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Hackley School, Tarrytown, NY 10591
Hackley’s Grading System Needs an Update p.2 Behind the Scenes of The Katrina Project p.3 Where to Roadtrip Over Spring Break p.4
The voice of the student body March 18, 2016
hsdial.org
Bloomberg International Women’s Day Event Empowers Hackley Girls
Photo courtesy of Haleh Tavakol
Photo by Sydney Monroe
Photo courtesy of Haleh Tavakol Hackley attendees enjoy a debriefing lunch after a morning of hard work and mentorship at the Bloomberg International Women’s Day Summit.
By Roya Wolfe
On Sunday March 6, 2016, 21 female Hackley students went to Bloomberg L.P.’s International Women’s Day Summit to learn and discuss about women in the corporate world. The light let in by the shiny glass doors of Bloomberg L.P.’s spectacular 59th Street and Lexington Avenue headquarters could not have better reflected the empowering tone set by the day’s events. Bloomberg hosted multiple groups of girls including Hackley, Girls Inc., CUNY, Girls Who Code, and Prep for Prep. Hackley parent and Bloomberg employee Heidi Johnson and Sally Nichols ’87, a Hackley parent and Vice President of the Hackley Alumni Association arranged the opportunity for Hackley girls to get involved with this event for the first time in the event’s three year history. The recent creation of Women of Hackley, an organization dedicated to empowering and supporting Hackley women and young alumnae, parallels the goals of Bloomberg’s recent initiatives to involve women in the workforce.
The day kicked off with an opening ceremony at 9:30 a.m., when the girls gathered on the sixth floor to hear introductory speeches from Nanette Smith of Bloomberg Philanthropy and other Bloomberg employees. “The advice [Bloomberg employees] gave was really valuable insight into the professional business world, and I’ve learned a lot from what they had to say,” said senior Gabriella Zak. The girls were divided into two separate groups. One group went to a career panel, in which a female-dominated group of Bloomberg employees discussed working with technology and media. “One of my favorite parts of the social media career panel was how they talked about the extent to which social media can influence people’s decisions, whether it’s how they angle their opinion on something or how they choose to display information through social media accounts,” said junior Amanda Stern. The five panelists were poised, strong, and encouraging, serving as examples of successful women in influential roles in the com-
pany. “The panel showed me it doesn’t necessarily depend on what you study, you’ll succeed in your career as long as you’re passionate about what you’re doing,” said senior Jessie Paridis. The second group of girls went to a resumé workshop, where Bloomberg employees provided them with a template to build resumes to best support applications for future jobs or internships. “I loved how I could organize my accomplishments and activities with help from empowering women,” said junior Lila Wolfe. After the workshops concluded, the young women gathered in a room for where they received 10 minute mentoring sessions from different Bloomberg employees in various fields. Colin Murray, a Bloomberg software engineer and mentor, shared his advice for success in the workplace. “I read a quote somewhere that if you’re the smartest person in the room, then you’re in the wrong room, because then you have no one to learn from. I could spend a lifetime in
Photo by Alex Meyer
the computer science industry, and there is still way more that I could learn,” Mr. Murray said. Senior Arielle Stern loved the mentoring session. “They were all really helpful and encouraging, obviously some more than others, due to the certain field that I’m interested in, because I’m more science oriented,” Arielle said. The day’s highlight was keynote speaker Seema Hingorani, founder of Girls Who Invest and chief investment officer of New York City’s pension plan, managing $160 billion for four years up until June 2014. She encouraged the attendees to learn how to invest and to consider careers as investment managers. “She was so honest and casual in telling her story, unlike other inspirational speakers and narratives, her’s seemed attainable,” said senior Phebe du Pont, “To us at Hackley, while everyone has their own obstacles in life, we do have a lot of privilege. We can already start to grasp our own power, and we have the power to make those connections.”
