February 26, 2009 [LINK / comment]
Yesterday I took my U.S. Government class from Central Virginia Community College on a field trip to the state capital of Richmond, to see the Virginia General Assembly during its final week of the 2009 session. State Senator Emmett Hanger and Delegate Ben Cline were kind enough to talk to the students about how the state legislature operates, and to discuss current policy issues such as funding for education. They also introduced our group while we were in the visitors' galleries of, respectively, the House of Delegates and the Senate. Delegate Cline and his assistant Susanne Bunch were especially helpful in making arrangements for our visit and showing us around, and the students were very grateful for that. In the afternoon, we took a guided tour of the Capitol Building and the surrounding area, learning much about the rich history of the Commonwealth of Virginia from all of the paintings and statues.
The Virginia State Capitol Building, in all its sun-lit glory.
While we were observing the Senate conducting its business, former NFL star Bruce Smith was presented with a resolution congratulating him on being selected as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, located in Canton, Ohio. Smith graduated from high school in Norfolk, then played for the Virginia Tech Hokies, and gained fame as a Defensive End for the Buffalo Bills, where [he] played for 15 years. Smith played his last four years for the Washington Redskins, and retired after the 2003 season. See profootballhof.com.
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling congratulates former NFL star Bruce Smith in the Virginia Senate.
I may post more photos from that trip later on...