Every year the LPS juniors have the opportunity to take a 2-day trip to Washington DC.
A cost of $325 for the 2025 trip covered the rented bus, a Hyatt Regency hotel, and a nighttime trolley tour. The cost of the coach is split by all the attendees, so the less people that go, the more expensive the cost will be. This year there were 49 attendees; 7 chaperones and 42 students. Two chaperones were parent volunteers and the rest were teachers.
This trip is mostly planned by Mr. Jobson, who teaches LPS Honors Legal and Fiscal Theory, AP Economics, AP Macroeconomics, AP Microeconomics, among other classes.
On the first day (Wednesday, November 19) students arrived at school at 8am, planning to depart at 8:30am. The drive should normally take around 3-4 hours, but due to a tire malfunction the attendees had to wait an extra two hours for another bus. The first item on the itinerary in DC was a Congress Tour. The tour guide was quite lively and fun, making what easily could’ve been a boring historical tour an interesting and engaging experience. Additionally, the design and architecture were splendidly marvelous. (In my opinion Congress is much more beautiful in real life than the photos online.) After the Congress tour there was not much time to eat dinner, about an hour total, as the nighttime trolley tour started at 7pm. After the trolley tour, the students had free time until 11pm (room checks), after which they were not allowed to leave their rooms.
The next morning, attendees checked out of their rooms at 8:45am and departed at 9am for a Forensic Pathology Lecture and Law Enforcement Museum visit. A former police officer presented on the topic of forensic pathology, and then the attendees had the opportunity to explore the museum and participate in a decision-making simulation, where students played the role of a police officer encountering a dangerous situation.
Then attendees visited the National Air and Space Museum Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. There were many, many planes on display and visitors can even sit in some of the planes. There’s also an observatory for visitors to appreciate the surrounding view. Mr. Jobson said that trips in future years may not visit this location and will instead visit another museum in the center of DC.
At around 3pm the attendees left the museum and headed back towards CNHS. Due to traffic, students did not arrive until around 9pm.
Overall the tour was enjoyable, but many students felt rushed. Much time was spent on traveling, and in comparison not much time was spent on actual activities. DC is a beautiful place with much to explore, and two days seems like much too short of a time.
