others. She enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for history, government and civics. "It's my passion. I love it."

The program has been available in Wrangell through the Close Up Foundation since the 1970s. The nonprofit organization was established in 1971, the same year the 26th Amendment gave 18-year-olds the right to vote. For over 50 years, more than one million students and educators across the country have been involved in the program. Its purpose is to educate young Americans on their political system, providing them with a nonpartisan curriculum and a deeper understanding of civics and history.

Merritt said the program teaches healthy debate and how to co-exist with people who have differing opinions.

The students also interacted with other students, including from Alaska, Arizona, North Dakota, Michigan, Montana, Ohio and Wyoming. When not touring popular sites, the students participated in workshops that featured a mock Congress or focused on current issues like the environment, homelessness and immigration. "They're learning the whole time," Merritt said.

Bardin-Siekawitch enjoyed the Capitol tour, sophomore Kalee Herman liked the interaction with other students and Edens appreciated the Smithsonian museums, particularly the Museum of Natural History.

"We got to see dinosaur skeletons and ... the Hope Diamond and ... a garnet from upriver and go through a butterfly pavilion," Edens added. "It was awesome."

During their few days in New York, all three agreed that their favorite experience was going to the Broadway musical "The Great Gatsby" on the second night of its initial run. Herman said she intends to check out the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel that inspired the production.

Herman appreciated the different aspects of both cities. "D.C. was cool because there were all these monuments," she said. "But New York was kind of like being in a movie because of all the people."

Bardin-Siekawitch appreciated that Washington had more green space. "New York is nice to visit, but you really can't stay there for too long," he said, citing the crowds and air quality.

Merritt lamented that this year's trip was her smallest group to date. "Last year I took four," she said. "The year before COVID it was five students."

She added that preparation for the trip has become more challenging for participants. "It's a lot of money to raise, and I think that's kind of daunting," she said. "And the kids are so busy. They can be involved in every activity. Fundraising all the time and practicing with their sports, it can be exhausting."

However, Merritt said she already has five students lined up for next year, and two of the students who went this year asked if they could do it again in the future. "I said, 'Absolutely.'"

Bardin-Siekawitch said he would advise students to give themselves at least a year to fundraise. "And get comfortable shoes," he added.

Each student had to raise $2,543 for the trip, which includes five-and-a-half days in Washington and two-and-a-half days in New York. After years of experience in supervising groups, Merritt has found it best to give youth time to decompress on the return trip, giving them a half-day in Seattle to spend time shopping and browsing at the Southcenter Mall.

Herman was very glad she went and would recommend it to others. "The fundraising is definitely worth it."

Bardin-Siekawitch agreed. "Absolutely do it," he said. "You'll never get this kind of opportunity again."