Chaperoned by team moderator Mr. Mario Pariante and Assistant Vice Principal Ms. Annemarie Bacich, nine academic decathlon members traveled to London, the core of the British imperialism, over Thanksgiving break.

They were there to study the theme for this year’s upcoming competition, The Age of Empire.

Decathletes visited the gorgeous Buckingham Palace on their first day, which is located in the City of Westminster. It is the principal residence and office of the British monarch, and is where British imperialism was built. The girls walked along the elegant paths around Queen Elizabeth II’s residence and garden, and were attracted by the Changing of the Guard, a major ceremony staged at the front entrance.

“We walked to Saint James Park, which is south of the palace. It is the oldest Royal Park in London,” said Mr. Pariante.

Another site visited was Westminster Abbey, which showcases a unique pageant of British history. Mr. Pariante likes this large Gothic church the most because it has more than a thousand years of history and holds the graves
of many famous poets and kings. “It impressed me the most because it’s where Kate Middleton and Prince William got married,” said junior Margaret Lee. “Famous poets such as the Brontes were buried there, and it was really amazing to see. Westminster Abbey is also the final resting place of 17 monarchs, including Henry III, and it has been the coronation church since 1066.”
The girls also visited the British Museum, where they discovered Egyptian, Asian and African collections that the old British Empire seized from their owners, and Saint Paul’s Cathedral, where they found a dedication to American soldiers.

“They gave us some booklets that had many American soldiers’ names, and it was cool when I saw my relative’s name in the booklet,” said senior Maya Richard-Craven.

The team watched a special West End show called War Horse about a boy’s search for his beloved horse, which was sold by his drunk father to the army during World War I. The play won five Tony Awards, including Best
Play.

On the six-day trip, the girls also visited the London Eye Ferris wheel, Big Ben and Trafalgar Square, where the British celebrated their naval victory over France in 1805. They walked through Hyde Park, strolled along the
Thames River and went shopping at Covent Garden and Oxford Street shops.

The trip allowed the girls “to see many of the art pieces we are currently studying and it definitely helped us understand by looking directly at the real pieces in London,” said senior Anais Engel. —Yanie Sun