Seven Scranton High School students are in Washington, D.C., where they are visiting monuments, touring museums and preparing to witness today's inauguration of President Barack Obama.While in the nation's capital, they are writing about their experiences for The Times-Tribune. You can also follow their travels on Twitter using the hashtag #NEPAinDC.

Lincoln's legacy

As I approached the Lincoln Memorial for the first time, I was astonished by how beautiful it was. However, before I even stepped foot between the columns on my way to meet him, I was reminded that 50 years ago this year Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous "I Have a Dream" speech just a few feet away from where I was standing. Engraved in the center of the landing was the exact spot where King stood during his speech. It was remarkable to stand there, looking out over the reflecting pool and National Mall, and remember how drastically he changed history.

The memorial itself gave me another take on Lincoln's presidency. The statue of Lincoln, his beautiful words from some of his most famous speeches, and the art and architecture surrounding him shows a great deal about Lincoln's character and how he contributed to civil rights, the Civil War and to the peace era which he presided over. You can certainly understand why King chose to have his most famous moment at the base of Lincoln's statue. It was truly a breathtaking experience.

- Rachel Kovach

Exploring Arlington

Sunday was a fun-filled day, but the thing that I found most intriguing was Arlington National Cemetery. I enjoyed having the opportunity to be able to revisit the cemetery for the first time in seven years. I explored various gravestones throughout the cemetery, one of the largest in the world. The one that clearly stood out the most was former President John F. Kennedy's grave. It was beautiful and sad at the same time. The flame that is above his stone, which represents the light of eternity, never burns out. It symbolizes that his memory will live with us forever. You are even able to see it flicker during the night from almost a mile away at the Lincoln Memorial.

Since my visit seven years ago, I have learned so much about Kennedy, and so much of it came flooding back to me as I stood in front of his grave. It was an emotional experience I will remember all my life.

- Angela Altier


Sunday our schedule consisted of visiting three memorials: the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, and the Korean War Memorial. As I approached the Vietnam Memorial (the Wall, the Soldier's Memorial, and the Vietnam Women's Memorial), I knew that it was going to make the biggest impact emotionally for me. Before you even get near it, you can tell everyone around it is very quiet, respectful and emotional. We learned that many people visit the memorial and leave flowers, teddy bears, letters and other personal items for their loved ones at the base nearest their name. People are also allowed to press paper over the name of the soldiers and do a rubbing of it as a keepsake. Luckily, I had the chance to witness how this works first-hand. Finally, while reading the names, we realized that we were also gazing into our own reflections, reminding us that the men and women that fought for us in Vietnam were fighting for us and were just like us. They were (on average) just slightly older than I am right now. That feeling was very intense and powerful. I didn't realize that such a simple looking memorial could have such strong meaning and represent so much sadness and pride. This feeling will never be forgotten.

- Chelsea Jablonski