Dr. Love Amplifies Hip Hop in Education Interview by Benjy Renton and Roya Wolfe
tell new stories and speak back. Hip hop and the arts have always, and will always, be a part of any social movement. I think sometimes we forget that you can’t but the music before the movement.
The Dial sat down with Dr. Bettina Love, Hackley’s DuBois Institute Lecture, in an exclusive interview with juniors Benjy Renton and Roya Wolfe, in which she discussed her passion for social justice, education, hip-hop, and more.
Q. What has been your most inspiring (or favorite) moment as a teacher? A. The first thing that comes to mind is that I taught at a tough school in the Miami area. I was a first-year teacher,
Q. What are you looking forward to achieving with your fellowship at Harvard?
A. I’m working on a curriculum called “Get Free: Hip Hop Civics Education.” In the last six months, I’ve been
going around talking to some of the top young activists in the county and getting their stories on tape, and then taking those video clips and links to build questions and curriculum on a website. Young kids in middle and high school can go and learn about activists from their city. I’ve done about 10 cities so far, and I hope to add one or two every month until it is huge. I want kids to not only be able to go onto the website and see an activist from their city, but also to understand what’s happening in their city.
Q. How do you see hip hop and alternative education sparking a movement for inclusion and justice?
A.
Hip Hop has always done that. From the very beginning of hip hop, it has always been about inclusion. If you look at the early phases of hip hop, it was everybody. It
Photo by Benjy Renton Dr. Bettina Love addresses topics of social inequality to the Upper School the DuBois Lecture.
wasn’t just black kids, it was white kids, it was Latino kids, it was everybody. When you move out of corporate America hip hop and you understand what I like to call “the DIY of underground hip hop.” Hip hop has always been underground and speaks back to resistance. Hip hop since its conception has always been a way for young people to deal with trauma and struggle, and to find ways to resist,
and I just started bringing hip hop into the classroom. I had to because the school that I taught at was 30% African American, 30% Latino and another 30% Haitian. What was going to get us all together? I just wanted to try hip hop. At that moment, that was the light. About two weeks into me coming up with a hip hop unit and changing everything around in the classroom, I drove into school in my maroon Ford Explorer truck, and there were 10 kids outside waiting for me. They said “Let’s go!” And that’s when I saw that this works. They’re waiting for me. They’re getting my bag out of my truck. At that moment, I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew I was doing something right. And that was one of my proudest moments. It got the kids engaged in school — learning, thinking, debating, arguing. And I realized that it was something that I wanted to pursue. That experience drew me out of teaching to get a PhD and think about this on a larger scale than just in my classroom.
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H ac k l e y ’ s G r a d i n g S y s t e m I s F l aw e d We S h o u l d E m p h a s i z e C o n s i s t e n t E f f o r t a n d S u s t a i n e d L e a r n i n g
Illustration by Olivia Weinberg
By the Editorial Board
With exams behind them and a third trimester ahead, many Hackley students are now beginning to assess where they stand in terms of an end of their year grade in all of their classes. Some may be thinking, “If I got an A in the first two trimesters in history this year, and an A- on the exam, do I really need to get another A in the last trimester to get an A for the year?” Others may be thinking, “If I got an A in the first two trimesters in biology this year, and a B on the exam, what do I need to do to still get an A for the year? Can I even get an A for the year with this exam grade?” It is natural to step back and assess how one is doing in school after exams. It is natural to do some calculations in terms of grades.
