Out of a Rut

            As winter quarter began at Ohio State, I found myself dreading the thought of beginning another monotonous ten weeks of going to class, working, doing homework, sleeping, and repeating.  Entering my eighth quarter at Ohio State, I had gotten myself into a bit of a rut.  The quarters were beginning to blur together as everything became a routine.  I started to search for opportunities that could provide a new experience while still continuing my course work at Ohio State.  That is when I stumbled upon the Glenn School.  As I did some research into the Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP), I knew I had to take advantage of this fantastic program offered by Ohio State.  Now, ten short weeks after first discovering the opportunity, I find myself living, working, and learning in Washington D.C.

            I am looking forward to learning not only about public policy, but also some of the ideas that have set the foundation for how our nation operates.  In our first week in Washington, we have discussed theories posited by Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison.  These men all set forth ideas that have withstood the test of time.  It is especially interesting to be discussing our forefathers at a time when politics are filled with partisan tensions and gridlock on Capitol Hill.  Many of our current issues appear to be problems that were warned against by the nation’s early founders.  In The Federalist #10 by James Madison, he speaks of complaints “that the public good is disregarded in the conflicts of rival parties, and the measures are too often decided, not according to the rules of justice and the rights of the minor party, but by the superior force of an interested and overbearing majority.”  When reading this section, I could not help but to think of the parallels it shares with the current party rivalries plaguing Congress. 

            Making connections like this is one of the many reasons that spending a quarter in Washington is so valuable.  I am able to immerse yourself in the political atmosphere and decision-making process that runs this nation.  I have the ability to draw connections between what you are learning in the public policy seminar and the founding ideas of this nation.  This is an example of the advantages that the WAIP program provides over traditional classroom learning.  I am sure that as the next nine weeks fly by, there will be many instances where I will make connections and enjoy learning experiences that I would not have had the opportunity to do had I remained in my rut at Ohio State.  

Eric Nash