Where the Cool Kids Go.

I have to begin with the disclaimer: my blog posts here are in no way affiliated with The Center for American Progress or Center for American Progress Action Fund, and only expresses my personal views.

Had to get that out.

First, I have to let everyone in the perfect place to warm up on a cold, miserable day in Washington. It doesn't involve cozy fires, space heaters, or heavy clothing -- it may even be far enough off the beaten path to be described as "hipster," "underground," or "cool." Where is the amazing place, you might ask? I would give a hearty chuckle, and then tell you "the United States Botanic Garden, of course!"



Five minutes in the climate-controlled greenhouse will thaw out even the coldest of DC pedestrians, while offering a glimpse into exotic flora and fauna that could never survive in the moderately chilly, overall boring winter climate that is Washington DC.



Here I happened to stumble upon a cacao tree, which of course produces the key ingredient for one the staples of the modern American diet: chocolate (the others being high fructose corn syrup and grease from pizza and French fries). I was disappointed, however, to discover that picking parts of plants to take home from the Garden is highly discouraged.

  

Joe and Stephen 

With all of the talk about warm climate in this post, I have to put in a quick two cents about one great aspect of my internship with CAP. Just about every day, I am fortunate enough to assist the amazing climate expert/writer/reporter/and editing team at Climate Progress, Joe Romm and Stephen Lacey, with the task of researching and pounding out a quick 400-word blog post. My most recent post, Vermont Considers Fracking Moratorium, gave me the chance to study up on hydraulic fracturing -- a technique, fairly risky for the environment and under researched in my eyes, used to retrieve natural gas from shale deposits – which is also method that is quickly spreading across our home state of Ohio and has been blamed for causing a series of small earthquakes in the past year.

I will be talking more about my internship in the future, but I wanted to share this Buckeye link (not supposed to be a pun) that I had encountered in my work.

ZR

Library of Congress

What’s full of knowledge, fashioned with a classic décor, and getting older?  Not it’s not Dr. Kolson, but the Library of Congress.  This famed Dewey’s Ex Machina of libraries contains a number of treasured pieces that serve, along with the ever-expanding collection of premier academic resources, to engage and inform the Congress and its constituents.  The first map to list our continent as “America” was also on special display with other New World historical pieces.

Portraits of Roman gods, Greco-goddess, American patriots, and lasting virtues color the breathtaking walls as statues representing the central academics stand high above the bookshelves and tables, keeping a watchful eye over the treasured knowledge lying within the countless bound pages.  The varying decorative elements clash and mesh together creating the unique style of the Library of Congress.

After hearing about the printing press, the following centuries of colorless pamphlets, and the role of the LoC with Congress, we exited the LoC with new library cards, a new appreciation for DC architecture, and a better understanding of the history of the famed building.  Also, we avoided getting shushed.  All in all, a good day.

-Kristo

Eastern Market

There was a crisp bite to the air while the warm bite of a tangy pulled pork sandwich filled my stomach.  The brassy notes of the trumpet echoed against the large paned windows as people shuffled between the fruit and meat stands.  Sitting Indian style on the ground, I enjoyed my juicy sandwich and the local jazz band that was entertaining the bustling crowd. 

A flea market, farmers market, and town square hybrid, Eastern Market is the place to be on an early weekend morning: especially if you’re a young urban professional with a kid, a dog, or a Prius.  We had decided to have a group dinner later that night, so we used the shopping trip to gather all the necessary fixings for a Mexican fiesta.  From the hand-kneaded corn tortillas to fresh local veggies, we definitely picked a good place to shop.  The Eastern Market also offered rousing live music, a crowded but pleasant atmosphere, and delicious barbeque pork sandwiches.  Overall, it ended up that our Eastern Market trip, like our Mexican fiesta, was muy bien.

