LINCOLN PARK — Some 41 middle-school students from Alcott College Prep are in Washington, D.C., Friday with a box seat to history at the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.
It's the second inauguration for Alcott teacher Jenny Vincent, who led a group of 17 students to D.C. for President Barack Obama's second inaugural four years ago.
The trip has been in the planning stages for years, and Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton in the November general election didn't change anything, although Vincent did allow that "some of the kids dropped out and other kids dropped on" after the results became official.
They're the only group from a Chicago Public Schools neighborhood school to make the trip for the inauguration.
They're getting tickets to a secure area from U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Illinois), who advised them to pay close attention to what Trump says in his inaugural address, to have "respect for the institution and the process," but also to observe a certain decorum in a turbulent time in the country.
"There's a lot of cynicism out there today," Quigley told the students earlier this month in a visit to Alcott's East Campus, 2625 N. Orchard St. "You may see some things that bother you."
But they'll also see the standard sites on a D.C. middle-school tour, and trip organizer EF Explore America is also throwing an inaugural ball for students it's taking to D.C. this week.
"They're all excited," Vincent said of her students. "They have such cute outfits."
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