We awoke at 3am this morning to get on the first metro train into the city. On the way, the Arlington SWAT team was loading up and one of the officers said to me, “You guys are choosing to do this?” Crazily enough, yes.
The gates at Courthouse station just opened as we got there, and already there were people waiting. The whole city was on lock. It definitely wasn’t hard to get there, all we had to was follow the thousands of other people.
We established a space at approximately 4:30am. The temperature was 18 degrees. By 5:30am Jenna, Jessica and James bailed. It was too cold and too claustrophobic. Only me and Crystal left. My feet were getting frostbite.
By 7:30am, for some reason, the crowd eased up. I danced around for about 2-3 hours just to stay alive.
It’s hard to fathom the motivation for over a million people to knowingly go into an extremely uncomfortable situation (fighting with people to get a spot where neither one of you will actually see what’s going on) to essentially see one man speak for about 15 minutes.
But this was one of the most significant events in modern human history and almost certainly the most significant for my generation.
Today, Barack Obama became the first African American President, 46 years after Martin Luther King’s dream. One sign in the crowd read, “The future is watching.”
In so many ways, President Obama has renewed the American dream and has personified the millennial generation’s hopes, dreams and aspirations. I firmly believe that now is a turning point for our generation. We have the knowledge, opportunity and technology to change the world for the better. This is a new era.
And we started by cleaning up the mall.
This has been one of the most enthralling experiences of my life, and I am so grateful that Mount Olive College has given me and my fellow students this opportunity to represent my school and witness history. Thank you to Dr. Jordan, Mrs. Jennifer Merritt, Mrs. Rhonda Jessup, Dustin Keipper, Dr. Debra Houston and everybody that helped make this possible for us. It was incredible.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Day 10: The Day before the New World
Today, was essentially the last day of our time here in Washington. Tomorrow, being the inauguration will be an all day affair and the next day we’ll be getting on the train early in the morning.
We had planned to wake up early in the morning and call Senator Burr and Hagan to see if there was any chance we could get a ticket.
I gained consciousness this morning around 8:30 and called both offices right away. No luck. On TV there were lines wrapped around the Senate offices. Even the waiting lists numbered in the thousands.
Considering the big day we have tomorrow, we decided to take it easy and just get some group pictures. We ended up walking around the Tidal Basin to the FDR Memorial, which was a really nice way to unwind from the hectic week. The entire basin was frozen over and surprisingly, there weren’t that many people around. After that, most of the group wanted to go back to the apartment, so Crystal and I decided to check out the mall.
By the time we got there, most of the crowd had dispersed but there were still plenty of folks around. Most of the major media networks were around, with sets in the mall or with reporters walking around. We also ran into Charles Gibson of ABC news.
The energy in the city is unreal and amazingly, most people have been quite cordial and friendly. An estimated 1.4 million people were out at the mall today. James Vickory gave a great insight about this, in his words: "Even if you put 10 pickle festivals ontop of each other, there wouldn't be that many people." You're the man Jimmy.
Yesterday at the concert, I looked around and people of all ages, race, size, whatever…were all just happy to be there, and I thought, man I am so proud to be an American! And I’m not even American!
Anyway, I better plan the attack for tomorrow. I’m out like George Bush…
We had planned to wake up early in the morning and call Senator Burr and Hagan to see if there was any chance we could get a ticket.
I gained consciousness this morning around 8:30 and called both offices right away. No luck. On TV there were lines wrapped around the Senate offices. Even the waiting lists numbered in the thousands.
Considering the big day we have tomorrow, we decided to take it easy and just get some group pictures. We ended up walking around the Tidal Basin to the FDR Memorial, which was a really nice way to unwind from the hectic week. The entire basin was frozen over and surprisingly, there weren’t that many people around. After that, most of the group wanted to go back to the apartment, so Crystal and I decided to check out the mall.
By the time we got there, most of the crowd had dispersed but there were still plenty of folks around. Most of the major media networks were around, with sets in the mall or with reporters walking around. We also ran into Charles Gibson of ABC news.
The energy in the city is unreal and amazingly, most people have been quite cordial and friendly. An estimated 1.4 million people were out at the mall today. James Vickory gave a great insight about this, in his words: "Even if you put 10 pickle festivals ontop of each other, there wouldn't be that many people." You're the man Jimmy.
Yesterday at the concert, I looked around and people of all ages, race, size, whatever…were all just happy to be there, and I thought, man I am so proud to be an American! And I’m not even American!
Anyway, I better plan the attack for tomorrow. I’m out like George Bush…
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Day 9: Some guy named Barack Obama…
The inauguration celebrations kicked off today with the We R One concert held at the Lincoln Memorial. Man, it was absolutely crazy and it was just a prelude to what’s going to come on Tuesday.
We arrived fairly early, about 8:30 or so and the crowds were already out in full force. The roads were closed, the police, secret service and National Guard were on every corner.
The concert wasn’t scheduled to start till 2pm.
The waiting time, surprisingly, went by pretty quickly. We pre-occupied ourselves by trying to protect our area from foreign invasion, and it actually turned out well. For the most part we kept our ground.
From my only previous concert experience, I knew that even if you kept your ground the entire wait, as soon as the show starts, there’s usually a mad push to get to the front. But we found a nice spot on a small hill near the front of the reflecting pool and stayed tough. For it to be free, with almost a million people spread out across the national mall that was as good as it gets.
Obviously, it was very cool that all these big time celebrities came out blah, blah, blah, but I think the craziest thing to me was just the shear number of people out there.
And to think that all these people were here for one reason, one man.
There were people as far as the eye could see, and when everyone sang and jumped in unity to Garth Brooks, it sent chills down my spine. I’ve never even listened to Garth Brooks, but Garth Brooks straight killed it!
I looked out from Lincoln Memorial on our bus tour early last week and I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to stand on that stage and look out onto a sea of people, with a million pair of eyes fixed onto you.
