Read about a Close Up Experience from Michael Bordelon ‘15:
“At 3:45 a.m. on the Saturday morning following Thanksgiving, I was groggy and terrified. In less than an hour I would be on an airplane for the first time in my life. My destination? Crystal City, Virginia, where I would be staying while attending the annual Close Up program. I had no idea what to expect, with only the stories of classmates who had gone last year to point me in a general direction. They described the experience as hectic, life changing, exhausting, and priceless. They were right. I spent the first day and a half with my school, learning how to use the underground Metro and the importance of grabbing onto something solid and stationary once the train was in motion. We enjoyed local eateries like Potbelly’s, Subway’s more metropolitan cousin. Mr. Vicknair was an indispensable resource, navigating the complex city streets and ensuring we reached our destinations almost on time. In addition to seeing countless memorials that enshrined American history, I also met people from all corners of the country. I ate sushi with the teens of Utah, explaining on multiple occasions the concept of a “snowball,” which I quickly learned exists only along the Gulf Coast. Two of my roommates were from Puerto Rico and loved the Food Network as much as I did. On Tuesday night, we formed our own “Mock Congress,” which assigned issues and potential bills to different groups of students and allowed them to hear lobbyists as well as to amend the bill, kill it, or pass it. Participating in that process really gave me hands-on experience with a topic I had only read about in Civics class.
In a way, my workshop became my family for that week. We ate together, saw historical monuments, and even bothered each other on the three hour bus ride to Williamsburg, just like a real family. Colonial Williamsburg was living history, charming and provincial. The people working there were fully in character, and we enjoyed lunch at a tavern that only shattered the colonial illusion when it served Coca-Cola. I took a tour of the Royal Governor’s house, which was complemented with sardonic comments from our tour guide, who posed as an eighteenth century maid well-versed in town gossip. We also visited the Kennedy Center and saw a live theater production of “Shear Madness,” a murder mystery and comedy that takes place in a hair salon. The dialogue was topical and entertaining, the actors were convincing, and the audience was breathless from laughter by the intermission.
On several occasions, I was the facilitator, or leader, for small group discussions, which was shocking to me since making conversation with strangers came naturally to me. Yet, I found the confidence to lead, and I honestly believe it came from the support and respect given to me by the other students. The day I first arrived, I thought I would stay with my own friends and not meet anyone new. But there was a sense of welcome and community the moment I stepped into the dining hall that first night, and by the end of the week I was begging my new friends to sneak on the returning flight to New Orleans. I think that alone illustrates what an experience this really is, and I highly recommend participating in Close Up if the opportunity presents itself. This program is so much more than a week-long vacation in the nation’s Capital; it is a testament to the American ideal that we are all one people, despite regional and cultural differences–except the accents, those were the true hurdle, y’all.”
Mr. Vicknair showing students around the Washington D.C. area.
S
ubmitted by Michael Bordelon ’15
