Katie Livermore, 13, may understand what Ground Zero means to America when she sees the memorial for herself this week.
She is one of 105 Carson and Eagle Valley middle schools students leaving Monday for a six-day trip to Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City. Students will visit the Holocaust Museum, Independence Hall and Ground Zero.
"It has to do with 9/11," she said. "It will be sad."
She is looking forward to seeing "The Lion King" on Broadway. She also wants to do some shopping in Manhattan and take her picture at the Statue of Liberty. She knows the significance of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and why it represents all those who died to protect America's freedom, but she's a little unsure about the site of where the Twin Towers once stood.
Her father, Rich Livermore, a bell captain at Harvey's Lake Tahoe Resort, hopes his daughter will learn more about American history as she sees the places where it unfolded.
"I want her to realize what Ground Zero means to her because she's still not really sure," he said. "She lived through it all, but she was pretty young."
Rene Knorzer, a parent chaperone, will see the nation's capital for the first time with her 13-year-old daughter, Lauren Knorzer. She is leaving her three local businesses for a week to spend time with her daughter.
"At my age I've never even been to the East Coast, and I thought it would be an amazing opportunity," said Knorzer, 41. "I wanted my daughter to go, but I wasn't ready for her to go without me."
Their D.C. trip includes such highlights at the Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, the Smithsonian and the Pentagon. They'll tour the Capitol rather than the White House, because it was too difficult to get admittance into the three rooms open for public viewing.
Carson City middle school students as a group have traveled to America's capital for several years, Knorzer said. The cost per student is $2,000, which is covered by parents and through fundraising.
Teachers tailor social studies lessons to correspond with the annual trip.
"Every night when we get back to our room, they have to write a log on what they did for the day," Knorzer said. "Many will present a report in their classroom."
She expects the tour of the Holocaust Museum to be an emotional experience for the students.
The students will then be bused to Philadelphia, where they will spend a few hours touring Independence Hall. They'll arrive in New York City on Thursday night. Students will tour the Empire State Building, Ellis Island and Central Park.
Lauren Knorzer will bring her digital camera as she climbs up the small, spiral stairway of the Statue of Liberty.
"I'm going to take a lot of pictures," she said.
Students will return to Reno late early Sunday. This is the first year that Eagle Valley Middle School students have joined Carson Middle School on the trip.
• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.