Muslim Friday Prayers at the Capitol

With all the commotion these days about Muslims and the widespread Islamophobia in American politics, you wouldn't really expect many Muslims at the US Capitol (besides the two Muslim Congressmen Keith Ellison & Andre Carson). So it may come as a shock that Muslims not only visit and work at the Capitol, but also have weekly prayers in the Capitol.

Muslims are required to attend congressional prayers every Friday afternoon (Jummah). Prayers are typically held at the Mosque, but with the local Mosque being several miles away and with the unpredictable traffic and Metro, visitors and staff have a makeshift prayer area in the basement of the Capitol. The tradition began in the mid 90s when a young staffer from California came to DC and had a hard time attending Friday prayers in the DC area. He worked with then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich to set up a system for the Friday prayers, and every Friday since then, a room in the basement of the Capitol has been reserved for Friday prayers.

The prayers are open to the public, and anyone can join. The past week, I had the privilege of attending prayers at the Capitol. At 12:30, I joined about 50 to 70 other men and women make their way to the basement to listen to the sermon and pray together. The service lasted for about half an hour, and everyone dispersed back towards work or sightseeing.

I'm sure we are all aware of our freedom to practice (or not to practice) any religion in America, but we don't really know how blessed we are to have this ability. The Friday prayers showed me how far our country goes to accommodate people of different religions.  It's honestly impossible to put into words how amazing it feels to be able to worship at the center of government in our country.

-Wali

NPR

On a rainy Friday in April, our group took a trip to tour NPR’s headquarters off Capitol Hill. To no surprise, it was definitely one of my favorite study tours as a journalism nerd-- but also, a favorite of the group as well. Our tour, led (appropriately) by a former NPR intern, showed us a glimpse of a respected career space with an evident ‘millennial’ influence-- a possible view into the future of public service careers as well?

We began our tour with a view of the rooftop greenery, something that truly astonished our group. Despite being in the middle of D.C.’s  version of ‘skyscrapers’ on Capitol Hill, NPR hosts an urban green space on their fourth floor roof. The green space is home to year long plants, satellites, and honeybees. The soil system for the plants helps aid in storm water management, rainwater filtering, as well as contributing to the cooling of the general area around the building. Although D.C. isn’t quite the concrete jungle you see in New York City or Los Angeles, the green space is certainly refreshing living in a city of marble and stone.

After touring the newsroom from a balcony above the open-air office space, our guide led us around a corner full of pop-culture decorated cubicles. We walked quickly through a hallway, which looked a lot like a small-scale bookstore. Records, CDs, and books lined the walls on bleach-white shelves that stretched toward the ceiling. As we entered another room (still near a view of the office space down below), we quickly realized we were in the ‘audience’ space for the Tiny Desk Concert Series. An announcement confirmed our sentiment over the loudspeaker, “Dahka Brakha is starting in 5 minutes, you need to come upstairs, it’s gonna be awesome-- don’t miss it.” We had the opportunity to hear a traditional Ukrainian folk band up close and personal with the rest of the NPR staff. Not only was the performance phenomenal, but the opportunity to witness the Tiny Desk Concerts that many of us watch religiously from home was unbelievable as well.

Our tour ended with walk-throughs of the news and broadcast rooms, where we were even able to snap a few action shots in the seats! Our group thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in the gift shop afterwards-- probably the only study tour where every single one of us found something to buy at the end. The chance to see the inner workings of a media outlet most of us have followed for years was incredible, especially seeing the working environment and culture that they have created.

-Michelle K. Fugate

In the News

By: Sara Goff 

Friday April 3rd was news day! We began the morning with a tour of the Voice of America (VOA) office. Never heard of it? That's okay--most of us hadn't either. We learned that VOA was established by the United States government in 1942 with a mission to provide reliable, objective news to people in areas where such information is not readily accessible to many citizens. VOA was founded as a broadcast radio station, but has since evolved to include television programming. After touring the facility and learning about the organization's history, we heard from a veteran VOA employee who shared his inspiring success story and encouraged us all to chase our dreams. 

After VOA and a pizza lunch with Dr. Dan Sui, Chair of Ohio State's Department of Geography, (WAIP = endless networking opportunities),we moved on to NPR. It was hot and rainy and a bit of a hike, but we were not to be discouraged - predictably, we positively geeked out upon arriving to the NPR office. We began our tour in a soundproof recording studio that apparently doubles as a wedding hall; Katy re-booked her nuptials as necessary. Just kidding. We proceeded with our tour, pausing for selfies at all the appropriate times.

 Then our tour guide said he had a special treat for us--we made our way up to NPR Music to witness a delightful "tiny desk concert." The performers were a Ukrainian based group called Dakha Brakka who blew our minds with their unique instruments and rhythmic chants - the only downside was the rapidly rising temperature as spectators filled the room. 

The NPR office is incredible and inspiring to say the least - they seem to embrace an office culture that encourages collaboration and healthy work-life balance. We were greeted with nothing but smiles and waves by the NPR employees from the time we arrived to when we exited the gift shop, $30 mugs in hand. 

A Really Cool Afternoon at Old Town Alexandria

On Sunday, March 29th, two other WAIPers and I ventured down to Old Town Alexandria to spend the afternoon sight-seeing and shopping (our favorite D.C. pastimes). With beautiful weather and essentially no homework due the following week, we were able to spend about five hours in Old Town, which mostly involved walking down the narrow sidewalks and checking out the scenic little boutique shops along King Street.

Once we reached the waterfront, we were met by the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a former torpedo munitions plant that now houses hundreds of artists and their studios. The facility is stunning; walking through and viewing the three levels of small professional studios—and the artwork they host—could easily consume an entire afternoon.

After leaving the art center, we walked on the boat docks and observed the many critters around us. The sun shone brightly off the water and radiantly reflected off of all the parked boats and the other dock-walkers. Heading back, we took a pit stop at Asian Bistro, which possibly had the best miso soup and vegetable fried rice I have ever eaten in my life.

Once we came closer to the King Street metro stop, signaling the end of our time at Old Town, we decided to take another moment to check out the iconic George Washington Masonic National Memorial. The building stands tall and proud on the west side of town, and is often open to visitors. We, however, just walked up and around the outside, taking many opportunities to reflect on the day—and our time in D.C. in its entirety—amid the cool, crisp breeze. The striking architecture was set against a pale, yet colorful, sunset, making it the perfect end to a relaxing and much-needed afternoon trip with some great friends.

 Jessica Dillow