9/11 Pentagon Memorial

On September 11, I visited the 9/11 Pentagon Memorial to pay tribute to those who lost their lives on that horrific day. The memorial is by far one of the most elegant, yet at the same time, simple tributes I've ever visited. The design of the memorial is interesting - each victim's age and location at the time of the attack are incorporated into the memorial by the unique placement and direction of 184 cantilevered benches, one for each of the victims. Each bench is made of stainless steel and inlaid with granite, with the name of the victim inscribed onto the side and a pool of flowing water underneath the bench. The 184 memorial benches are arranged on age lines according to the year the victim was born. The age lines are denoted by stainless steel strips that cut through the memorial landscape. Each bench is also specifically positioned to distinguish victims who were in the Pentagon from those who were on board Flight 77. If you can see the name of the victim and the Pentagon in the same view, then those were individuals who were in the Pentagon. For those that were on board Flight 77, you see the name and the direction of the plane's approach in the same view. The experience of visiting the memorial becomes moving when you understand these design elements - the very few benches near the entrance represent the young children that died on board Flight 77. The benches become more numerous and clustered as you make your way through the memorial, but then they are spaced further apart as you get closer to the bench of the oldest victim (71), although the spacing isn't nearly as dramatic as it appears at the entrance. The age range of the victims is also represented through the Age Wall. The Age Wall rises from 3 inches (the age of the youngest victim) to 71 inches (the age of the oldest victim). Visiting the memorial on September 11 was an upsetting, yet meaningful experience as many family members of the victims were in attendance. One woman even asked me if I had lost a relative in the tragedy - luckily I was able to answer "no." I would like to visit the memorial at night, as I was told there are reflecting lights that illuminate each of the benches.

-Corey

Kayaking on the Potomac

One of the first weekends we were here, a few of us Glenn Fellows decided to go for a paddle down the Potomac. For only $25 a person, we were able to each rent a single kayak and spend some time exploring DC from the unique perspective of a kayak. Although there was a long line at the docks (the weather was particularly nice that day), the line moved relatively fast and we were out on the water in a matter of no time. We paddled around Theodore Roosevelt Island and the Lincoln Memorial before heading back to the dock in Georgetown. I couldn't believe how many people were out kayaking, boating, and paddleboarding - it was definitely the thing to do on this late summer day. It was also cool to see the airplanes from Reagan flying overhead. Although it may seem like a toursity thing to do, I would recommend anyone visiting DC to spend some time on the Potomac as it will be an afternoon well spent!

-Corey

Congressional Briefings

Part of my job as an intern in the House of Representatives is to spend time attending the many briefings and policy talks that are given every day on the Hill.  These briefings cover every topic imaginable, and are given in all different styles and formats.  Generally I will get asked by a staffer from our office to attend one and then report back with a brief memo highlighting the important details for them or any other staff who might need some quick info on that issue.  Since today is a relatively slow day, I thought I would highlight two of the more interesting talks I have been to thus far.

Several weeks ago I had the opportunity to listen to a panel on antibiotic-resistant diseases, highlighted by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Thomas Frieden.  I have a minor in public health, so this topic was already of particular interest to me.  I spent a month in India this past May participating in a global public health study abroad program, and while there wrote a term paper on the effects of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis in India.  It was truly a blessing to have the opportunity to hear one of the world's most prestigious public health individuals speak on a topic of such high interest to me.  I won't bore you with all the public health details, but Dr. Frieden did a great job of highlighting the need for further funding and research to fight off drug resistant diseases.  Another interesting thing that I noticed during this talk was how odd it is when members of Congress show up to speak.  They kind of show up randomly throughout the presentation, and then get up and give a broad speech for 5 minutes with information you already learned.  It is all political posturing, but people seem to enjoy it anyway.


