Can't get much more American than baseball on 4th of July Weekend!

The grind of a regular work week takes a little while to get used to. Working at my internship 8:30 to 5:00, commuting back to the apartment, making dinner, and cracking the books for class can take quite a toll on a guy. This schedule is exactly why I'm passed out no later than 11 o'clock Monday-Thursday. As such, it's vitally important that I have an absolute blast on the weekends.

To wind down after a tough week of work, a few of the gentlemen of the WAIP program headed down to Nationals park for a night of baseball and male bonding on Friday. As a lifelong supporter of the Cleveland Indians, I can relate to the struggles of the Nationals fan base. Terrible year in and year out, the Nationals struggle to finish even close to a .500 winning percentage. That being said, it was a great crowd this past Friday for an evening game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Even more, we were treated to a pretty exciting finish. The game ended 2-1 Nats in the bottom of the ninth inning on a walk-off single

For a college student, a night at the ball game is actually quite inexpensive (assuming you stay away from the concessions stand). By showing my BuckID, I can purchase tickets in the upper deck for five bucks a pop. Even if you don't have a rooting interest in the outcome of the game, it's still a great atmosphere to socialize and relax.

After the game, one of my favorite phenomena took place on our walk back to the metro. Joe was wearing his Buckeye Nuthouse shirt and several strangers shouted out "O-H!" or "Go Bucks!" The presence of the Buckeye community is definitely strong in the nation's capitol. I always say that the community of fans and alumni is one of the best parts of being an Ohio State student. Additionally, hearing from different OSU graduates in our field trips and policy salons each week is a great inspiration to excel in my own field. The Buckeye we heard from at the pentagon oversees a nearly 20 billion dollar budget! Billion with a B!

Having OSU in common with both strangers and WAIP speakers alike is a great reminder of how lucky I am to be connected to this great university. Go Bucks indeed.

Steven