It’s amazing the impact that one person can have.
The President-Elect came out towards the end and gave one of his incredible speeches. His speeches are so grand, yet somehow they relate to every class of people and stir the most basic of desires.
Tomorrow is our last chance for inaugural tickets. We’ve got our fingers crossed…
We arrived fairly early, about 8:30 or so and the crowds were already out in full force. The roads were closed, the police, secret service and National Guard were on every corner.
The concert wasn’t scheduled to start till 2pm.
The waiting time, surprisingly, went by pretty quickly. We pre-occupied ourselves by trying to protect our area from foreign invasion, and it actually turned out well. For the most part we kept our ground.
From my only previous concert experience, I knew that even if you kept your ground the entire wait, as soon as the show starts, there’s usually a mad push to get to the front. But we found a nice spot on a small hill near the front of the reflecting pool and stayed tough. For it to be free, with almost a million people spread out across the national mall that was as good as it gets.
Obviously, it was very cool that all these big time celebrities came out blah, blah, blah, but I think the craziest thing to me was just the shear number of people out there.
And to think that all these people were here for one reason, one man.
There were people as far as the eye could see, and when everyone sang and jumped in unity to Garth Brooks, it sent chills down my spine. I’ve never even listened to Garth Brooks, but Garth Brooks straight killed it!
I looked out from Lincoln Memorial on our bus tour early last week and I couldn’t even imagine what it would be like to stand on that stage and look out onto a sea of people, with a million pair of eyes fixed onto you.
It’s amazing the impact that one person can have.
The President-Elect came out towards the end and gave one of his incredible speeches. His speeches are so grand, yet somehow they relate to every class of people and stir the most basic of desires.
Tomorrow is our last chance for inaugural tickets. We’ve got our fingers crossed…
Memo to the New President
Didn't get a chance to write last night. I had to finish my final paper when we got back last night. Yesterday was our last day with the Washington Center. We attended the Newseum, museum of news and it was one of the coolest museums I have ever been to. Very interactive and hands on. After that Crystal, Jenna and I went to see one of those Madame Tassaud's Wax museums and hob-nobbed with the life-like figures of famous people, because their real counterparts would never actually give us the time of day. The whole concept of the museum is actually quite amusing.
Anyway, I can't write much this morning, we're about to head out to a concert which will probably the closest we will get to the new President. Here is my memo;
Dear Mr. President,
I would like to congratulate you on becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. I supported your campaign from the beginning and I am proud to say that I am a true believer of your vision and agenda.
I would like to congratulate you on becoming the 44th President of the United States of America. I supported your campaign from the beginning and I am proud to say that I am a true believer of your vision and agenda.
The purpose of my memorandum to you is not to give tactical or strategic advice, as both are clearly beyond me. I simply wish that my writing will provide some inspiration for you and be a reminder of the support and promise in which the citizens of the world have placed upon you. Mr. Obama, when you were elected, the world rejoiced. The world rejoiced not because you are a brilliant political tactician (even though you are), not because of your charisma, but because we truly believe you are a good man.
The presidency is obviously a position full of contradictions; contradictions between strict adherence to the constitution or bending the rules, between interests of local agenda and the national agenda, between immediate fixes and long term strategies, even between your individual morality and the moral judgments’ of the constituents. It is clear that there is no one absolute right answer to everything. The American people have realized that the Presidency cannot be run on an agenda focused on ideology. We want our President to have the ability and intelligence to bend rules when needed. Therefore, the most important quality of the President is character. We need someone we can trust to bend the rules. We need a President whom is intelligent enough to set reasonable and progressive goals. We want a President whom is socially adept and has a vision of something better for everyone. We need a President whom recognizes that we exist in an interdependent world and realizes that win-win solutions do exist. Mr. President, we have no other choice.
Mr. Obama, your campaign was developed on the idea of shared values. It is the belief that despite our vast differences, all Americans are bound together by some basic principles and desires. All Americans would like to live in harmony with one another, send their children to safe schools and earn a living with dignity. You have recognized the dangers of leaning too far left or right on any issue, which is why the world identifies with you.
Mr. Obama, it must be difficult for you to grasp the impact and significance of your Presidency. Perhaps many years down the road, when you contemplate in retrospect, you will comprehend the gift you have been given. To put it bluntly, the world is enamored with you. With this adoration comes a great expectation on the delivery of promises. As you have demonstrated already, now is the perfect time to initiate change by passing bills with a pressure on congress to take action. At this point, congress does not wish to stand in the unemployment line. The honeymoon is not quite yet over.
Furthermore, now is the time in which history will judge your greatness and place within the Presidential ranks. The difference between the greats and the failures were their actions in a crisis such as the one we are facing now. Your ability to pass legislation and reforms (perhaps in the first 100 days) that will boost the economy will be your ultimate measure of greatness.
Mr. Obama, after experiencing a President with the lowest approval ratings in history, we want and need a transparency of your administration. We want to know the truth and the whole truth, which is why personal leadership was the first issue mentioned. Mr. Obama, your campaign was very successful because for the most part you were accessible. The micro-funding and the revolution of the internet allowed you reach more people than ever before. Maintain this relationship with the media please. We connected with you personally, like no other candidate before you.
Thank you Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity and pleasure to congratulate you on your achievement. I truly believe your character, actions and relationships will determine your greatness. Your campaign not only transcended history, it has transformed lives. Your Presidency is both a reflection and symbolization of the journey of our young country and our young people. You have provided me hope, inspiration and optimism.
Thank you.
Yeeka Yau
Thank you Mr. President, for giving me the opportunity and pleasure to congratulate you on your achievement. I truly believe your character, actions and relationships will determine your greatness. Your campaign not only transcended history, it has transformed lives. Your Presidency is both a reflection and symbolization of the journey of our young country and our young people. You have provided me hope, inspiration and optimism.
Thank you.
