Throughout the year, Central’s advanced placement government class has discussed the inter-workings of the United States’ government along with having  analyzed a multitude of official doctrines. Danielle Hooper’s AP government and gifted classes, along with Gregory Cantrell’s journalism class, recently went on a field trip to the Tennessee State Capitol and Tennessee State Museum in Nashville. Through this field trip opportunity, students gained valuable information about Tennessee’s past and were allowed to tour the building that houses the most important legislative conferences in the state.

“I learned a little more about how state politics work in Tennessee and also got to hear about how a normal state politician’s day goes,” Sophomore Grayson Catlett said about his experience at the Tennessee State Capitol. “I enjoyed looking into our state history.”

State Senator Bo Watson was a guest speaker who gave students an insight on the typical daily agenda of a politician. Watson also gave students words of encouragement for any of them who were interested in becoming a politician, explaining his road to becoming a politician after his post-secondary education.

On the trip, students learned more about the three branches of government. They were also informed about how the House of Representatives and the Senate function, and were shown the rooms that the two groups vote in. Students got to hear the story behind the State Capitol building, and the influential leaders that were honored and buried there.

“The whole purpose of the field trip was to expose students to how our government functions and meet those in power,” Hooper explained. “I want students to learn that they are the reason for the government and they must participate in the process.”