The Close Up Foundation, which takes students from around the country to Washington D.C. to learn about American democracy, took three Aragon staff members and 29 Aragon students to the city from Jan. 16 to 22. The trip allowed participants to witness President Trump’s inauguration, and to explore America’s culture and history through D.C.’s many monuments, museums and federal buildings. Joining Aragon with the Close Up Foundation were students from other California schools, as well as students from Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Montana, Puerto Rico and Texas.
Each Aragon student roomed with another Aragon student and two other students from a separate school, allowing students to learn about different cultures and lifestyles across America. In accordance with Washington D.C.’s political atmosphere, Close Up held many workshops and opportunities for political debate, where Aragon students had a change of scenery: only one student from Aragon was a self-proclaimed conservative, whereas roughly half the total students on the trip aligned with common conservative values. Some students roomed with others who share almost no similar views on today’s political issues, giving them a chance to learn the thought processes of those across the aisle.
Students reacted differently to the numerous workshops, which occurred every night, excluding the last night.
Junior Lydia Villa says, “[I’m] disappointed with the amount of workshops we have to attend. ”
However, senior Lauren Campbell views the workshops positively, saying, “You’re forced to put yourself out there and engage regardless of your political views, and you often have to talk with people who do not share your views.”
On cross-cultural interactions, world history teacher and JV football coach Steven Henderson says, “A couple of the students were talking about the interactions they’ve had. There was a debate about LGBTQ rights and so forth, and apparently that turned into a pretty heated argument, and I think there were some eyes opened by that from our California contingent. [There were] some people that got engaged with folks they wouldn’t normally talk to, so they had the chance to see some additional perspective[s].”
A junior from Seven Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, Jackson Brattain offers his perspective, saying, “It’s been pretty cool, especially the kids from Puerto Rico, it gives a different feel. There are definitely different atmospheres from the different places, and since [Puerto Rico] is not a U.S. state yet but is still a U.S. territory, it feels far away enough for it to be basically a different country, almost, while still having ties to the United States.”
On the trip, students had the chance to visit a variety of sites, including the Vietnam, World War Two, and Korean memorials, the Lincoln and Jefferson monuments and the African American History museum. They also had the chance to attend some special events, such as the inaugural concert, inauguration, the Women’s March and a chance to meet with Representative Jackie Speier’s and Senator Diane Feinstein’s legislative assistants. Additionally, students got a chance to visit the Supreme Court, and a third of the Aragon students had a chance to see a Supreme Court case be heard.
Junior Genevieve Sipes says, “I really liked the museums … it was really interesting to see all that history of the country that we can’t really see [at home]… I was inspired to take more part in government, even local [government], because I saw how important it was to take a stand, and how much of a difference that it could make. … At Close Up, I felt like my opinion actually meant something, for however brief of a time.”
The Inauguration
The main highlight of Aragon’s trip to D.C. was witnessing the inauguration of President Trump on Jan. 20.
The inauguration started with an early meeting, as Aragon students gathered in the lobby of their hotel on a cold, cloudy and slightly rainy Friday to prepare to head off. They did not leave at 3 a.m., as Close Up suggested, but rather around 6 a.m. because they had attained silver tickets from Senator Feinstein, giving them more privileged viewing access.
After arriving, history teacher William Colglazier remarked, “We were worried about times and the wait, and it was noticeably not as stressful to get on the Metro or through security [as we anticipated]. We did not leave at 3 a.m., but it was okay. The numbers may not be as high as times before: four or eight years ago people got turned away even if they had tickets.” There was enough room in the section for the majority of the 29 students to form a circle on the ground and play the party game called Mafia.
Most of the attendees at the inauguration were Trump supporters. Campbell says, “The lack of diversity is appalling, which speaks volumes as to what type of president we have elected.” Just preceding the actual inaugural proceedings, the event featured many other politicians, including former President Barack Obama, who received a small round of applause from the crowd. There was, however, a fair amount of discontent with some politicians, such as Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and New York Senator Chuck Schumer, who both received boos. During a speech by Schumer, there were heavy boos and shouts of “get a hook” and “shut up” audible from the crowd. The booing intensified when Schumer mentioned the diversity in America, specifically the LGBTQ community and diverse sexual orientation.
Non-politicians delivered speeches as well, including religious figures, who asked the people watching to bless their country and bless their president. Aragon senior and Mexican American Amelia Solis chafed at that, saying, “It’s weird being asked to wish blessings upon a man who began his campaign by criminalizing and dehumanizing my race. It’s weird because I’m not supposed to be here.”
Trump was welcomed to the stage with an energetic and loud applause, along with chants of “U-S-A” and “Trump” from the crowd. Despite the cold weather, which was in the mid-forties, Trump stood at the podium for approximately 16 minutes and delivered his inaugural address. His speech focused heavily on how America will tap into its unrealized potential, such as how jobs will be brought back to America and how America’s infrastructure will be significantly improved.
In addition, Trump talked of changing the status-quo in Washington by challenging entrenched bureaucracy and replacing it with a government that works for the people, not for itself. He promised that “the forgotten men and women of this country will be forgotten no longer.” The main theme of his speech, however, is simple: “From this day forward, it’s going to be only America first, America first.” He ended his speech with his campaign slogan, saying, “together we will make America great again,” which was followed by applause and cheer.
In the midst of the positivity of much of the crowd, many Aragon students had a rough time watching it; a few cried during Trump’s speech.
Regarding Trump’s potential future plans, Villa says, “I think even if [Trump] ends up supporting more liberal legislation, which I highly doubt will happen, he has done so many questionable things as a human. I have very little respect for him because of how he treats the people around him and the way he acts that I doubt anything he does in office will change that.”
Brattain agrees with Villa’s perspective, saying, “I feel like it will take more than one speech to change my perspective.” Despite this, he takes a more optimistic approach, saying, “I feel like he is going to attempt to strike more deals with factories and companies to keep more jobs inside of the United States.”
On the other side of the spectrum, Jack Mores, 19, from south Florida, offers a different perspective. Mores says, “Trump hasn’t started yet, and has to work with a very polarized nation, especially when you have someone like Obama who has incited outcry from middle America. [I] expect that everything will be toned back from his campaign, and that he’ll do well on the issues of foreign policy and healthcare.” On the issue of the debate over the electoral college, Mores says, “Without the electoral college no one in Wyoming would count. It exists for a reason, and that reason is to give everyone a voice, which is why the founding fathers implemented it.”
The event was well-guarded, with over 3000 officers working to keep everyone safe. A U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer, Saint Vil, lends his insight, saying, “There were a lot of people not directly involved that were a part of the planning process. It took a lot of training and detailing the past several days, and we’ve been attending meetings, focusing on where people will be, and how to funnel people out [in case of an emergency].”
For Vil, it was a new experience, as he adds, “I work with crowds at borders, so this is a different type of crowd and a different experience. We are expecting protests, and we understand the freedom people have to protest and frustration some people have because of President-elect Trump, but fortunately we went through the democratic process and he was elected fairly. As officers, we have to uphold the law and uphold the Constitution, [regardless of our personal views].”
D.C. National Guardswoman Staff Sergeant Rose adds on to this view, saying, “We have done what we could to let protesters say what they want to say while still protecting the people and upholding the law.” In relation to the event itself, Rose also has novice perspective, saying, “I’m from New York and this is my first time [at an inauguration], and it is exciting. However, the command is very well trained and we have done work like this numerous times.”
Regardless of lasting sentiments, Colglazier rounded the students immediately after the speech to return to the hotel. In the end, attending the inauguration was a worthwhile experience for Aragon students to experience a fundamental event of American democracy.