Kristo

Theodore Roosevelt Island

The weather in DC these last few days have been exceptionally fair, especially when temperatures reach a high of 60 degrees by midafternoon. Given that it is late January and such conditions are unheard of, it seemed necessary to visit another outdoor national monument. Theodore Roosevelt Island is an 89 acre island consisting of a monument in his honor and a series of dirt trails crisscrossing the land. Getting there requires taking the blue line from Capitol South to Rosslyn, then a half mile walk across a biking trial and foot bridge that spans the Potomac. Upon arrival at the island, the monument is instantly viewable via a short walk uphill. Similar to the MLK memorial, behind the statue of Roosevelt were several massive pillars with etchings of quotes he said, split into four categories: Manhood, Nature, Youth, and State. As I read the “Manhood” tablet (apparently womanhood does not apply to our dear Mr. Roosevelt), one such quote caught my eye.

"All daring and courage, all iron endurance of misfortune make for a finer and nobler type of manhood."

Endurance of misfortune can push us in many directions. It isn’t easy becoming President of the United States, for one must endure criticism, hate, discrimination, and a much more. However, do we truly come out of misfortune a better person? Many will say yes, what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. But what of those with broken spirits, trampled by society and discrimination? The little girl who picks rice all day for a dollar has little opportunity to grow and improve from misfortune, and even if she does, can she achieve a nobler “manhood?” I can only imagine the difficulties affiliated with being born into an affluent family and high government connections, but maybe I’m being a cynic.

Overall, visiting the Island was an excellent experience and I could not have picked a lovelier day to visit. It was refreshing walking across the Potomac and on the various island trails. Watching the families, with the little children playing tag among the monuments, added to the delightful day it already was.

Adam K

The Cold Blows in from Northern Ohio . . . .

This past weekend, the parents came to town, and brought the frigid Ohio cold with them.  I stayed with them in Old Town Alexandria, where we were only a few blocks from a quaint strip of restaurants and shops.  Friday night I enjoyed fish and chips at O'Connell's Irish pub and saw Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close at the local theater, a movie I would recommend only to those who can stand 129 minutes of depression.

Saturday, we met up with one of my mom's sorority sisters from BGSU and explored the International Spy Museum.

Upon arrival, I assumed the identity of an Italian woman sent to Vietnam to retrieve a package.  I completed my mission and didn't lose my cover when questioned by security.  Here I am at a phone booth receiving instructions:

At the museum, I saw the most innovative spy gadgets, such as a coat with a camera hidden inside a button and even a listening device hidden in fake dog feces.  However, the most interesting part for me was seeing the cryptography exhibits.  Last quarter, I took a class called Code Making and Code Breaking, where I learned about many things that were displayed in the museum.  I was excited to see that the museum had one of the German Enigma machines and an exhibit about Bletchley Park, which we studied thoroughly.  I would highly recommend the Spy Museum to anyone visiting DC, since it keeps your interest the whole way through and is not exhaustively long.   

After driving around to the National Mall and White House (and neglecting to get out of the car due to the frigid temperature) we drove out to Annapolis, MD to see the downtown area and the Naval Academy.  I was very impressed by the campus, especially the Cathedral.  The area around Main Street and the marina were quite charming.  We drove past the Maryland State House and other government buildings before heading towards the Chesapeake Bay.

At the time I wasn't sure where we were headed, and all of a sudden saw ocean on either side of me.  We were on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, that spans 4.3 miles, and gets as high as 183 feet above the water.  Our journey ended at the Harris Crab House, my first legitimate Maryland crab house overlooking the bay.  My dad and I split the Lobster bucket, and I was astounded when this came out of the kitchen:

This was without a doubt one of the best meals I've had here in DC and I'm glad I got the chance to go out and see everything I did this past weekend.  Thanks mom and dad for making it a memorable weekend!

JS

Crab Cakes and Football

Crab Cakes and Football 

Last weekend I had a wonderful opportunity to visit our nation’s former capital, Annapolis Maryland.  One of my best friends from high school is a senior at the Naval Academy, and she invited me to watch the women’s Army vs. Navy basketball game.  For anyone familiar with sports rivalries, Army/Navy is one of the best.  The game did not disappoint, and came down to the final seconds with Navy edging past Army by two.

After the game, my friend, Sarah, took me on a tour of the Naval Academy grounds.  During this tour I learned that only Juniors and Seniors could sit on benches (if this were true at OSU, I would of sat on a bench everyday Junior year) and walking on the grass was completely prohibited.  We then proceeded to walk around Annapolis and look at the historical sites from when Annapolis was the capital.  I really enjoyed this part because it was not hard to imagine George Washington and the like riding through the middle of town.  It was also interesting to note the simplicity of the structures as compared to the grandeur of our present Capitol building.