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Dial staff
Hackley School 293 Benedict Ave.Tarrytown, NY (914) 631-0128 March 18, 2016 Vol. 118, No. 6 hsdial.org Editors-in-Chief Marc Rod, Sonia Singh Online Editor Benjy Renton Technical Editor Joe Lovinger Section Editors News Sydney Monroe, Alex Meyer Opinion George Wangensteen, Lucy Barse Politics Neil Suri Feature Allie Molner, Roya Wolfe Arts Madison Chen, Joy Dracos Lifestyles Hannah Urken, Catherine Meyer Science & Tech Kelly Castro-Blanco, Grace Henrich Sports Chris Chon, Hope Weisman Photography Robert Hallock, Nick Rizzi, Max Chen, Christian Riegler Advisers Michael Bass, Anne Budlong Policy Opinions expressed in staff editorials reflect the majority view of The Dial Editorial Board. Opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not represent the views of Hackley School, its administration or its staff. The Dial invites and encourages its readers to write letters to the editor or submit contributions. Contact us at dial@hackleyschool.org. We reserve the right to edit any submission for clarity and brevity, and to correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation when necessary. We refuse to publish submissions which are unsigned, libelous, or plagiarized. Four hundred copies of each issue are distributed among the High School student body of about four hundred students and the faculty and staff.
And, it is natural to want to relax if a student is aware that his or her grade in the third trimester can drop just a bit, and he or she will still receive the end of the year grade that he or she wants. Senior Arielle Stern sums up the mentality this way: “For bio last year I realized I could get two different grades for the third trimester and still end up with the same end of year grade, so I didn’t work as hard in the last trimester because of that. Also, in Latin one year after the exam, I couldn’t get the year end grade I’d initially wanted, so I didn’t try that hard third trimester, which was kind of nice because it made the class a lot less stressful.” This strategy of students to correlating their effort in school solely to their end-year grades is obviously out of line with Hackley’s mission
and values - and this phenomenon is perpetuated by Hackley’s exam and grade-weighting system. Hackley’s eleven point grading system, along with the 27% weight on each of the three trimesters and 19% weight on the exams, allows students to strategically plan how hard they need work in the third trimester of the year in order to receive the end of the year grade that they want. However, Hackley’s grading system is not the primary problem here; the primary problem is the culture that surrounds us - the culture that prioritizes high grades and top colleges over the true experience of learning and growing as an individual. Math Department Head Diana Kaplan said, “I don’t know how we can battle against this idea of the grades being everything. There are
all of these wonderful students who define themselves as a single letter. You guys are more than just a letter. It doesn’t matter what you get in my class. That’s not how I think of you. You are an individual person.” With this, it is clear that Hackley’s grading and weighting system should be altered so that students cannot have this much control over their third trimester work ethic. Unfortunately, The Dial cannot propose a realistic and timely solution for this large cultural issue that spans across the nation, but we do believe that Hackley can make some changes in its grading system that could help address this issue. The idea of having midterms and then finals at the end of the year is a possible solution to this issue. With finals at the end of the year, students cannot step back and assess their grade to the degree to which Hackley students currently can. For Hackley students, finals beyond the third trimester would provide the opportunity to improve, but also to destroy one’s grade, therefore, students would have to keep up their effort level through finals. Not all Hackley students take advantage of this potential time to slack off, and that is simply a reflection of the quality of the Hackley student body. Senior Jason Traum said, “I always try to do well in the first two trimesters and on exams. Until this year I wouldn’t say I’ve slacked off third trimester, but I know that by doing well it gives me room to relax a bit third trimester and this year, as a senior I will actually relax a little. As a senior most of my classes are ones I’ve chosen and am genuinely interested in so I still want to do well in those classes.” Although Jason is just one of many Hackley students who have
great work ethics, respect for their teachers, and genuine interests in their classes, he seems to be in the minority of Hackley students who do keep up their highest level of work ethic even when they don’t need to, as 60% of Upper School students polled say that their effort in the third trimester changes. The grading culture here at Hackley cannot be blamed on the school itself. The blame must be put on the social culture that surrounds Hackley in Westchester and in this country as a whole. If the cultural values of grades being everything are what is driving this attitude for students, what is Hackley supposed to do about it? To try and combat and drastically change the Westchester culture is fairly impossible, so the change must come from within the school. But, how much will that change really affect anything? As Ms. Kaplan put it, “Unfortunately, no matter what system you have, unless we have secret grades where we don’t tell you what you have until the very end of the year, you can calculate your grade, and you can figure out where you stand. You would be locked out of some grades, whether it’s an 11-point system or an 100-point system. Kids can always calculate grades - that’s not the fault of the system, it’s just the cultural craziness that we have about grades here. So, to me, the question really is, how do we get the students to understand that the grades are not the be all end all?” Ultimately, Ms. Kaplan poses the most important question - what can Hackley do to combat this “cultural craziness?” Does Hackley even have the power to do anything that will make a difference? Either way, Hackley owes it to its community to try - and that effort must start with the grading system.