Yeeka Yau
Friday, January 16, 2009
Day 7: God Bless Benin
I read through some of the previous blog posts and I must apologize because there are a lot of grammatical and spelling mistakes. The long days are taking a toll on all of us. By the end of the day I start going delusional from lack of sleep. Most mornings we left the apartment by 6:30am and would sit through seminars until 12:30pm and end with site visits till 7 or 8pm. Then back to the apartment to read and do our homework.
Today was the last day of our morning seminars and technically the last formal day of the program. As the days went by, it was apparent that there were more and more empty seats. Everyone was just physically and mentally drained.
This morning our special guest was Sam Donaldson of ABC News, followed by a panel of former congressmen. I won’t go into the details of the talks, but they have all revolved around the media’s role in campaigning and the Presidency as well as discussion of Obama’s policies as he transitions into the White House.
After our seminars let out, we filled out evaluation forms and met up with our small groups for our site visit. Today we visited the Embassy of Benin, at Embassy row in an area called Woodley Park. Washington has some cool suburbs, and each one has its own unique feel.
Benin is a small developing country in Western Africa with a population of about 6 million. We spent our time there talking to their Ambassador to the United States whom was very gracious and offered us coffee and tea.
I knocked back a cup of coffee with about 3 tablespoons of coffee and 2 tablespoons of sugar just to make sure I would pay attention.
Man, I found so much inspiration from the story of Benin. It’s a really young democratic country; it only gained independence from the French about 40 years ago. The Ambassador was proud to say that Benin has been a model of democracy for the rest of Africa. In its short history, Benin has been a peaceful nation, no wars or violations of human rights, which as he explained, is probably why you’ve never heard of it. Benin has Muslims, Christians and people of other religious faiths living harmoniously together. That’s pretty impressive, especially for a nation in poverty.
Come on Israel, you guys need to Benin it up.
It really choked me up a little, when I thought about it. Benin is like our generation; Young, hopeful and more highly educated than ever. Marc Pachter, one of our speakers said the other day that the political process is the “uncertainty of the experiment.” Our future hasn’t been written, all we have to is take action. Change is on the way, and it’s up to us.
Thanks again to everyone keeping up with us. I really am so grateful that our school has given us this opportunity of a lifetime. I also wanted to say that everyone on our team, Jessica, Crystal, Trent, Jenna and James help contribute to the blog, it’s not just me. We are all so grateful for this.
I want to especially mention my wonderful girlfriend Crystal. Every time I say “Hey can we video diary?” she just stops and helps me, no questions asked. We’re trying to conserve money, so every time we buy food, she’ll always give me half of her food, because she knows I’m still hungry. That’s love man. I’m gonna marry her someday.
Today was the last day of our morning seminars and technically the last formal day of the program. As the days went by, it was apparent that there were more and more empty seats. Everyone was just physically and mentally drained.
This morning our special guest was Sam Donaldson of ABC News, followed by a panel of former congressmen. I won’t go into the details of the talks, but they have all revolved around the media’s role in campaigning and the Presidency as well as discussion of Obama’s policies as he transitions into the White House.
After our seminars let out, we filled out evaluation forms and met up with our small groups for our site visit. Today we visited the Embassy of Benin, at Embassy row in an area called Woodley Park. Washington has some cool suburbs, and each one has its own unique feel.
Benin is a small developing country in Western Africa with a population of about 6 million. We spent our time there talking to their Ambassador to the United States whom was very gracious and offered us coffee and tea.
I knocked back a cup of coffee with about 3 tablespoons of coffee and 2 tablespoons of sugar just to make sure I would pay attention.
Man, I found so much inspiration from the story of Benin. It’s a really young democratic country; it only gained independence from the French about 40 years ago. The Ambassador was proud to say that Benin has been a model of democracy for the rest of Africa. In its short history, Benin has been a peaceful nation, no wars or violations of human rights, which as he explained, is probably why you’ve never heard of it. Benin has Muslims, Christians and people of other religious faiths living harmoniously together. That’s pretty impressive, especially for a nation in poverty.
Come on Israel, you guys need to Benin it up.
It really choked me up a little, when I thought about it. Benin is like our generation; Young, hopeful and more highly educated than ever. Marc Pachter, one of our speakers said the other day that the political process is the “uncertainty of the experiment.” Our future hasn’t been written, all we have to is take action. Change is on the way, and it’s up to us.
Thanks again to everyone keeping up with us. I really am so grateful that our school has given us this opportunity of a lifetime. I also wanted to say that everyone on our team, Jessica, Crystal, Trent, Jenna and James help contribute to the blog, it’s not just me. We are all so grateful for this.
I want to especially mention my wonderful girlfriend Crystal. Every time I say “Hey can we video diary?” she just stops and helps me, no questions asked. We’re trying to conserve money, so every time we buy food, she’ll always give me half of her food, because she knows I’m still hungry. That’s love man. I’m gonna marry her someday.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Day 6: Where in the world is John McCain?
I’ll tell you where…hanging out at the Russell Senate Building on Capital Hill. We had our meeting with Senator Burr today, so we had leave our morning seminars earlier to get to the Capital building on time.
The Senators offices are surprisingly free of too much security. Once you get past the initial screening you are pretty much left to your own devices to roam the hallways and go into Senator’s offices. We got there pretty early and as we strolled down the hallway towards Senator Burr’s office, we past one door that read: Senator John McCain, Arizona.
The interesting thing is that the Senator’s offices are technically tax-payer property and therefore owned by you. Obviously, you can make that argument about any public good, but your Senator is specifically supposed to represent their local constituents, so you can walk into their office at anytime. Crystal and I snooped around John McCain’s office and looked at his family portraits etc.
We had some time to kill, so we just hung around the lobby of the building and wouldn’t you know it, the man himself, that’s right, John McCain comes strolling through the building accompanied by his staffer.
