Affirming Affirmative Action

This post is by Leah Apothaker, legislative intern at the National Council of Jewish Women.

Last year, when the professor of my black politics class informed us that affirmative action might be in jeopardy, I didn’t believe him. Who knew that only a few months later, I’d be rallying with NCJW and our coalition partners outside the US Supreme Court in favor of affirmative action the morning of the Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin oral arguments? The plaintiff in the case, Abigail Fisher, is a white student who believes she was denied admission at UT because of her race.  Should the court rule in her favor, they would overturn their 2003 decision in Grutter v. Bollinger, which allowed race to be one of many factors considered during in the college admissions process. This outcome would be damaging—not only for students of color, but also for the white students who benefit so greatly from a diverse student body and the civil right of equal opportunity.

At the rally, an organizer handed me a sign that read, “Diversity equals success.” Many speakers told personal stories, quoted think tank studies, cited admissions statistics, and repeated the message of the sign I held. As a student I couldn’t help but wonder, is diversity really the key to my success?

When applying to colleges, I knew I wanted to attend a university that championed promulgated diversity as a priority. In high school, my peers and I were all the same—white, upper-middle class, third and fourth generation Americans.  While we may have each had different academic strengths and interests, I had little to learn from their life experiences because we had such similar roots. I believed then, as I do now, that a vital component of education is discussion and disbursement of ideas among students and professors both in and out of the classroom. When diversity doesn’t exist in a student body, the range of perspective represented diminishes. When diversity doesn’t exist within a student body, students are denied opportunities to learn and grow from one another. When diversity doesn’t exist in a student body, we are allowed to remain ignorant.

College shouldn’t be a bubble where students aren’t challenged to alter our perspectives or ways of thinking. It should prepare us to understand others and learn to work together to achieve great things. Diversity works for students. By preparing us for reality, it sets us up to succeed. Diversity equals success.

Now a senior at The Ohio State University, I’m the beneficiary of a student community beautifully impacted by multiculturalism and ethnic and racial diversity. I value the additional admissions consideration my university provides to first generation college students and students who bring “cultural, economic, racial, or geographic diversity” to the student population.  Why? Because I, like the students at UT, know these considerations have helped enrich and further my education.

Originally posted here on October 12th, 2012

Oral Arguments: Surprisingly Never a Dull Moment

October 1st is not a particularly special day for many people, but this year it was for me.  It was the first Monday in October, which made it the beginning of the 2012-2013 term of the Supreme Court.  By some stroke of luck, I was able to get a seat in the courtroom to witness it.  Well before 10AM, I headed to the courtroom to be seated, finding myself impressed by how full the courtroom was.  At exactly 10 o’clock, the Justices made their entrance into the courtroom and took their places.  The Chief Justice announced the opening of the term, admitted new members to the Supreme Court Bar, and then started on the first case.  Kiobel v. Dutch Royal Petroleum as a strange case to hear because the question of why it was even being heard in the United States was repeated several times.  A little used Alien Tort Statute, established by the Judiciary Act of 1789 served as the purpose for the Supreme Court hearing the case, as well as the diplomatic issues that could arise from different rulings.  Still, many Justices weren’t convinced and displayed that during the time each side is given.  The attorneys only have thirty minutes each to argue their case, and the Justices can ask questions at any time, so it becomes a large question-and-answer session to help the Justices clarify and make decisions.  When the first hour was finished, the second case began.

Lozman v. City of Riviera Beach, Fl. Provided some comic relief.  While the underlying issue—what exactly is a vessel ?—is very serious and could have some pretty far reaching consequences, the case itself was  hilarious.  A Florida millionaire, described as eccentric, owned a floating home and was connected to the dock by a rope and extension cord.  In determining if this was a vessel or not, the Justices considered whether inner tubes or styrofoam couches that floated along the river could also be vessels, too.  At times, I found myself laughing out loud at the comments made by the Justices, but never forgetting that the case at hand as far more serious than one man’s desire to have his home float on the river.

Overall, I was incredibly pleased by my ability to hear the arguments.  It was not until I received this internship that I even entertained the idea that I might get to view oral arguments, and I never thought I would get to see such exciting cases.