Senior Lindsay Schechter Reflects on Identity and Labels in Chapel Talk By Lindsay Schechter
From the moment you leave your house each day, no matter where you go, you are labeled. Prettiest, smartest, biggest ego, best athlete… One of my personal biggest fears in ninth grade, especially as a new student, was how others would perceive me, how they would label me. To be fair, as a 4-foot-10-inch ninth grader with braces and child sized glasses I didn’t scream “prettiest or coolest” but I let my appearance and shy personality keep me from reaching out to people. I isolated myself and let people label me. There are times in life when I think everyone just wants to fit in and for me, ninth grade was that time. Initially I hid behind my appearance and label as a “shy, introverted person” hoping that I wouldn’t be judged or hurt if I was “nothing special.” I didn’t want to be invisible but I did not want to be noticed for the wrong reasons. From my perspective, on the outside looking in, it seemed that everyone around me fit into their own labels comfortably. When people said hi to me in the hallway or invited me to sit with them at lunch, I worried that if I made a mistake it would be my undoing. I became so fixated with how others perceived me that in the end, ironically, I was the one standing in my own way. I was the one keeping me from making friends. I let my own heightened fears and expectations keep me not only from enjoying my classes but from reaching out to people. It also kept them from reaching out to me. I welcomed the weekend as a way to escape the labels. I thought it would be easier to conform to what others thought of me rather than to
Photo by Benjy Renton Senior Lindsay Schechter delivers her Chapel Talk about not accepting labels as identity in high school.
stand out for the wrong reasons. Yet, what I’ve learned over my four years at Hackley is that these superficial labels do not define who a person is. The one place where I felt most like myself ended up being on the cross country team. Here people were individuals and teammates. Labels not only did not matter but they did not exist. This team gave me the opportunity to gain confidence by vanquishing my “label.” Though school was still hard for me, cross country became my comfort zone. I knew despite the obstacles with adjusting to the new workload, new teachers and new people, that this constant in my life would help me push through the uphills and keep moving forward. I am not saying go out and join cross country, but as freshmen and sophomores
you have so many opportunities here to be a part of something bigger than yourself, something powerful and meaningful. In the 10th grade I had this realization and now now looking back, I know that’s what has gotten me to senior year. This past October I realized how far I’ve come when labels came into play again with senior superlatives. Though this “game” of labeling people may seem harmless, designating people as the best or brightest shows how our peers have viewed us over the years. During this labeling process we reveal and make public the labels we’ve grown accustomed to in high school. This concrete way of judgement and neatly defining individuals Continued on page 3
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Mr. Gue: Computers, Coding, Tech, and More
Photo by Max Chen Mr. Gue in the server room, the room that holds the hardware for all of Hackley’s buildings, working hard on his computer.