You know how I told you guys I live by the rule, ”If you don’t ask the answer is NO?” Well, keep following…
Crystal is the first to spot him, “That’s John McCain!, Yeeka, Yeeka, it’s John McCain!” Suddenly, we all notice and start running after the Senator, as he comes to a stop to wait for the elevator. At this point, Jessica blurted out with “Hey, Senator McCain!” and he gives a gracious wave back, while frantically pushing the button for the elevator.
Guess what I did?
Nothing.
I stood there, heart pounding. (Which was later explained to me as the feeling of being awe-struck.)
In what seemed like an eternity but probably for only a couple of seconds, John McCain stood there waiting for the elevator.
Then he got on, and left.
We looked at each other, all thinking, “THAT WAS JOHN MCCAIN! WHY DIDN’T WE ASK FOR A PICTURE!”
I hated myself for a while after that, but there was no time to be disappointed. We met Senator Burr, whom was very gracious to invite us into his office for a picture and a short chat before he ran off for a vote. His staff gave us passes to sit in on the Senate vote in the Capital building.
Man, that was an experience. One by one, they started rolling in, all the big names, John McCain, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, Kay Hagan…I was acting like a 12 year old girl at a Miley Cyrus concert.
To add to the significance of the whole thing, today was the last day that Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden would vote in the Senate. We truly are experiencing history.
In the afternoon, we took a quick tour of the Capital building and witnessed the last vote of the day, a motion to NOT release the funds allocated to the economic stimulus plan early. The democrat Senators ended up defeating the bill. It’s hard to describe the emotions of really experiencing Washington. Usually we feel so distant from what happens in Government, but to be there first hand, and see a decision made, makes it so real and absolutely awe-inspiring. We can make things happen! The decisions these individuals make, set the course of history. The decisions we make too, set the course of history.
The last thing we did was attend a performance by Mark Russell, a comedian and musician whom combines his talents for a show. He was fantastic, and said a few things that really inspired me. He said that this whole process is “the first inspiration” for us, the students. He said that his generation screwed up, but now it’s on us.
This trip has been very inspiring to me and even though its not over yet, it has undoubtedly been one of the best experiences of my life. Even if you are not interested in Politics, work hard in something you love and make a positive impact with it. In this day and age, we have more power and opportunity to do anything we want. Even the biggest things done in the history of this country, start off small.
The Senators offices are surprisingly free of too much security. Once you get past the initial screening you are pretty much left to your own devices to roam the hallways and go into Senator’s offices. We got there pretty early and as we strolled down the hallway towards Senator Burr’s office, we past one door that read: Senator John McCain, Arizona.
The interesting thing is that the Senator’s offices are technically tax-payer property and therefore owned by you. Obviously, you can make that argument about any public good, but your Senator is specifically supposed to represent their local constituents, so you can walk into their office at anytime. Crystal and I snooped around John McCain’s office and looked at his family portraits etc.
We had some time to kill, so we just hung around the lobby of the building and wouldn’t you know it, the man himself, that’s right, John McCain comes strolling through the building accompanied by his staffer.
You know how I told you guys I live by the rule, ”If you don’t ask the answer is NO?” Well, keep following…
Crystal is the first to spot him, “That’s John McCain!, Yeeka, Yeeka, it’s John McCain!” Suddenly, we all notice and start running after the Senator, as he comes to a stop to wait for the elevator. At this point, Jessica blurted out with “Hey, Senator McCain!” and he gives a gracious wave back, while frantically pushing the button for the elevator.
Guess what I did?
Nothing.
I stood there, heart pounding. (Which was later explained to me as the feeling of being awe-struck.)
In what seemed like an eternity but probably for only a couple of seconds, John McCain stood there waiting for the elevator.
Then he got on, and left.
We looked at each other, all thinking, “THAT WAS JOHN MCCAIN! WHY DIDN’T WE ASK FOR A PICTURE!”
I hated myself for a while after that, but there was no time to be disappointed. We met Senator Burr, whom was very gracious to invite us into his office for a picture and a short chat before he ran off for a vote. His staff gave us passes to sit in on the Senate vote in the Capital building.
Man, that was an experience. One by one, they started rolling in, all the big names, John McCain, Joe Biden, Hilary Clinton, John Kerry, Joe Lieberman, Kay Hagan…I was acting like a 12 year old girl at a Miley Cyrus concert.
To add to the significance of the whole thing, today was the last day that Hilary Clinton and Joe Biden would vote in the Senate. We truly are experiencing history.
In the afternoon, we took a quick tour of the Capital building and witnessed the last vote of the day, a motion to NOT release the funds allocated to the economic stimulus plan early. The democrat Senators ended up defeating the bill. It’s hard to describe the emotions of really experiencing Washington. Usually we feel so distant from what happens in Government, but to be there first hand, and see a decision made, makes it so real and absolutely awe-inspiring. We can make things happen! The decisions these individuals make, set the course of history. The decisions we make too, set the course of history.
The last thing we did was attend a performance by Mark Russell, a comedian and musician whom combines his talents for a show. He was fantastic, and said a few things that really inspired me. He said that this whole process is “the first inspiration” for us, the students. He said that his generation screwed up, but now it’s on us.
This trip has been very inspiring to me and even though its not over yet, it has undoubtedly been one of the best experiences of my life. Even if you are not interested in Politics, work hard in something you love and make a positive impact with it. In this day and age, we have more power and opportunity to do anything we want. Even the biggest things done in the history of this country, start off small.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Day 5: Ted Koppel Groupies
Only in Washington D.C. with a couple of hundred of political science majors would you ever find people going after the people that go after people for a living…
We had our 5th day of seminars today and again C-SPAN was on location for the action. The first guest of the day was Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary for the outgoing Bush administration. It’s like everyday the Washington Center just keeps rolling out big shot after big shot of Washington insiders and media celebrities. Today was no different. The students asked her some pretty tough questions regarding the Bush administration and Dana remained very diplomatic.
