Annual senior government field trip to capital
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Seniors in front of the Alabama State House. Photo submitted
Special to the News
Central seniors were given the opportunity to visit the three branches of state government as the Alabama legislature was starting its 2026 session.
The seniors started off their day with a tour of the Alabama State Capitol led by their instructor. Students toured the former Supreme Court chamber and former House and Senate chambers that used to operate in the Alabama State Capitol, as well as the executive offices, including the governor’s office, which still operate in the Capitol.
Students also learned why the Alabama State Capitol is on the National Register of Historic Places. For one, the capitol is of historic significance because the founding of the Confederate States of America took place in the old Senate chamber in 1861. In addition, almost 100 years later, the Selma to Montgomery March ended at the Capitol, in which Martin Luther King gave the speech, “How Long, Not Long.”
The students also learned about artistic features of the Capitol; including the cantilever double spiral staircase built by a former slave Horace King, who would go on to become one of the first Black Alabama legislators; as well as the murals around the rotunda depicting the history of the state of Alabama and the special three dimensional painting technique, trompe l’oeil, which is used throughout the Capitol.
The seniors then made their way down Dexter Avenue, stopping to view Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, a landmark church in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, as well as the former Alabama Supreme Court building now encased in glass.
The next stop was the Alabama Judicial Building. The students had a great docent, Mr. Copeland, who led them through the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals and the Alabama Supreme Court, as well as the oldest law library in the state.
Students also admired the neoclassical architecture which pays homage to democratic traditions in ancient Greece and Rome and the white marble at the center of the building which came from the quarry located just outside of Coosa County.
After lunch, the seniors made their way back up Dexter Avenue to the State House. The students were guided through the State House by their instructor, which included a visit to a committee room, as well as both the Senate and House galleries.
The field trip is always a highlight of the senior year. When students make comments like, “That was the best field trip ever,” you know the experience will be something they always remember.
Students completed a memory book, including sketches, to commemorate their visit to the three branches of Alabama government.
Central Coosa seniors on the double spiral staircase of the Alabama State Capitol. Photo submitted
