On Wednesday, November 6, students from Southeast High School made the annual pilgrimage to the Truman Presidential Library to participate in the White House Decision Center. It’s the 23rd year Southeast has participated in the decision center. Southeast was joined again by a group from Northeast High School.

The White House Decision Center is a one-of-a-kind experience where students take on the role of President Truman or one of his advisors and deliberate over an actual situation Truman faced while being President. This year, students debated Truman’s decision whether or not to desegregate the armed forces. Students, acting in the role of President Truman or one of his advisors, read through primary source documents to learn about segregation in the military and then devised a plan on how best to handle the situation. The decision center ended with a press conference where President Truman announced his plan and then answered questions from members of the press. Students then toured the museum before returning home.

The White House Decision Center remains a wonderful experience for students and teachers alike. Students really get into their roles and there are often some vigorous discussions about what Truman should or should not do. In the end, students walk away with a deeper understanding of history while having a whole lot of fun.