The area really embodied how I pictured an East Coast town to be (As I told Sarah, my first memorable conceptualization of an East Coast town was Amity Island from Jaws, and aside from the whole shark thing, I thought it looked like great place to visit.)  It was nice to get away from the bustling crowd of DC and walk around a more condensed area, with a great variety of local restaurants and shops.

All in all, Annapolis was fantastic; I really fell in love with the area.  It is an area with such a rich history, and it was great to just walk around on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

KM

The International Institute for Strategic Studies

The idea behind a think tank is to provide research in advocacy areas such as social policy, politics, conflict, and technology issues. As a research an operations intern for the International Institute for Strategic Policy (IISS), it is my job to help the directors and researchers perform such tasks. IISS is a UK based think tank that claims to be the world’s leading research institute on geo-political conflict. Their members are represented throughout the globe, ranging from students like myself to internationally recognized experts and figures like Fareed Zakaria and Christiane Amanpour.

A typical day revolves around doing administrative and research tasks, particularly researching well-known academics and philanthropists. Given that we are a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on the donations of our members and the marketing of the events we host to create more publicity for IISS. Through these events, funding is also obtained in addition to boosting IISS’s prestige, hence the importance of the interns researching new members.

On other days, an intern for IISS can be assigned to all sorts of administrative delivery tasks. One such example was when I delivered a book to a Nobel Prize Winner and another one of IISS’s publications to the Italian Embassy. Despite IISS being my third internship, I’ve never had the opportunity to work full time like I am now. As a result, I’ve begun to learn the value of the little things. An intern’s job, particularly one in a non-profit organization, is replaceable and tedious. We are just a number among the many interns that go through Washington, wishing to expand our resume and gain valuable work experience. Hence, we don’t exactly get the most influential tasks. That is why it is important to truly appreciate the small things about interning and living here. Take heed to the advice a boss gives, because how often will your employer be willing to spend time talking to you when there are more pressing matters at hand? Pay attention to who you meet and then learn how they got there. Savor the minutes you have with your friends and family, who knows when life will take them away whether it be work or death. None of us are coming to DC and changing the world, but if we let them small things add up, we can make a difference. 

Adam K

Winter 2012 Glenn Fellows and Friendship 7

Yesterday the Glenn Fellows enjoyed a customized tour of the National Air & Space Museum, led by docent Larry McKinley.

Front row:  Cathy Hatten, Kristen Maiorino, Jenn Semon.
Back row:  Zach Rybarczyk, Kris Fetterman, Larry McKinley, Adam Kong, Elliot Stone

Winter 2012 Glenn Fellows at Library of Congress

Lovers of symmetry, all:  Jenn Semon, Zach Rybarczyk, Elliot Stone, Adam Kong, Kristen Maiorino, Kris Fetterman, Cathy Hatten

And many thanks to Mike McCandlish for the new-look WAIP blog.

KK

Finding Inspiration in D.C.

To echo the other Glenn Fellows, I feel so lucky to get to spend this time in Washington, D.C. with such amazing people. I feel as though I have known these people much longer than a week and look forward to getting to know them even better.

 Despite the fact that Adam has already talked about it, I wanted to mention on our trip to the Martin Luther King JR. Monument.  It was a personal inspiration as my goal is to fight injustices throughout the world. The quotes were moving and inspiring message to me as I muddle through my internship and begin to ponder how to achieve my potentially naïve goals of making a difference. As Adam said, I suggested that we take pictures in front of our favorite quotes, and can be seen below.

To me, the quotes inspire hope and reaffirm my beliefs that we need to help each other on our way.  It is a reminder that as a society we can never give up and be content when others are without their rights, and that no matter where they live, what they believe, or what they look like people are people just like you and me. They have their own goals, their own hopes, as well as their own challenges.  As the world gets smaller because our technology we will be unable to ignore the needs of those less fortunate. 

One must always remember that there is work to be done, but also that there is always hope as long as we make an effort.  Remember to look for beauty in the world and each other.

Cathy H