If you would like to read more about the cases, this website has really great information : www.SCOTUSblog.com

            If you would like to listen to the cases I heard, they will be online on Friday here : http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_audio.aspx

-Katie

The Balkans, 21st Century Civility

I had the opportunity to meet the Deputy Prime Minister of Macedonia, Teuta Arifi, along with the ambassadors of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia, during a luncheon discussion of Macedonia and the European Union. The Republic of Macedonia has been in Accession to the E.U. since 2005, and DPM Arifi spoke openly, succinctly, and candidly of the Republic’s integration into the European Union. 

The name dispute with Greece is considered to be the biggest obstacle to Macedonian integration into the E.U. The name dispute is a disagreement between the two countries concerning the official name of the Republic of Macedonia, which is recognized by the United Nations as "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.” The dispute arises from ambiguity between the Republic of Macedonia and the adjacent Greek region of Macedonia which falls within Greek Macedonia. Greece opposes the use of the name "Macedonia" by the Republic of Macedonia without a geographical qualifier.

What was interesting, in my opinion, about this luncheon, was seeing how diplomatically the ambassadors interacted with each other, given the tumultuous history within the region. I am certainly enjoying learning and growing in DC!


#WAIPAU2012

- Jade Adair
 

George Bellows

-Isaac Choi-

A week ago, I went to National Galary of Art to see the gallery dedicated to George Bellows, our fellow OSU alum. His art work was indeed jaw dropping. His work captures every emotion, motion, and ambiance creating entertaining yet very realistic art work.


His famous Stag at Sharkey’s amazed me because he was able to capture not only the fighters punching motions, but also their emotions, struggles and their desires to win. Also crowd's mixed face expressions creates very active atmosphere. The painting gave me an illusion that I was sitting next to Bellows in a boxing arena filled with noise and excitement.


There was one part of me wondering why I like his art so much. Is it because of his style? is it because of the art subjects? Or is it simply because he is from OSU? 

To learn about his art more, I went to the west wing of the museum where the film about him was playing. Unlike the rest of the museum, the west wing was dedicated to contemporary and modern art. Surrounded by weird looking sculptures and strange art pieces (which looked like they were done by four year olds), I watched the short film about George Bellows and his work. Then I slowly began to understand why Bellows work was liked by many people, including myself. 

Unlike Bellows, many artists at that time began to experiment with art, Picasso's cubism for example. However, as the time went on, artists were too busy with their experiments and their techniques, the subjects of the artists have became invisible to the audience. Too fixated in their theories and their efforts to be unique, the line between good art and bad art was blurred, leaving audiences puzzled and confused. When looking at a modern art piece, the audience can't tell whether the piece they are seeing is a creative masterpiece with genius idea or a crappy art piece that were done by 4 year olds. Too many crappy art pieces nowadays has "meanings" behind, but I can't help but to wonder if those are really artful or only artful just because some pretentious people gave more meanings than they deserve.

Bellows who was concurrent of the inception of this puzzling art period, did not give in to the pressure to be "unique" or "modern." Instead he drew and painted what he saw and how he felt explicitly on canvases. He did not experiment with his art or made his art difficult for his audience. No one has to search for meanings behind Bellow's work, and no one has to doubt his art skills. Bellow's art is simply easy and good.

More artists should be influenced by his work. I hope they began to realize that they don't have to "create" art. Instead of nailing thousands of strawberries on a wall or doing some weird activities to pursue art, artists can simply draw their everyday lives, people they meet, sceneries of their neighborhoods to create beautiful art. George Bellows reminds all of us that we are surrounded by gorgeous art. 

The Perks of Capitol Living - National Archives

A week ago yesterday, our usual post-class group tour took us the National Archives, a very grand and intimidating-looking building that holds our nation's most sacred historical documents, including the Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, and perhaps most amazing, the Constitution. 

Our tour guide was very no-nonsense, very swift, and... very New Yawk. The accent and the attitude were unmistakable -- she meant business.

She bustled around frantically trying to show us as much as possible during our short amount of time there (don't dawdle, you don't have time!) and at the end, encouraged us (very strongly) to come back and see everything for ourselves. She explained that anyone can take advantage of the Archives' research center, containing a plethora of information available only on site, to find whatever bit of the past one may be looking for. So I took it as a challenge.

The very next day, I went back to the Archives and accompanying me was my just-as-enthusiastic boyfriend (no, really) who was visiting for the weekend. The process of becoming a citizen researcher was fast -- fifteen minutes after walking in, we were given our official researcher identification cards, complete with our obviously terrible mug shots. We were formally free to peruse. 

