Among the one million Inauguration Day spectators in Washington, D.C., were 23 Chaminade students and two teachers. Thanks to Senator Barbara Boxer, who arranged for them to get tickets to the Inauguration, this excited group from California witnessed history closer to the Capitol than most groups.
While attending President Barack Obama’s second inauguration was a highlight of their trip, these Chaminade students were also taking in much of what Washington has to offer. Their week-long visit was a part of the Close Up program. They began their stay with a tour of the National Mall, where they visited the Smithsonian museums and had a private tour of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. In between the Close Up program instruction, the students participated in the National Day of Service, held on Saturday, January 19; attended Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception; and visited Matt DeSilva ’12, who is a freshman at Georgetown University.
As a part of the Close Up program, the students will also visit the Newseum, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial, National World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, the White House, Marine Corps War Memorial, and take a Capitol Hill walking tour.