The next celeb was Ted Koppel, former host of ABC News Nightline, and now Senior news analyst for National Public Radio and BBC. This guy is a media superstar, like the Lebron James of news. He was really no-nonsense and refuted a lot of Dana’s comments. It was cool to see someone not being afraid to offend anyone and telling it the way he wants to.
Near the end of his talk, I whispered to the rest of our team to head out to the lobby to see if we could get a photo with Ted. Unfortunately, heaps of other people did too. We waited outside and finally Ted came out escorted by some of the organizers, and man, these guys were like vultures. The guy escorting him was trying to tell people that Ted needed to leave and I guess there are a lot of Journalism majors out here, but they just wouldn’t let him leave.
Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to get a picture too but I wasn’t going to stick my hand in his face to get it. I mean he’s a great reporter and I respect him, but he’s still just a person. I’m not going to disrespect myself just to be in a picture with him. No picture is that big of a deal.
After Ted left, our next speaker was Clarence Page a columnist with the Chicago Tribune. He was a great speaker and very entertaining too.
After the morning seminars we took the metro to Dupont Circle and took a cab over to the Embassy of Finland for our site visit. Finland is just a small country of population about 5.3 million, but from what I gathered a pretty successful country in terms remaining peaceful and stable. Its education system is also rated number 1 in the world. The funny thing about the embassy was that in the lobby there was a very strange video playing on their TVs which showed this guy rolling (sometimes naked), walking, skipping, and running through the screen for 5 seconds each time, and apparently for one whole year. I didn’t really understand what it was supposed to mean. Might have to follow up on that.
I’ll try to get videos up soon. Thanks for keeping up with us!
We had our 5th day of seminars today and again C-SPAN was on location for the action. The first guest of the day was Dana Perino, White House Press Secretary for the outgoing Bush administration. It’s like everyday the Washington Center just keeps rolling out big shot after big shot of Washington insiders and media celebrities. Today was no different. The students asked her some pretty tough questions regarding the Bush administration and Dana remained very diplomatic.
The next celeb was Ted Koppel, former host of ABC News Nightline, and now Senior news analyst for National Public Radio and BBC. This guy is a media superstar, like the Lebron James of news. He was really no-nonsense and refuted a lot of Dana’s comments. It was cool to see someone not being afraid to offend anyone and telling it the way he wants to.
Near the end of his talk, I whispered to the rest of our team to head out to the lobby to see if we could get a photo with Ted. Unfortunately, heaps of other people did too. We waited outside and finally Ted came out escorted by some of the organizers, and man, these guys were like vultures. The guy escorting him was trying to tell people that Ted needed to leave and I guess there are a lot of Journalism majors out here, but they just wouldn’t let him leave.
Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to get a picture too but I wasn’t going to stick my hand in his face to get it. I mean he’s a great reporter and I respect him, but he’s still just a person. I’m not going to disrespect myself just to be in a picture with him. No picture is that big of a deal.
After Ted left, our next speaker was Clarence Page a columnist with the Chicago Tribune. He was a great speaker and very entertaining too.
After the morning seminars we took the metro to Dupont Circle and took a cab over to the Embassy of Finland for our site visit. Finland is just a small country of population about 5.3 million, but from what I gathered a pretty successful country in terms remaining peaceful and stable. Its education system is also rated number 1 in the world. The funny thing about the embassy was that in the lobby there was a very strange video playing on their TVs which showed this guy rolling (sometimes naked), walking, skipping, and running through the screen for 5 seconds each time, and apparently for one whole year. I didn’t really understand what it was supposed to mean. Might have to follow up on that.
I’ll try to get videos up soon. Thanks for keeping up with us!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Day 4: The Geek in the Pink
First off I have to apologize about the lack of photos and video that is supposed to accompany this blog. The internet here is brutally difficult to connect to. Each night I am connected to an unsecured network with about 1 bar of reception. I believe Trent Lassiter has been posting his photos on facebook, so just search him and add him as a friend. He’s a nice guy, he’ll accept.
Moving on…
The other night Crystal and I had decided to take a little visit to Chinatown on the way back to the apartments and we found this fantastic tie in one of the stores, a pink Obama tie. I thought it was pretty neat, but I wasn’t going to get it (lets just say I am fiscally conservative), but at Crystal’s insistence I picked it up. It proved worthwhile…
Today C-SPAN conducted our morning sessions, broadcasting their program “Washington Journal Live” with Juan Williams from National Public Radio and Bret Baier of Fox News. Again we got there early and was able to sit right at the front on the 2nd row. The second program was a new interview series hosted by Brian Lamb, CEO and founder of C-SPAN and the show included two guests Tom and Carol Wheeler, both of the Obama transition team. At the end of each interview, the hosts fielded questions from the audience. So as soon as they finish talking, there is a mad rush to the microphones, usually located at the front, but today was located about 8 rows back. After the first two interviews I rushed to get in line but each time ended up being about 10 positions back. I would wait the entire segment and just sit back down. However, the last show of the day was a new interview series on C-SPAN, again hosted by Brian Lamb. This time, between the intermission and the start of the show, I already waited in line.
Brian surprised us this time, by turning the questions onto us, and asked us questions, asking the students the focus of the show. He asked our name, where we were from and how our experienced had been so far. I won’t go into my response now (hopefully we can see it when it airs, which at this point is unknown, it should also be available online), but Brian noticed my pink tie and asked me about it. I told him it was $5 down at the Metro center.
I particularly enjoyed that show because the focus was on us; the latest generation of young people. I am really very interested in finding out how this Presidential campaign has impacted the young people of the country and what this campaign symbolizes about our generation. The answers our fellow students gave, really gave me a sense of optimism about the new President and administration. In the current economic and social circumstance, I don’t think we have a choice.
After that, I became “the guy with the tie.” Everyone started asking me where I got it and I heard a few comments like “Oh, that’s the guy with the tie” and “Let’s beat him up for his tie!” Kidding about the last one.
