Sport - Rugby School

Trips
2009/10
Trips
& Visits
Politics Trip to the USA
On 25 th October a small group of Politics students, along with
Mr Teeton, Mr Trelinski and Miss Hopkins, departed Heathrow
for Washington DC. Upon arrival. everybody was desperate just
to get to bed, but not before we found time to have supper
(American style) at Fuddruckers diner. The next three days
in Washington were action-packed, to say the least, with the
amount of walking particularly distressing to some of our group;
but the days were filled with quality insights into how the US
political system functions. Trips to the Supreme Court and
Congress satisfied the tourist in all of us, as well as helping us
to understand the powers possessed by each separate branch of
the US government.
Undoubtedly the high point of our time in Washington was our
trip to the White House, a truly inspiring visit that we were lucky
to experience. As well as these trips to the various ‘landmarks’
of American politics, there were helpful and in-depth meetings
with a Congressional committee as well as a visit to the offices
of Senator Mary Landrieu, for whom Mr Trelinski used to work.
Having rounded off our stay in Washington with a walking
tour of other famous sites around the Capitol, and a trip to the
preppy Georgetown, we made our way to New York by bus.
After a stop in Philadelphia, which enabled us to visit some of
the most important sites in the history of the Constitution, as
well as a brief visit to the Liberty Bell, we arrived in New York.
We were given the evening to ourselves, with most people
taking the time to take in the atmosphere of such a great city.
Seeing sights such as Times Square and the ice-skating rink at
the Rockefeller Centre restored everyone’s mood after a day of
travelling, and a particular highlight from a personal point of
view was the pulled pork at the Hard Rock Café. The next day
we were given a very insightful tour around the UN building,
which gave us a real sense of the impact the UN has all over
the world. This was followed by a trip to Wall Street and then
a very informative session at the National Urban League, one of
the country’s leading advocacy groups. We then spent another
evening relaxing in the city, with a few of us taking in the
incredible sights from the top of the Empire State Building at
night, which was a truly unforgettable experience.
The next morning was given to free time, with some people
taking the opportunity to relax in Central Park or ride the
Staten Island Ferry, or even to head to Fifth Avenue for some
last minute shopping. By the time we arrived back in London
we were exhausted after an action-packed week, but the trip
was a valuable experience both for enhancing our political
understanding and for generally being a lot of fun.
Angus McIntyre
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