By Lei Anne Rabeje
Ever wonder who’s always fixing the computers around school? That’s Jerry Gue, the technology infrastructure manager for Hackley, who has
harnessed his love for all things tech into a successful career keeping all Hackley students and faculty online. Mr. Gue grew up in Rockland County, NY. “My parents are from
Haiti and I have about 11 uncles and aunts on each side of my family, and I grew up around them. I had more cousins as friends and it was a family-oriented environment that I grew up in,” he said. His passion for computers and technology started to present itself when he was young because his family members always brought their devices to him to fix. “Any family member, I would put their computers together so a lot of people came to me and I enjoyed helping people with their issues, so I think my passion for technology and helping others fused together,” Mr. Gue said. It didn’t matter what type of technology Mr. Gue received, he just enjoyed working with whatever he could find. “My parents would go to garage sales on the weekends and one day they came back with a Commodore 64 and an Atari and I was so excited to see this technology in the house, get my hands on it, hook it up, and start using it,” he said. After graduating from Spring Valley High School, Mr. Gue went to Farmingdale State College to pursue his bachelor degree in computer information systems.
During his years at Farmingdale, he was a DJ for many college parties and also worked at WRAM, the school’s radio station. “I was the general manager in my third year and oversaw the financial director, program director...I had my hands in everything because I worked my way up,” he said about his position at the school’s radio station. Mr. Gue got a job working for Cablevision as part of their tech support group after graduating from Farmingdale, but it was not his ideal job. “I provided tech support for all the Optimum and Cablevision services that they offered and I did it over the phone. At Cablevision you’re like a number and there’s no human interaction,” he said. Despite his concerns about Cablevision, Mr. Gue continued to love helping people with their technological issues. After two years at Cablevision, he joined the Hackley community in 2008 to become the technology infrastructure manager. Along with setting up audio and video for school events, Mr. Gue’s job consists of,“overseeing the daily performance of all computer systems. I install, configure, and per-
Behind the Scenes of Hackley’s Winter Production: The Katrina Project
Photo by Lei Anne Rabeje Sophomore Hannah Goodwin-Pierce and Junior Jack Clark act as survivors rekindling their love and hope after Hurricane Katrina.
By Lei Anne Rabeje
Chattering echoes through the auditorium of the Performance Arts Center as actors race through the doors of the building, anxiously awaiting the start of their rehearsal. Between Josh Greenzeig practicing on the drums, Isabella Yannuzzi singing Hamilton, and Hannah Goodwin-Pierce’s giggles, all but silence occupies the building. Members of the Hackley community only see the final product of a nearly four-month production, but the days leading up to opening night demonstrate the true commitment of Hackley’s acting community. As opening night approaches, practice ends past 7:00 p.m. Even then, many actors choose to come even earlier on some days to enhance their performance. Even before rehearsal starts at 3:30 p.m., all actors are at the PAC walking up and down the stage screaming at the top of their lungs, or in the corner talking amongst each other. The Hacktors litter the stage as Grace Henrich stands atop a house and Fin McCombe strolls up and down the stage. The week leading up to opening night is filled with more stress and activity than usual. Mr. Teacher stands in the front of the room- hands waving in the air- directing the actors. Behind him, stage manager Lisha Rabeje watches intently, scribbling notes on the script as Mr. Teacher reimagines the set. “The light goes down
Photo by Lei Anne Rabeje Senior Josh Greenzeig plays the drums for the five-piece Jazz band that underscores the entire show.
over there, and put a spotlight on Morgan. Got that Lisha?” says Mr. Teacher without pause. In the back, Fesseha Michael talks to Mr. Tonken about sound effects, who assists him with the sound system for plays and coffeehouses. As an assistant to Mr. Tonken, Fesseha is responsible for sound effects, microphone levels, and avoiding feedback when changing volume levels. Michael Hanlon sits aside reading out cues and controlling the slides as Fesseha flips the switches on the sound board. Transition between work and play is instantaneous. Once the lights dim and spotlight is turned to the stage, the actors are heading backstage and chattering turns to whispers. Once backstage, they wait for music to start and casually talk amongst each other. Above, the stage crew shuffles around the prop room and costume room searching for last minute additions to the prop list. Shelves of hats, masks, umbrellas, scarves, and gloves tower above. Close by, clothing from Renaissance Europe to modern-day America gather dust as they wait to be worn. Nearby, the tech crew listens intently and scribbles the cues as Mr. McNaughton gives directions through the headphones. Throughout the show, the tech crew work the spotlight with steady hands and the constant fear of accidentally moving the spotlights looming above.
