Students Get to Make Decision With Field Trip
April 26, 2016
Story By: Olivia Jaynes
By the time a student arrives to school countless decisions have been made. To wear sweatpants or jeans, to pack lunch or buy lunch, to wake up early or sleep in a little later, the list goes on and on. Not everyday do students have to make a decision concerning hundreds of thousand of American lives.
In Mid March, the American History classes took a trip to the Truman Library, to participate in the White House Decision Center. This is an interactive field trip where the students got to experience first hand what it is like to make presidential decisions, on events that have already happened in history.
Both Mrs. Stafford’s American History classes and Mr. Smithson’s American History classes went on this trip, but these two classes had different scenarios. There was the bombing of Japan and the Berlin Blockade.
The students were split up into different groups based on their roles and put into a conference room, where they acted as if they were really deciding what the final decision should be.
“I understood the process they went through to decide to drop the bomb and who was an integral part of the decisions making process.” said Ally Vaughn-who played the role of President Truman.
Junior Jessica Gutierrez, who also played the role of the president, was in the scenario of the Berlin Blockade and said that getting to act of the roles and having specific parts helped her understand what it was like to make such a huge decision.
After the students had their time in the conference rooms to make their decisions, there was a group wide press meeting.
The students who did not have the role as President Truman, were state senators and had the opportunity to ask questions as if it was a real press meeting.
Junior Conner Tolooze said that he did not realize it would be that fun and that really getting involved made the experience more realistic.
Mary McMurray, the director of the White House Decision Center, said her advice for students is to give your all to the experience and it may surprise yourself.
Not only did the participants get an experience of a lifetime, they got to walk in the footsteps of President Truman, which is something special for those who live in Independence.
“Working with students from Harry Truman’s own high school (and Charlie Ross’ and Bess Truman’s) is always very special for the White House Decision Center team. We marvel at your smarts, ability to question assumptions, and engagement with the simulation. Thank you, William Chrisman students, for your dedication to the educational process. And thank you to the Social Studies Team for their dedication excellent instruction. We’re proud to be your partner in education.” said McMurray
Story By: Olivia Jaynes
By the time a student arrives to school countless decisions have been made. To wear sweatpants or jeans, to pack lunch or buy lunch, to wake up early or sleep in a little later, the list goes on and on. Not everyday do students have to make a decision concerning hundreds of thousand of American lives.
In Mid March, the American History classes took a trip to the Truman Library, to participate in the White House Decision Center. This is an interactive field trip where the students got to experience first hand what it is like to make presidential decisions, on events that have already happened in history.
Both Mrs. Stafford’s American History classes and Mr. Smithson’s American History classes went on this trip, but these two classes had different scenarios. There was the bombing of Japan and the Berlin Blockade.
The students were split up into different groups based on their roles and put into a conference room, where they acted as if they were really deciding what the final decision should be.
“I understood the process they went through to decide to drop the bomb and who was an integral part of the decisions making process.” said Ally Vaughn-who played the role of President Truman.
Junior Jessica Gutierrez, who also played the role of the president, was in the scenario of the Berlin Blockade and said that getting to act of the roles and having specific parts helped her understand what it was like to make such a huge decision.
After the students had their time in the conference rooms to make their decisions, there was a group wide press meeting.
The students who did not have the role as President Truman, were state senators and had the opportunity to ask questions as if it was a real press meeting.
Junior Conner Tolooze said that he did not realize it would be that fun and that really getting involved made the experience more realistic.
Mary McMurray, the director of the White House Decision Center, said her advice for students is to give your all to the experience and it may surprise yourself.
Not only did the participants get an experience of a lifetime, they got to walk in the footsteps of President Truman, which is something special for those who live in Independence.
“Working with students from Harry Truman’s own high school (and Charlie Ross’ and Bess Truman’s) is always very special for the White House Decision Center team. We marvel at your smarts, ability to question assumptions, and engagement with the simulation. Thank you, William Chrisman students, for your dedication to the educational process. And thank you to the Social Studies Team for their dedication excellent instruction. We’re proud to be your partner in education.” said McMurray