After our morning session we headed over to Dupont Circle to visit the advocacy group Oceania, a non-profit organization focused on disclosing important information regarding marine life, climate change, energy, even seafood. Jessica was pretty pumped about this one. Oceania was pretty excited about the new President given that President-elect Barack Obama had sponsored a few of their bills while a Senator. Besides that it was just nice to see people being passionate about something, and trying to make a positive impact. Everyday, I am here I feel more optimistic and confident that Washington is still a place that will get things done, be that Congress, or non-profits like Oceania. If everyone just worked on something small to better the world, together we have done something big.
After the visit we headed over to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a reception and a short address by Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation. We enjoyed the food and when Bob came out I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to ask him a question. I asked him how he thought this campaign reflected the characteristics of the Millennial generation. He told us in Ghandi-eske fashion not to give up on government and that if we wanted change, we had to be it.
Another day has gone by.
Moving on…
The other night Crystal and I had decided to take a little visit to Chinatown on the way back to the apartments and we found this fantastic tie in one of the stores, a pink Obama tie. I thought it was pretty neat, but I wasn’t going to get it (lets just say I am fiscally conservative), but at Crystal’s insistence I picked it up. It proved worthwhile…
Today C-SPAN conducted our morning sessions, broadcasting their program “Washington Journal Live” with Juan Williams from National Public Radio and Bret Baier of Fox News. Again we got there early and was able to sit right at the front on the 2nd row. The second program was a new interview series hosted by Brian Lamb, CEO and founder of C-SPAN and the show included two guests Tom and Carol Wheeler, both of the Obama transition team. At the end of each interview, the hosts fielded questions from the audience. So as soon as they finish talking, there is a mad rush to the microphones, usually located at the front, but today was located about 8 rows back. After the first two interviews I rushed to get in line but each time ended up being about 10 positions back. I would wait the entire segment and just sit back down. However, the last show of the day was a new interview series on C-SPAN, again hosted by Brian Lamb. This time, between the intermission and the start of the show, I already waited in line.
Brian surprised us this time, by turning the questions onto us, and asked us questions, asking the students the focus of the show. He asked our name, where we were from and how our experienced had been so far. I won’t go into my response now (hopefully we can see it when it airs, which at this point is unknown, it should also be available online), but Brian noticed my pink tie and asked me about it. I told him it was $5 down at the Metro center.
I particularly enjoyed that show because the focus was on us; the latest generation of young people. I am really very interested in finding out how this Presidential campaign has impacted the young people of the country and what this campaign symbolizes about our generation. The answers our fellow students gave, really gave me a sense of optimism about the new President and administration. In the current economic and social circumstance, I don’t think we have a choice.
After that, I became “the guy with the tie.” Everyone started asking me where I got it and I heard a few comments like “Oh, that’s the guy with the tie” and “Let’s beat him up for his tie!” Kidding about the last one.
After our morning session we headed over to Dupont Circle to visit the advocacy group Oceania, a non-profit organization focused on disclosing important information regarding marine life, climate change, energy, even seafood. Jessica was pretty pumped about this one. Oceania was pretty excited about the new President given that President-elect Barack Obama had sponsored a few of their bills while a Senator. Besides that it was just nice to see people being passionate about something, and trying to make a positive impact. Everyday, I am here I feel more optimistic and confident that Washington is still a place that will get things done, be that Congress, or non-profits like Oceania. If everyone just worked on something small to better the world, together we have done something big.
After the visit we headed over to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for a reception and a short address by Bob Schieffer, Chief Washington correspondent and moderator of Face the Nation. We enjoyed the food and when Bob came out I just happened to be at the right place at the right time to ask him a question. I asked him how he thought this campaign reflected the characteristics of the Millennial generation. He told us in Ghandi-eske fashion not to give up on government and that if we wanted change, we had to be it.
Another day has gone by.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Day 3: The Uncertainty of the Experiment.
So, recently I have tried to live by this quote, “If you don’t ask, the answer is no.” I try to remind myself to take risks to create opportunities in anything that I do. There’s no time to be scared, and nothing to lose. This is what I want to for this trip.
Just got some excellent news, I had contacted our North Carolina Senator Richard Burr last week before this trip and just got a reply from his office. His scheduler emailed me back and asked us if we had time to meet with him in the Capitol Hill building, where we could get a tour as well!!! I’m definitely going to make this happen, big time Washington action baby!
Ok let me check in about our day…
By the time we got into the Seminar yesterday, the lower level was already full and we had to sit in the upper deck which was turned up like a sauna, so last night we knew we had to get up extra early to get the good seats in the front. We decided to leave the apartments by 6:30am given the Monday morning traffic. Our plan went according to schedule, and we were one of the first groups to get there; the doors weren’t even open yet.
By the time the doors opened at 8am, a crowd of students already gathered outside and we all rushed in to the auditorium. Luckily, we managed to grab front row seats. For the first half of the day we listened to 4 speakers, one Special agent from the Secret Service, the Director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and a dual of USA Today Columnists; conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel, both whom frequently appear on the Fox Network.
I won’t delve into each speech, which were all really good, but the Cal and Bob dual was definitely the most entertaining. They were comical and talked about finding common ground as republicans and democrats and as conservatives and liberals. The idea that as Americans we can all agree that we want less poor people, better jobs and safer neighborhoods. Non-partisan attitudes and politics that are focused on results are needed for this country to progress.
At the end of each speech, the students are given the opportunity to come forward to the microphone and ask questions. I had this on my mind the whole morning. After sitting in the nose bleeds yesterday, I was pretty ready to get in on the action. Cal and Bob was my last chance. I had a good question, so as soon as they stopped talking, there was a mad rush of students to the front of the pit. I jumped up from my seat and cut in front of a few helpless students (whoops). There were still about 8 people in front of me, so I knew there was a chance that I might be asked to sit down due to time constraints. I was a little nervous but I just kept going over the question in my head. After a few questions from the other students I glanced over at one of the organizers, who looked down at their watch and started making their way over to me…
In my head I was like crap, please don’t ask me to sit down. I avoided eye-contact as if it would make him go away, and then he put his hand on my shoulder. Dang.