By t h e e n d o f t h e we e k , p r i d e a n d applause overpower exhaustion and the c o u n t l e s s h o u r s s p e n t o n t h e p l a y.
Photo by Lei Anne Rabeje Seniors Carina Burroughs and Molly Harmon rehearse for their first Hackley play.
form repairs to hardware, software, and peripheral equipment. I use a tech support ticketing system that receives IT service request from all faculty and staff so that I am aware of their technical issues and can address them accordingly,” he said. What he admires most about Hackley is the sense of genuineness and that he can “put a face to a name and actually interact with individuals,” he said. “I love it here at Hackley. I think it’s very important that you love what you’re doing and you do a good job at it and I think that’s vital for a company or a school,” he said. Along with playing video games and building devices, Mr. Gue spends his free time fishing, creating websites, and travelling. “I travel to Italy, so travelling is something I like to do as far as hobbies go, but technology is my life,” he said. Mr. Gue’s lifelong passion for technology and his career at Hackley provide him with an amazing community to practice and share his passions. “When you enjoy what you do, I think you’ll be great at it and people will be grateful and show gratitude for what you do,” he said.
Lindsay Schechter Shares her Chapel Talk Continued from page 2 however, proved to not be as harmless as I thought. While some people were happy with their labels, others were embarrassed. And as I watched all this happen I realized that all of us have some insecurity and may not “neatly” fit our labels. This year when I was voted “teacher’s pet,” I had a moment of clarity. I realized I was ok with this, because this one phrase does not define and cannot limit me. This moment of clarity allowed me to once again reflect on how far I had come since ninth grade. While I am grateful to the cross country team for providing me with an outlet when I needed it most, I now also know that besides having an outlet, it is vital to not care about how others see you. Ultimately I could accept the label as only a small part of me. I did not care that I was labeled as “teacher’s pet” because I knew that I was more than this. So ask yourself, what defines you? Do you let others define who you are? Your identity is in your own hands. Today you have the power to define yourself. And though this task may seem daunting or scary, now’s the time to create your own labels, to take control of how the world sees you but more importantly to take control of how you see yourself. High school can be scary, it’s a place where whether we want to admit it or not, we strive for perfection: strive to be heard, strive to fit in, and strive to be labeled the right thing. My one piece of advice today has two parts: The first part is to do what makes you happy. Surround yourself with people that see the good in you, that are friends with you for all the right reasons. The second part is never to let your own self fear, fear of being different or an outsider or being labeled by other people, keep you from your true self. Today is the day to redefine who you are and to reject the labels holding you back. Because the only thing that matters in the end is how you see you.
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When in Maine Visit These Locations... By Patrick Walker
Photos by Benjy Renton
ME Portland
Only 4 hours and 45 minutes away!
On The Road Again BEST CHEESE STEAK
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Casco Bay along Maine’s southern and central coast is a haven for kayakers, who can paddle their way to the region’s secluded beaches, tranquil coves, and uninhabited islands.
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Cape Elizabeth’s beach, a part of south Portland, is a mile-long beach offering swimming at this oceanside park, which also has picnic areas and trails. It is a state-operated, public recreation area that offers a scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean and is perfect for families to vacation.
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The Portland Museum of Art is the largest and oldest public art institution in Maine containing more than 17,000 objects of the decorative and fine arts dating from the 18th century to the present.
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The Green Elephant, located on Congress Street in the Old Port, offers vegetarian Asian cuisine in a bistro setting.
MA Cape Cod
Approximately 4 hours from Hackley School.
Photo by Georgia Panitz The Nobska Lighthouse is one of the most well known lighthouses on the Cape.
