In December, sixth graders traveled to Washington, D.C., where they had the incredible opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Library of Congress from Bryn Mawr alumna Helena Zinkham '71, who works as the chief of the photographs and prints division. Afterward, the girls visited the Supreme Court, where they ate lunch before having the privilege of a private meeting with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who spent 45 minutes answering all of the girls' questions. Here, one student recounts what the experience meant to her.

By Kiesse Nanor ’22

 

On the morning of Dec. 14, 2015, the Class of 2022 boarded a bus to begin our long-awaited field trip to the Supreme Court of the United States. Upon our arrival in Washington D.C., we entered the vast and elegant Library of Congress, where we were greeted by a welcome speech from an alumna of The Bryn Mawr School, Helena Zinkham ’71. Then, each advisory group was given a tour by one of the library’s docents, who educated the students about the history, structure, design and contents of the famous library.

 

Next we were led into the majestic Supreme Court building, home of the nation’s highest court. We ate lunch in the West Conference Room, where the former Chief Justices gazed at us serenely from their individual portraits. We were then taken to the courtroom, which is where oral arguments on cases before the Supreme Court are heard by the justices. A docent informed us about the setup of the room, and how the building was planned and constructed. He joked that since there is a basketball court at the top of the Supreme Court building, the Supreme Court could not really be considered the “highest court in the land.”

 

We returned to the West Conference Room and stood as Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg entered to speak with us. She told us about the justices whose portraits adorned the conference room, important cases she had encountered or thought had changed the nation, and proceeded to answer any questions we had about her career. At the end of her talk, we were privileged enough to be allowed to take photos with Justice Ginsburg. Overall, it was a very educational experience and I learned so much about the relevance of the court to the country’s development. Justice Ginsburg has inspired me to pursue a career in law!