by Molly Krist, American Government/Constitutional Law teacher

Thirteen adventurous HB Upper School students began an odyssey of discovery this summer in the study of American Government and Constitutional Law. Their summer assignment was to read not only the U.S. Constitution, but also to read Hardball, a book by political analyst and MSNBC host Chris Matthews. In reading the book, the students came to understand the Matthews Maxims, which include such nuggets of wisdom as “Dance with the one that brung ya” and “All politics are local,” through a written paper as well a class discussions.

To tie the summer reading book to the class and to real life, HB alumna Colleen King '00 came to Shaker Heights to speak to the students. King, a segment producer for "Hardball with Chris Matthews" on MSNBC, recounted her professional journey to this point, sharing anecdotes about her time at HB through college and into her career. Not surprisingly, she was inspiring and energetic, and the girls loved her!

While she was at HB in October, King also delivered the students a very special gift: a personal video address created for them by Chris Matthews himself! (Click here to watch.)

All of the readings, discussions, visits, and videos have now prompted us to plan a class trip to Washington, D.C. Scheduled for May 20-25, the experience will be one the girls could not have on their own. Many people, including Colleen King and HB board member (and dad of Bridget '12) Chris Coburn helped to coordinate visits to The White House, The World Bank, coffee with Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and tours of the Pentagon, the Smithsonian Museums and historic Georgetown. Of course, our trip to D.C. would not be complete without a trip to see a taping of "Hardball" and a visit to the MSNBC studios to meet Chris Matthews in person. We can't wait!

It's been a very busy, educational, and productive year in U.S. History at HB. Other highlights include guided tours of the Ohio Supreme Court, The Federal Court House in Cleveland and the Federal Reserve Bank.

With five months left in the school year, we're looking forward to all the great things the future holds as well.