PA
By Georgia Panitz
Philadelphia
While Cape Cod is known as a famous summer destination, it is also a great spring break destination if you are seeking the great outdoors, and an authentic taste of New England. With over 500 miles of coastline, Cape Cod has more than its fair share of pristine beaches, such as Chapin Memorial Beach in Dennis. Cape Cod also has a many beautiful historic lighthouses worth visiting, one of the most famous being the Nobska Lighthouse in Woods Hole. When in this historic city, there would surely be no shortage of things to do. Cape Cod’s quaint towns also offer a variety of foods, from homemade ice cream to gourmet Asian cuisine. In Cape Cod there is an endless amount of things to do and places to explore, even in the spring.
A short car ride of 2 hours and 20 minutes. By Joy Dracos
If you find yourself with an empty stomach aimlessly wandering the streets of Philly, Tony Luke’s is the place to go. Located next to an I-95 underpass on an otherwise dull stretch of Oregon Avenue in South Philadelphia, this restaurant is home to the famous Philly Cheesesteak. The perfect combination of thinly sliced steak, Cheez Whiz, cooked onions, and a toasted bun creates what the locals call a “Whiz Wit.” However, Tony Luke’s is only one place to check out in a city full of unique food and restaurants. To be featured on The Dial’s Instagram, submit pictures of food from your road trip!
Featured Spot: Washington, D.C. the FOOD
the HISTORY
Baked and Wired Cupcakes The National Monuments By Lilianna Khosrowshahi and Bridget Barsanti
Located on Thomas Jefferson Street, Baked and Wired is one of the hit cupcake places in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Sidney Wertimer You will definitely delicious Baked fall in love with their Three and Wired cupcakes. cupcakes, or as they call them “cake cups,” as they offer numerous choices, each offering a different and unique taste. One simply cannot resist their tempting bestseller, the strawberry cupcake. This cupcake has a vanilla cake base with fresh strawberries folded in the batter and a swirl of pink buttercream to top it off. Other cupcake options include Dirty Chai or German Chocolate. No matter what you get, it is a guaranteed good choice at Baked and Wired.
By Lilianna Khosrowshahi and Bridget Barsanti
When visiting Washington, D.C, you will want to stop by the most famous tourist attraction: The White House. You can take a tour and learn about the way our country is run, while also walking through the white house visitors center. If you want to tour the inside of the White House, you will have to schedule it in advance. Next on the historical checklist is the Capitol building. There are daily opportunities for tours of the Capitol, but first one simply must buy tickets at a kiosk outside the building. The Capitol and The White House are generally the most popular historical places. “I went to D.C. on a school trip in 8th grade;” sophomore Spencer Diaz said, “it was really cool to see where all our country’s important decisions are made like the Capitol and the White House.” Another great place to visit is the Washington Monument. Tickets can be purchased
Insider Tip: The monuments look way better after dark!
either at the ticket window or with advanced reservations. The Lincoln Memorial, located on the west end of the National Mall and across from the Washington Monument, is the perfect way to finish off your tour. It is one of the most famous monuments in the United States, with an average of six million visitors a year, the Lincoln Memorial is must-see while in Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of Sidney Wertimer A tourist favorite, the Lincoln Memorial is mustsee sight when in D.C.
the ACTIVITY
Museums By Lilianna Khosrowshahi and Bridget Barsanti
After a day of touring the city, you can drop by the Renwick Gallery, located on Pennsylvania Avenue, just steps away from the White House. This gallery is a branch of the Smithsonian Art Museum and is focused on craft and decorative arts, stretching from the 19th to the 21st century. This gallery recently went under a two year renovation and the opening exhibition, WONDER, is open for only a few more months. WONDER was composed by nine artists who all created different works connected through a common theme. They created large-scale installations by combining everyday objects in different ways and patterns. The Smithsonian museums are also popular attractions in Washington, D.C., with diverse offerings including Art, American History, and Air and Space. Admission to all of the museums is free, so you can pop in for a quick look around or a longer visit whenever you have some time.