“He’s going to ask the last question” he told the girl behind me.
So I was able to ask my question. We got it on video, but the internet is so slow here. I will have to find a place we can go so I can upload it.
After our morning session, we broke up into our small groups for discussions and lunch. In the afternoon we had free time, so we decided to check out the Holocaust museum, and the Museum of Natural History. They were both excellent, but they were so big that we didn’t have enough time to spend in either of them. I reckon we need 36 hour days in Washington D.C.
Anyway after the museums closed we headed downtown to eat at the Hard Rock café and back to the apartment…man, I’m going to need to get more than 4 hours sleep a night sometime soon.
Just got some excellent news, I had contacted our North Carolina Senator Richard Burr last week before this trip and just got a reply from his office. His scheduler emailed me back and asked us if we had time to meet with him in the Capitol Hill building, where we could get a tour as well!!! I’m definitely going to make this happen, big time Washington action baby!
Ok let me check in about our day…
By the time we got into the Seminar yesterday, the lower level was already full and we had to sit in the upper deck which was turned up like a sauna, so last night we knew we had to get up extra early to get the good seats in the front. We decided to leave the apartments by 6:30am given the Monday morning traffic. Our plan went according to schedule, and we were one of the first groups to get there; the doors weren’t even open yet.
By the time the doors opened at 8am, a crowd of students already gathered outside and we all rushed in to the auditorium. Luckily, we managed to grab front row seats. For the first half of the day we listened to 4 speakers, one Special agent from the Secret Service, the Director of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery and a dual of USA Today Columnists; conservative Cal Thomas and liberal Bob Beckel, both whom frequently appear on the Fox Network.
I won’t delve into each speech, which were all really good, but the Cal and Bob dual was definitely the most entertaining. They were comical and talked about finding common ground as republicans and democrats and as conservatives and liberals. The idea that as Americans we can all agree that we want less poor people, better jobs and safer neighborhoods. Non-partisan attitudes and politics that are focused on results are needed for this country to progress.
At the end of each speech, the students are given the opportunity to come forward to the microphone and ask questions. I had this on my mind the whole morning. After sitting in the nose bleeds yesterday, I was pretty ready to get in on the action. Cal and Bob was my last chance. I had a good question, so as soon as they stopped talking, there was a mad rush of students to the front of the pit. I jumped up from my seat and cut in front of a few helpless students (whoops). There were still about 8 people in front of me, so I knew there was a chance that I might be asked to sit down due to time constraints. I was a little nervous but I just kept going over the question in my head. After a few questions from the other students I glanced over at one of the organizers, who looked down at their watch and started making their way over to me…
In my head I was like crap, please don’t ask me to sit down. I avoided eye-contact as if it would make him go away, and then he put his hand on my shoulder. Dang.
“He’s going to ask the last question” he told the girl behind me.
So I was able to ask my question. We got it on video, but the internet is so slow here. I will have to find a place we can go so I can upload it.
After our morning session, we broke up into our small groups for discussions and lunch. In the afternoon we had free time, so we decided to check out the Holocaust museum, and the Museum of Natural History. They were both excellent, but they were so big that we didn’t have enough time to spend in either of them. I reckon we need 36 hour days in Washington D.C.
Anyway after the museums closed we headed downtown to eat at the Hard Rock café and back to the apartment…man, I’m going to need to get more than 4 hours sleep a night sometime soon.
Washington, DC - Here We Come!!!
Here we are, all ready for our big trip Saturday morning.
Left to right: Crystal Guy, Yeeka Yau, Trent Lassiter, James Vickory, Jessica Dennis and Jenna Gudac
Day 2: Inspiration is Free
“Hey, I got nominated to go to this Inauguration Seminar in January!” Crystal told me one day last semester. That was the first time I had heard about this program and immediately I knew I wanted to be apart of it. I enjoy discussing politics and philosophy and I was going to force my way there if I had too. Luckily, I found out later that I was nominated too, pending an interview/presentation for a spot to go.
In our interview we were asked to answer why it was that we wanted to go and why specifically, should we get to go, as opposed to someone else. So I really questioned what I could offer that was unique and why I was so interested in this campaign. To be honest, although quite unoriginal, I believe that it boils down to a very simple and primitive desire to want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I already knew that I simply had a desire to do something that matters, so what better place to learn from and be inspired by than Washington D.C! This was the mindset I had going into our first day of Seminars.
We left our apartment at 7am and headed towards the University of District of Columbia along with a sea of other students like ourselves. There are about 800 students here from all over the country and internationally as well. After a quick ice-breaker and introduction to the faculty and the rules we had our first speaker, Dana Bash, a CNN correspondent whom works right inside Capital Hill. She had followed John McCain throughout his whole campaign. She was very insightful and told us of many stories of her coming up through the ranks of political journalism. Her talk was followed by a series of questions from hopeful journalists.
The next speaker was Michael Genovese, the author of our textbook for the week Memo to a New President. He told us that service to others is a great source of happiness, which I really connected with, realizing that making a difference is not just naïve idealism, but still very much exists.
After our talks and a short meeting and lunch with our small group, we were off on our buses for a city tour. Our tour stopped at lots of different sites briefly, including, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln Memorials and others as well. I found inspiration everywhere, from Lincoln’s inaugural address where he said among many other things “malice toward none, with charity toward all” (I don’t think I have that quote down exactly the way it is) to the New Deal of FDR. It was unbelievably awe-inspiring to stand where Martin Luther King stood to deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech and to get an idea of how he must have felt. It was amazing.
Sorry I have to cut this short, I have to read again. I'll post pictures and video tonight.
