Following the Thanksgiving holiday, fifteen Brother Martin juniors and seniors accompanied Mr. Christopher Vicknair, the Close Up Moderator, and Mrs. Melanie Williams, Faculty Formation Director, on the annual Close Up trip to Washington, D.C. and Williamsburg, VA from November 30 to December 7, 2019. The trip is sponsored by the Close Up Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan civic education organization. Through site visits, lectures, and workshop activities, high school students learn the political process and are encouraged to develop their own political efficacy. One of the highlights of the trip included Capitol Hill Day, where Close Up students visited their state’s congressional delegation and saw government at work.
This year, Crusaders were welcomed to House Minority Whip Steve Scalise’s offices where Mitchell Shea ’10 introduced the Crusaders to Congressman Scalise and guided them on a tour through the Capitol building. Senator John Kennedy, Senator Bill Cassidy, and Representative Cedric Richmond also met with our students and answered questions.
The Crusaders enjoyed a trip to see the historic Ford’s Theatre where President Lincoln was assassinated. Students were also able to tour a variety of museums, including the FBI Building, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and the Newseum Thank you to all of our D.C. alumni for the hospitality and support that was shown to our young men participating in Close Up!
The Close Up Trip is offered to students in November of their junior or senior year. For more information or to reserve your place for the 2020 trip, contact Mr. Christopher Vicknair at cvicknair@brothermartin.com.
Click the student's name below each picture for a collection of reflections from our participants:
