catapult magazine

my husband and i are chaperoning a group of high school students to Washington D.C. for the annual March for Life. being the people we are, we plan to use the time we spend with the students to help them develop their ideas more (practically and philosphically) about what it means to truly be Pro-Life.

the question i’m putting to you, community, regards a free day in which we and the students can go anywhere, see anything that we like. all of these students will hit all of the major points of interest on their senior class trip to D.C. what we’re looking for is something that they won’t see on class trip and couldn’t see in Chicago that somehow relates to the topics we’re trying to get them to explore—something that will challenge them. any ideas?

Will they be seeing the Holocaust Museum? If not, that could be a challenging experience, and a great jumping-off point for discussions about other pro-life issues.

I’ve always been a fan of sending kids to help out at a soup kitchen or shelter, but the bulk of them may have already done that if they’re from Chicago. I just like the idea of waking kids up to a little disillusionment. It’s healthy for them to rethink their ideas and their values, particularly if they’re on a class trip to the capital of the most powerful (militarily speaking) country in the world.

for those who don’t know, i’m kirstin’s husband.

we were kind of thinking along the same lines, norb. we’ve contacted an organization called jubilee ministries, which is tied to sojourners somehow, to see what opportunities are available there. there are ten major institutions that they have developed – from medical facilities to housing, from job training to addiction work, from an alternative seminary to an alternative restaurant.

and i agree that the holocaust museum would be a good discussion starter.

I visited Sojourners when I was in Washington with an educational group a few years ago — it was definitely worthwhile. They started as a bunch of crazy (in the best possible sense of the word) communal hippies and gradually turned their organization into something they could sustain in the long run. As I recall they are running into some difficulties because their formerly run-down neighborhood is gentrifying.

I don’t know if it’s too late to schedule it, but it might be possible for them to meet with their Senator or Representative to present their concerns.

I was surprised at what an impact that city had on me — as I tend to be rather cynical about things governmental and certainly things civil religiony. I was most struck by the Smithsonian exhibit that showcased things left at the VietNam memorial, the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress (I’m a nerd), and the VietNam memorial itself. I also spent a quality hour or two sitting under a tree in the grassy mall near the Smithsonian — reading and thinking.

What’s best for the kids, though? Hmmm. Not sure, but get them on the Metro. High School students from the Chicago suburbs often don’t know how cool mass transportation is.