The volumes of history the Archives has for your own personal use is astounding. I was shocked at all of the information I had available at my fingertips. Old marriage certificates, my relatives' names before immigration changed them, the address of every house my dad has ever lived at as an adult (a bit unnerving) -- it's all stored in the Archives. However, my most incredible finds were long-ago records on my great-grandfather, who passed away before I was born. His name recorded on the passenger list of the boat he took from Italy to get to the US (it was 1903 and he was an unaccompanied 13-year-old), his World War I and World War II draft registrations, in his own handwriting, and even a photo of him sitting in a lawn chair, half-smiling on a sunny 4th of July in 1947. I had never seen a photo of him before this trip. It was extraordinary.

My great-grandfather on July 4th, 1947.

My great-grandfather's WWII draft registration filled out at the age of 52.

My boyfriend was able to request military records from their holding place in St. Louis, and inquire about replacing his late grandfather's lost Purple Heart earned during WWII. I was able to leave with copies of all my findings and send them along to the rest of my family. I strolled out, proudly wearing my researcher ID of course, extremely grateful that I'm a (temporary) resident of Washington, DC and have the opportunity to go back and discover even more history.

--Grace

Eastern Market

On Sunday, my roommates and I headed over to Eastern Market for brunch and grocery shopping. I was pleasantly surprised about the close proximity of the market to our apartment- buying groceries hasn't been the easiest thing to do in DC, so I hoped that the market would be a good alternative to Columbus's Kroglamourous Kroger. While I wouldn't rely on Eastern Market for everyday basic items, I was able to pick up a lot of produce and enjoy the feeling of Sunday morning grocery shopping with the locals.

One thing that I loved about the Eastern Market is the variety of goods available for purchase. I was way too tempted to purchase jewelry, artwork, scarves, and all sorts of handmade treats instead of my original grocery list. We did, however, get to splurge on a nice brunch from a cafe across the street. I would love to come back every weekend while it's still nice outside, even if only to pick up a few things and sample some produce from local vendors.

It was really refreshing to see how many people were out and enjoying the beautiful Sunday morning instead of the usual sleepy laziness of Sunday morning at Ohio State. While it is difficult to balance class, work, and LSAT studying with my new environment, I feel confident that getting into the groove of DC will definitely involve getting up early and taking advantage of all our neighborhood has to offer.

-Marissa Cooper

First Day as a Foreign Policy Intern

A couple of weeks ago marked my first day as a Foreign Policy Intern at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. The day started off with a commute that was surprisingly smooth, until I realised my walking directions were inaccurate. As the sole person in the DMV without a smartphone, I reverted to the training I received from my retired military officer parents and managed to find my way to the German Marshall Fund by using the position of the sun and the angle the sunlight hit the buildings.

As an international organization strongly tied to Europe, I was warmly welcomed to the company by a diverse and cultured staff of GMF. After orientation, I was shown my work-space. Walking onto the third floor, I expected to hear "The Office" theme song music playing in the background. I must mention that I am so lucky to be working with such a friendly and energetic staff! The worst part of the day was the training I had to undergo in order to use GMF's database. However, it was cut short when one of my supervisors asked me to do her a favor.

In my mind, I knew this was the moment referenced by all interns: the inevitable and often habitual coffee run.   I was pleased that I felt I had a say in the matter; she genuinely asked me whether or not I minded running this errand. So, I pasted on a genuine smile and answered with a wholehearted "Absolutely!" So imagine my surprise, and imagine, if you can, my jaw dropping to the floor when my supervisor said, "Do you mind running this over to the British Embassy for me? It's too far to walk, so you'll have to take a cab, and you can go straight home afterwards." Did I mind? Did I mind!? Of course not!! My heart did palpitations, I was so excited to run this Very Important Errand to the British Embassy!!

This internship rocks.

