Adam Burtner ’17 – For the 14 Wabash Men visiting our nation’s capital this week, Monday was an extremely busy day. Now here in Washington for two days, we are settled in to our hotel, and have become acclimated with the D.C. Metro and the different areas of the city. Monday continued to impress, as I had some of the best food I have ever had, enjoyed a seminar from a prominent Anti-Censorship advocate, learned from three different Department of Justice personnel, and also met with Senator Joe Donnelly after touring the Capitol building.
We started our day off early so that we could grab some Starbucks coffee before hopping on the Metro and heading over to the Department of Justice for our meeting with the Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the Civil Rights Department, Mark Blumberg. Mr. Blumberg engaged us in a very insightful and entertaining conversation on the Justice Department and what he gets to do everyday in defending the United States Constitution. He also brought along a very prominent lawyer in the fight for striking down the Defense of Marriage Act who gave us an inside look into the policy making and trial work done for a high profile bill such as DOMA. Lastly, Ed Chung gave the group the political side of the DOJ and also within the senate. One take away message that all three speakers told us, was that we need to take opportunities when they come to us, and to always try new things and expand our network and skills in the workforce.
After the Department of Justice the group got a quick lunch before heading over to the Capitol building to meet with Andre Adeyemi, Wabash class of 2012, who gave us an inside tour of the Hart Senate office building and the Capitol building, its chambers, and its historical artifacts. We also got to enjoy a video on the U.S. Capitol’s history in which we analyzed the patriotic and nationalistic rhetoric in the movie and what that portrays to the Capitol visitors and the ideals in which it emphasizes. After our incredible tour of the building, we headed to Senator Joe Donnelly’s office where we had the wonderful honor and privilege to speak with him as well as take a group photo with him. Senator Donnelly sung praises for Wabash and encouraged all of us to apply for internships on the hill. I myself have met with two other Indiana Senators before, however Senator Donnelly was by far the most enjoyable and friendly in his interactions with us. I am sure I am not alone in saying that meeting Senator Donnelly will be one of the highlights of this week and our immersion trip experience.
After spending the afternoon on Capitol Hill, a group of seven of us decided to get an early dinner at a sit down, family style Italian restaurant. We ordered a mix of pasta, chicken, and appetizers and absolutely feasted upon what in my opinion, was the best meal we have had thus far in this trip. After dinner we headed over to the Newseum where we were able to attend a seminar given by Greg Lukianoff who addressed the ongoing issues of censorship and first amendment rights on college campuses. After this presentation there was a very nice reception where we were able to meet the speaker and socialize with other D.C. locals. After the event, many guys joined Dr. Drury on the nighttime walking tour of our national monuments.
Monday was an amazing day for the Little Giants, and we are all looking forward to the experiences that are to come the rest of the week. Tomorrow I am looking forward to the Newseum, our tour of the FBI, and as well as our meeting with Joe Pounder who runs the Super PAC America Rising. Words can quite honestly not describe how influential and enjoyable this immersion trip has been so far, and thankfully it has just begun!