The most interesting/famous person I heard speak was Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook, at the Newseum.  The Newseum is a fantastic facility all in itself, definitely worth the price of admission (or free if you go with WAIP like I did).  Zuckerberg was there for a conversation with the editor in chief of The Atlantic.  He answered questions about the future of Facebook, his personal life, his political views, immigration, government efficacy, and several other topics.  I really enjoyed his talk and came away feeling much differently than I did when I saw The Social Network.  He was thoughtful with his answers, and gave nothing away about his political beliefs.  However, watching him speak was like watching capitalism in action.  The guy is a force.  He is a tireless worker, and an example of the ingenuity that has always led American business.  My favorite anecdote that he gave came when he was asked about the extremely partisan nature of Congress.  Zuckerberg pointed out that the country is very divided on many issues and that maybe the amount that is getting done right now is what the people really want done.  Granted, he said this before the shutdown, but I think what he said rings true.  He sounded like a mini-James Madison, channeling Federalist No. 10.    This talk was also my first insight into the privileges that come with having a congressional ID.  Tara (the other intern in my office from Leeds University in the UK) and I simply walked up to this closed event and said we were there for our office.  They took us right in and gave us a seat near the front.  Here is a picture she took.

That seems like enough for now.

Tom McGraw

Watching Football

One of the first things I did when I found out I would be spending fall semester in DC was attempt to determine where I could watch the Buckeyes and the Browns on Saturdays and Sundays.  There was no way I could sit out a semester of watching my favorite teams play.  Luckily, both teams have great bars that provide a fantastic watching environment. 

The big Ohio State bar in Washington is Rhino's Bar and Pumphouse in Georgetown.  They also are the official bar for Penn State, the Red Sox, and the Philadelphia Eagles.  We have been there for all the Ohio State games so far except Wisconsin, which almost all of the Glenn Fellows went back to Columbus for.  They have 25 cent wings, which are fantastic, and a huge crowd of Buckeye fans.  I have seen friends from grade school, and even made friends with people who went to the same high school as me, albeit ten years earlier.  The best part of all has been that the Buckeyes have won every game. 

Now the Browns games are a whole different animal.  The Washington, D.C. area Browns Backers are housed at Regional Food and Drink in Chinatown.   The first game of the season there were over 200 people there to watch the Browns play.  It is like someone dropped a slice of Cleveland into the back room of a DC bar.  "Here we go Brownies" chants are heard throughout the game, they have Great Lakes on tap for cheap prices, and when we win, you would think it was the Super Bowl.  Ryan and I have made some good friends there, and last week I even won the halftime trivia contest.  While the food here is not stellar, the atmosphere is great.  The Browns Backers are the largest sports fan club in the world, and when you go to RFD you can see why.

Both environments make for some great Saturdays and Sundays, but I have to give the edge to RFD.  Nothing beats a bunch of crazy Browns fans, no matter where in the world you are.


Tom McGraw

Government Shutdown, Syria Crisis, and More... A Crazy First Month and a Half

So I guess it is finally time for one of us to post about what has been happening in Washington this semester.  Things have been pretty crazy here with the Syria crisis, Navy Yard shooting, government shutdown, and the impending debt ceiling negotiations.  I could lie and say that all of this has kept me so busy that I have not posted here yet, but really I have just been lazy. 

So I am working for Representative Marcy Kaptur's office, a Democrat representing Ohio's 9th district (my home district).  Our district is crazy due to gerrymandering and stretches from Toledo to Cleveland all along the coast of Lake Erie.  In her office, I do a wide variety of tasks.  Answering constituent phone calls is always part of the day, though never so crazy as during the Syria crisis.  I must have spoken with half of the 9th district that week.  I also do research for staffers and attend briefings, doing any sort of work they need me to do to keep the office running.  The environment is great, my coworkers are friendly, and they didn't furlough me during the shutdown. 

About this government shutdown.  I am still working during it, and frankly last week was the busiest week I have had yet.  Our office is in the minority that is still answering constituent calls during the shutdown, so people from other Ohio districts have been calling just to get their voice heard.  It is a very strange situation, and one that does not look like it is going to end soon.  It looks from where I am sitting like the government will stay shutdown until the debt ceiling negotiations on October 17th, but then again I am just an intern so what do I know. 

Unfortunately, this semester has seen two shooting incidents in the district, one that culminated right outside the Congressional, our apartment building.  While the Navy Yard shooting did not affect me when it happened, last week's incident certainly did.  We heard the gunshots from our office in the Rayburn House Office Building, and saw people running in all different directions outside.  We then went into lockdown for about 45 minutes to an hour.   Scary stuff. 

Overall though, its been a great start to the semester here through WAIP, and I will try to get a few more posts up today about some other things we have been up to. 

Tom McGraw