In our interview we were asked to answer why it was that we wanted to go and why specifically, should we get to go, as opposed to someone else. So I really questioned what I could offer that was unique and why I was so interested in this campaign. To be honest, although quite unoriginal, I believe that it boils down to a very simple and primitive desire to want to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I already knew that I simply had a desire to do something that matters, so what better place to learn from and be inspired by than Washington D.C! This was the mindset I had going into our first day of Seminars.
We left our apartment at 7am and headed towards the University of District of Columbia along with a sea of other students like ourselves. There are about 800 students here from all over the country and internationally as well. After a quick ice-breaker and introduction to the faculty and the rules we had our first speaker, Dana Bash, a CNN correspondent whom works right inside Capital Hill. She had followed John McCain throughout his whole campaign. She was very insightful and told us of many stories of her coming up through the ranks of political journalism. Her talk was followed by a series of questions from hopeful journalists.
The next speaker was Michael Genovese, the author of our textbook for the week Memo to a New President. He told us that service to others is a great source of happiness, which I really connected with, realizing that making a difference is not just naïve idealism, but still very much exists.
After our talks and a short meeting and lunch with our small group, we were off on our buses for a city tour. Our tour stopped at lots of different sites briefly, including, the Iwo Jima Memorial, Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln Memorials and others as well. I found inspiration everywhere, from Lincoln’s inaugural address where he said among many other things “malice toward none, with charity toward all” (I don’t think I have that quote down exactly the way it is) to the New Deal of FDR. It was unbelievably awe-inspiring to stand where Martin Luther King stood to deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech and to get an idea of how he must have felt. It was amazing.
Sorry I have to cut this short, I have to read again. I'll post pictures and video tonight.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Day 1: Let’s see how much luggage we can haul through the Metro…
Hey everyone, Yeeka here checking in for the first post of our Presidential Inauguration Seminar Program. Man, what a day. I’ve only been with our team for one day and I feel like I’ve know these guys for years. It’s always funny when you travel with a group of people; you hardly know them and then all of sudden you spend every minute of the day with them. Anyhow…I’ll give a quick run-down of our Mount Olive team and then a quick spill about the day.
Trent Lassiter (Business): I didn’t know Trent that well except for some classes that I took with him. He’s always a popular guy in class and he’s one of the most polite people you’ll ever meet. Just an easy going, no-nonsense kind of guy.
James Vickory (Business): James is a really funny guy, not like over-the-top funny but a very subtle funniness if that makes any sense. He’s just a nice guy and already offered me some of his suits if I needed it. You’re a champ James.
Jessica Dennis (English Communications): I’ve known Jessica for a while and I know how excited she is about all of this. She is really smart and is really relishing this opportunity to learn how to help non-profits.
Jenna Gudac (Business/Human Resources): I’ve had a few classes with Jenna and she has always been very intelligent and very prepared. She has already fought her way through the Metro so I know she can protect us if anything comes up.
Crystal Guy (Clinical Psychology): Crystal is my beautiful, sweet girlfriend! Besides that though, she is really a very inspiring and driven girl. She’s smart and hard-working and….let me stop here.
Then there’s me, Yeeka Yau. I’ll just say that, I have had a deep interest in Politics this past year and I hope to find inspiration from this experience. Hopefully, this blog will give you more insight into my being here.
We gathered this morning at Raper Hall for Dr. Gall to drive us to Rocky Mount train station. We arrived plenty early and hopped on the train for Washington D.C. It was a really nice smooth ride and we had lunch in the dining car, played cards and all promptly took a nap, except for James, who, every time I looked over at him was just staring into the back of the seat in front of him.
When we got to Union Station, we got on the Metro with about 3 tons of luggage. Not the best idea in peak hour Washington D.C. We got split up in the fiasco but finally got to our stop and walked 3 blocks in the rain to the apartment. We finally settled in, went to Wendy’s for dinner and hit up the Safeway for groceries for the week. I’ve still got to read so I’ll check in tomorrow for our first day of the Seminar!
I’m out!
Trent Lassiter (Business): I didn’t know Trent that well except for some classes that I took with him. He’s always a popular guy in class and he’s one of the most polite people you’ll ever meet. Just an easy going, no-nonsense kind of guy.
James Vickory (Business): James is a really funny guy, not like over-the-top funny but a very subtle funniness if that makes any sense. He’s just a nice guy and already offered me some of his suits if I needed it. You’re a champ James.
Jessica Dennis (English Communications): I’ve known Jessica for a while and I know how excited she is about all of this. She is really smart and is really relishing this opportunity to learn how to help non-profits.
Jenna Gudac (Business/Human Resources): I’ve had a few classes with Jenna and she has always been very intelligent and very prepared. She has already fought her way through the Metro so I know she can protect us if anything comes up.
Crystal Guy (Clinical Psychology): Crystal is my beautiful, sweet girlfriend! Besides that though, she is really a very inspiring and driven girl. She’s smart and hard-working and….let me stop here.
Then there’s me, Yeeka Yau. I’ll just say that, I have had a deep interest in Politics this past year and I hope to find inspiration from this experience. Hopefully, this blog will give you more insight into my being here.
We gathered this morning at Raper Hall for Dr. Gall to drive us to Rocky Mount train station. We arrived plenty early and hopped on the train for Washington D.C. It was a really nice smooth ride and we had lunch in the dining car, played cards and all promptly took a nap, except for James, who, every time I looked over at him was just staring into the back of the seat in front of him.
When we got to Union Station, we got on the Metro with about 3 tons of luggage. Not the best idea in peak hour Washington D.C. We got split up in the fiasco but finally got to our stop and walked 3 blocks in the rain to the apartment. We finally settled in, went to Wendy’s for dinner and hit up the Safeway for groceries for the week. I’ve still got to read so I’ll check in tomorrow for our first day of the Seminar!
I’m out!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