#WAIPAU2012

-Jade Adair

All American Weekend

There is no doubt that living in Washington D.C. you have an overwhelming sense of patriotism with all of the American flags and national monuments. When I was sitting in the National’s Baseball Stadium Friday night watching the game while listening to country music and drinking a Miller Lite with the Washington monument in the background I couldn’t have felt more American. Growing up in Cincinnati I was always a fan of the Big Red Machine, and I’ve missed having a major league baseball team to go to while in Columbus. Sitting in a baseball stadium on a Friday night was the perfect way to spend a girl’s night out. Friday night’s feeling carried over to Saturday when we all went to Rhino Bar and Pumphouse in Georgetown for the OSU football game. Surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of OSU fans and watching football I couldn’t help but feel a sense of school pride oozing out of me. We ended up meeting people from all over the country who were buckeye fans. It’s nice to know that even when we’re over 400 miles away we can still be connected to the scarlet and grey. I knew that coming to Washington I would experience a surge of American pride, but I did not expect to be so connected with my buckeyes. It’s nice to know that there are places all over the city where I can feel connected to so many people no matter where they are from. 

My Internship Experience at Delphos International

This Fall semester, I was lucky enough to get an internship at Delphos International. Delphos is a firm that delivers specialized financial services to support clients' international business goals by tapping into various resources. Because of their vast resources, the firm develops various projects that require large funds. The firm has worked with many projects in developing countries. Knowing the gravity of each projects and the firm's responsibilities, I was very nervous (and still am) to work for Delphos International.

My ultimate goal of the job is to assist all the staff with their work. So my job ranges from doing simple scanning tasks to researching economic backgrounds. I was surprised by how difficult the "simple" administrative tasks are. Even answering a phone call, I had to follow certain etiquette and practice certain techniques  And whenever the CEO of the company would call, my mind would go completely blank out of fear. Researches, on the other hand, require me to go through very dense and boring reports. Sometimes if there is no report on certain topics, I have to do hours and hours of google search. This week, I have done many data organizing. I had to go through hundreds of legal documents to see if we are missing some.

Even though every tasks are daunting, it helps tremendously that I have many friendly mentors in the office who are willing to help me anytime. My supervisor, Andre Brown, who is an OSU alum, knows what I am going through, so he patiently teaches me about each projects and even teach me about basics of Finances. Every staff considers me as not just an intern but as as a colleague, and it means a lot to me.

I am very excited to work at Delphos, and I plan to do my best. I am very grateful for the opportunity, and I certainly recommend the internship at Delphos to future WAIP students

Fresh Meat in Town

Embrace it.  That's the phrase I keep telling myself on a daily basis since my arrival in the district a week ago. From always getting slightly lost to being caught in a rain shower hauling my groceries home to traveling in a very obnoxious 12 pack on a Friday night, I will never be able to recreate these experiences of being the new kid. 

Figuring my way around my spectacular new neighborhood of course comes with its bumps but it's an easy adjustment. I miss being a pro at using public transportation like I am with COTA back in Columbus but I know it will get smoother over time. My first week in DC has given me plenty of new experiences and mini challenges that again, I am choosing to embrace and soak it all in. Here's a quick list of my learning and "embracing" moments:

• We overshot the walk to orientation and learned a valuable lesson of the three or more street intersections of DC but hey, I walk past our nation's capitol to get to the WAIP classroom.

• This city definitely tests my ability to recall the alphabet and my sense of direction. Every day I always get turned around commuting to the office but now I know the area around Farragut North & West metro stops very well and granted, I tried a different route/ method going to and from work everyday.

• No, I don't live around the corner from Kroger anymore but I do live moderately close to Eastern Market which is way cooler. Saturday morning grocery trips are enormously much more enjoyable now.

• I don't have wifi at work and gmail is blocked but I do get to intern for a federal agency, sit in an enormous office cubicle, and get a snazzy government ID badge.

• I have the most patriotic mornings as I start my days jogging past Capitol Hill, the Supreme Court, and the Library of Congress.

• My roomies are very involved with Planned Parenthood and I attended my first PP rally in Virginia today with them. It was an awesome experience and I got to meet Virginia Senator Janet Howell, who proposed about seven months ago an amendment that would require men to take rectal exams and cardiac stress tests prior to receiving prescriptions for erectile dysfunction medication. Regardless however you stand on the mandatory ultrasound bill prior to an abortion you gotta give this woman credit, along with the many others such as Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner, who have the leadership to stand up for sexual health equity.

• Finding the local music scene is a bit tricky when most blogs online gets clouded with tourist tips but I can definitely still use that information and picking up the local papers helps out a lot.

Looking forward to another week in the district!

- Amber Seira