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.