D.C. Trip - Andrew Taylor

The Trip to D.C. has by far been my highlight of spring term. The last time I had been there was 8th grade when I walked around D.C. for no more than an hour and a half in lacrosse cleats. So going there again with an academic mindset was nothing short of fascinating, especially with regards to the Washington Monument. After doing fairly extensive research on the Washington Monument it was awesome to be able to see the monument up close. Its size was as gargantuan as I had imagined, and its central placement in D.C. was unquestionably clear. However I was disappointed we couldn't go inside the monument, but no one has had that privilege since December (and no one will have the privilege until 2019). Nonetheless, it was very interesting to see the Washington Monument up close and personal. My second highlight from the trip was the Lincoln Memorial. I knew going into the D.C. trip that the Lincoln Memorial, like the Washington Monument, depicts Lincoln in a larger than life manner. What I was surprised by was the undeniable imperial depiction of Lincoln. I thought the chair he sat on looked much more like a throne, and the combination of his stern face with his casual hand posture contributed to his imperial persona. But the most interesting part of the Lincoln Memorial for me was what Lincoln looked like if the viewer stands outside the Memorial. When we walked from the Vietnam Memorial to the Lincoln Memorial Lincoln was sitting in shade cast by his own Memorial. This directly contrasted with the bright, sunny atmosphere outside the memorial. In my opinion, the contrast of lighting, when combined with Lincoln's imperial depiction, made Lincoln seem almost sinister. The visit made me really curious about the Lincoln Memorial and almost made me wish I picked it as the topic for my essay instead of the Washington Monument.