16 July 2009

IPC Students Visit the New Zealand Parliament Buildings in Wellington

"Introduction to Political Studies" Class Field Trip

By Shirley Ghozalli. Edited by Moira Blake.

Together in front of Parliament House with one of the lecturers, Chakrit Tiebtienrat (far right)

Quynh Chi Hoang (far right) with other students in front of the Beehive

To really understand what one is studying, a student must have real experience in the subject of their study. A field trip serves as one of the ways to gain that experience. On Wednesday, 8th July, 19 students and 3 lecturers went to the capital city, Wellington, to visit the site of the New Zealand Parliament, consisting of Parliament House, the Parliamentary Library, the Beehive (also known as the Executive Wing), and Bowen House (office building).

This field trip is part of the ‘Introduction to Political Studies' paper that gives an outline of basic political concepts and the issues that the study of politics encompasses.

Travelling by IPC vans the group reached Parliament before noon. First, the students attended an on-site lecture, given by a guide. This provided them with an overview of all the Parliament buildings and what the Members of Parliament do in each of them.

After the lecture, the students went on a guided tour around the buildings to see the Parliamentary meeting room, the library and other rooms for different purposes. Quynh Chi Hoang, a 2006 student, commented "(We saw) Pretty much every important part of the buildings except the offices of the Prime Minister and the MPs."

"I got to really know what is what and where things go, how things are organised there and how people work in the Parliament buildings, as well as the political structures and the structure of a parliament meeting."

Chi also found out some interesting facts from the trip, one of them being - "The library! I didn't know that the Parliamentary Library actually is open to the public. Now I know!"

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