A group of 35 current and former Dodge Traditional Magnet Middle School students visited Washington, D.C. for a few days last week β a trip that some students had been waiting to go on for nearly two years.
Chris Ryan, a Dodge teacher and the tour leader, said the trip is typically scheduled for seventh-grade students who wish to take part. But with the pandemic disrupting plans in 2020, some of the students had to wait two years to finally go on the trip.
That meant the tour group consisted of seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade students, the latter having already transitioned out of Dodge Middle.
The group visited several famous spots including the Arlington National Cemetery, Smithsonian Museum and World War II Memorial. βWe got some really good memories,β Ryan said.
Brenna Shupe, now a student at University High School, said she was initially unsure about going on the trip after she had already left Dodge Middle. But in the end, she said, she was able to appreciate much more than she would have at a younger age.
βWhen I first signed up, I kind of saw it as just a way to hang out with friends,β she said. βBut now that I didnβt really know anyone who was going on the trip, I saw it as a chance to see some of our history, which was really exciting, especially things that I had learned about.β
For seventh-grader Xaynen Dickson, the trip took place on the date originally scheduled for him. He said his favorite part was dining at a Medieval Times restaurant. But where he learned the most, he said, βwas the last day, at the National Cathedral.β
The trip itself came with its own challenges, however, mainly involving transportation, as airlines across the nation struggled with staffing shortages and poor weather conditions.
On Thursday, the day the group of 35 students and 10 chaperones was supposed to be back in Tucson, the group was stranded at a hotel near Dallas after its flight to Arizona was canceled. βTheyβre all tapped out,β Ryan said that day. βSome are very, very homesick but some are like, βHey, an extra day. Woohoo.ββ
Luckily, Ryan said, they were able to secure seats on two flights Friday afternoon and make their way home.
In other education news
Liliana Jimenez, a junior at the Arizona State Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, received the first-place scholarship award of $2,500 from the Arizona District Optimists. The award was sponsored by the Tucson, Superior, Pueblo Gardens and Pueblo Optimist Clubs.
Lillian Salamah, a student at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita, was selected as a National Youth Correspondent for the 2022 Washington Journalism and Media Conference July 10-15 at George Mason University. She was chosen based on academic accomplishments including excellence in journalism and media studies.
