Compassionate Sailor

On Saturday, June 29, I took a stroll through DC, from the Congressional to Georgetown and back. I stopped many times to admire the scenery.

I stopped at the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Ave. NW about halfway between the Capitol and the White House. Admiral Thompson once remarked that to a passerby, the Memorial is easy to miss, but once you stop and observe, it engulfs you in its grandeur. At the entrance is a flag pole with all of the Navy signal flags in one place. The ground is an exact map of the world's oceans, symbolizing the reach of the world's largest navy. Surrounding the site are two fountain pools. On the fronts of the fountain pools are bronze bas-reliefs that show everything from naval doctors and submarine operations, to Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Revolutionary War, and Navy SEALS. At 38°53′39″N 77°1′23″W a bronze statue called The Lone Sailor watches over the Memorial, with his bags packed at his side. It was very serene to sit and watch the countless service members walking through with their families.

At one point, a homeless man was sleeping at the foot of the soldier. A man in his Navy uniform, his wife (I assume), and his two small children came through and were having a picnic. For no reason, the homeless man stood and began to yell expletives at the sailor and said he was going to kill the sailor. The sailor took his own sandwich, and gave it to the homeless man. I saw that his children were watching their father intently, no doubt learning compassion by example. I was touched by the gesture, and realized that this man (and indeed his family) had served defending that homeless man's freedom. This sailor had done enough in defense of our country, but he had such compassion that he was willing to offer sustenance to a man who had just yelled obscenities in the presence of his children.

So proud to be an American!

The Lone Sailor

I tried to take a picture of the map on the ground.
Instead, I got this O. Go Bucks!

--
Travis

A Day for the History Books!

As one who is involved with social justice, and especially involved in the LGBT movement, working at the Human Rights Campaign has been a tremendous experience.  But yesterday, history was made, and I was able to say I was on the steps of the Supreme Court when they ruled to strike-down the Defense of Marriage Act and send Proposition 8 back to the lower court (which means marriage is legal in California for same-sex individuals)!

The crowd was enthusiastic, the police were filled with angst, and the atmosphere was contagious!  People were holding signs, waving flags, and chanting.  People of all ages, of all races and ethnicities, from all over the world.  I interacted with interns from Minnesota who told me "We want to stand on the right side of history because the joy our state felt a few weeks ago should be felt across the nation!" When the DOMA decision was announced (via Twitter, of course in our technological day) the crowd erupted, as people cried and jumped and hugged, and grabbed anyone around them.  And then a long pause as another case was decided before Proposition 8 was announced it will go back to the lower courts.  Another burst of joy was heard across the steps of the Court, as tears were shed.  LGBT Americans had just won two cases that will change the course of history.

In a matter of thirty minutes, history had been made before my eyes.  I know I keep using the word 'history' regarding yesterday, but that is exactly what it is.

To be able to experience this, and work at the organization that is fighting for the LGBT persons of our nation, is an amazing experience that has given me new insights on life, new professional experiences, and more confidence in the direction of our nation.

What a day yesterday was!  And what a path our nation is on!

Aaron Clapper

Fun In The Sun

“How important is a constant intercourse with nature and the contemplation of natural phenomena to the preservation of moral and intellectual health”.  

– Henry David Thoreau

Locked in our urban jungle, a few Glenn students and I decided to escape by taking a trip down to the Potomac River. We spent this beautiful Saturday kayaking on the river, weaving our way among the yachts and boats. In addition to our kayaking escapade, we were able to take a nice little hike on Theodore Roosevelt Island, a woodland oasis in the heart of the metro area. Needless to say it was a day well spent and we look forward to returning!

Alexandra, Nathan, Nora, Aubrey

- Nathan Piper

Briefing Bonanza

Hello to All!

For anyone who is or has been an intern on the Hill can attest to, the office jobs that are left undesired by full time staffers will likely become your regular everyday duties. I must admit, my experiences during the first few weeks as an intern at the House were very much this, but since the beginning of June my role in the office has changed for the better. I am now working on more riveting projects and leaving the office quite frequently. 

One of my more recently picked up duties includes attending various congressional briefings and then reporting back to the office with the relevant information. Not only does this provide me with a free lunch or snack in most cases, but it also allows me to become acquainted with an assortment of policy issues. Needless to say, it has become something that I genuinely enjoy doing at work. 

Continuing this trend, today I was assigned to attend a briefing put on by Prevent Blindness America. The briefing concerned the Economic Burden of Vision Problems and was addressed by Dr. Sandra Block, Medical Director for the Illinois Eye Institute and John Wittenborn, a Research Scientist with NORC at the University of Chicago. As a student with an economics background, Mr. Wittenborn particularly interested me, because he had 15 years of experience researching public health and economic issues. 

(Great mission statement)

All in all, the clear take away from this experience was the magnitude of the economic burden that vision loss and eye disorders creates in the United States. $139 billion (direct & indirect costs) will be the total economic burden of eye disorders and vision loss in the United States this year. 

- Nathan Piper

#Natitude

Greetings!

As every good American knows, with Summer comes baseball season, our nation's greatest pastime. With that thought in mind this Sunday afternoon, a few of us fellows finally decided it was time to take the short walk down to the Navy Yard and watch the Nationals play some ball. While us Ohioans would mostly prefer a day at Great American Ballpark or Progressive Field, it's safe to say we had a great time at the newly built Nationals Park.

Todays game versus the Minnesota Twins was a near sellout crowd full of Nationals faithful. The Nationals ended up winning 7-0 with a dominant pitching and defensive performance. While we didn't catch a home run or foul ball, we did catch some rays (some of us more than others - i.e myself). Overall it was a perfect day at the ole ballpark, and we look forward to going back! GO NATS!

Josh, Jake, Aubrey, Alexandra, Nathan, Matt



- Nathan Piper