Capitol Hill Club

The other night I was privileged enough to have dinner with my Uncle at The National Republican Club of Capitol Hill, more commonly known as Capitol Hill Club. This is the place to be if you are a lobbyist. Republican congressmen spend some time here a few nights a week grabbing drinks with friends or having dinner with their wives or being lobbied by D.C.'s finest. I got to meet a lot of lobbyist and congressional staffers that my uncle was friends with. He just happens to be quite good friends with the Speaker of the House John Boehner. Luckily for me, he just so happened to be there down at the bar that night and I got to spend some time with him. My uncle ran into Boehner's Political Aide and they talked for a while before he invited us over to his table. We sat and chatted with the speaker over a glass of wine, he has an affinity for Cabarnet Sauvingnon, and this was quite an experience.

As my uncle and I left the bar and went to the Presidential Dining area to eat we saw a few members of congress eating with their wives, and getting lobbied over half off steak night. As the night wound down we discussed future plans for me and set-up a few lunches with fellow lobbyist and congressional staffers to help get my foot in the door. It was quite an experience, one that I won't forget.

-B.S.

The Best of the Beltway

In my time inside the Beltway so far, I have managed to see many monuments both day and night and have never been unimpressed with our Capitol. But this weekend when a friend from home came to visit, I saw the city from a whole new perspective--on wheels. My two friends and I began our journey from the Georgetown University and for $20 for three hours of biking I had one of my most memorable fall DC experiences to date.

We biked through the back roads of Georgetown and meandered our way down the National Mall, all the way up to Capitol Hill. We conveniently began our ride at sunset, and I have never witnessed the monuments in such splendor before. The experience was surreal, the photos resemble postcards, and the memories are ingrained forever. We paused to reflect on each monument and snap pictures by the Ohio section of the WWII Memorial, and a mother who agreed to take our picture asked where we were from and said "Enjoy college, and learn everything you can, you are our nation's future." Profound words from a tourist, yet utterly true. This mother's advice reiterates the potential that we have, as students.

Being in DC has made me realize the perpetual nature of learning. This internship, this experience is one chapter in our lives and will help shape us into the citizens we aim to be, but it is important to never stop learning. While DC, and our nation, both have rich histories, we must utilize our history to create our future. JFK once said in a speech at the University of Wyoming:

"I hope that all of you who are students here will recognize the great opportunity that lies before you in this decade, and in the decades to come, to be of service to our country. The Greeks once defined happiness as full use of your powers along lines of excellence, and I can assure you that there is no area of life where you will have an opportunity to use whatever powers you have, and to use them along more excellent lines, bringing ultimately, I think, happiness to you and those whom you serve."

In my opinion, there has never been a better time to be a student, and I hope that as we move on from the WAIP program we never forget our time in the Beltway and keep in touch as we move beyond it.

-AMC

The Other Side of History: Meeting a Former Hitler Youth

Every story has two sides – as does history. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet an interesting figure who saw the Second World War from the German perspective as a “Hitler-Jugend” or “Hitler Youth.”

Being an avid history buff, I find it imperative to examine both sides of history. Having contacted & conducted interviews with 200+ WWII German veterans, 78-year-old Lennie Cuje is one of many examples of the lesser-known sides of history. Today Cuje lives a modest life in a quiet residential neighborhood in Northern Virginia.

Born in January of 1933, Cuje was one of the first to have been born into what was going to be Hitler’s Thousand Year Reich – he was even presented with a medal from Hitler which he still has, inscribed “Under the Future of Adolf Hitler, In the Year of Germany’s Transformation, 1933.”

For every German boy, the Hitler Youth was mandatory and everyone was drafted as soon as they turned ten. It was a compulsory service ultimately aimed to indoctrinate the youth into the German military and to serve the Führer and the Third Reich.

Cuje recalls attending school throughout the week and having drills on the weekend, consisting of navigating with a compass, camping, backpacking, marching (which he insisted was no fun whatsoever), and even “war games” where they would create two sides to get into full-fledged fist fights with one another to toughen them up. “I saw no point in any of this” Cuje admits. “I would instead take my 10-12 man unit around the fighting, and try and capture their base.”

Cuje did not like the strict discipline that was practiced in the Hitler Youth. When I got in trouble at school (which of course was very rare), I was punished by missing out on recess. When Cuje got in trouble for speaking out against Germany winning the war he was punished by sounding the school’s rooftop air raid siren for a week. He recalls watching swarms of allied bombers overhead and their fighter escorts who would fly low to the ground, shooting at targets. He even remembers a particular instance where he observed from his rooftop post the aerial dogfights between P-51’s and ME-109’s.

Towards the very end of the war, the SS assumed control on Cuje’s unit, training them to fight against the approaching allied forces. Because Germany was running low on men to fill the ranks, the enlistment age was extended to include boys as young as 12 and men as old as 65 to fight. Called the “Volkssturm” or “People’s Army” this militia unit was trained with whatever was still left to combat a superior force for what already seemed lost.

It was now 1945. Cuje just turned 12 years old and was being trained as a MG-42 machine gunner, one of the most powerful automatic weapons of the time with a firing rate of 1,200+ rounds per minute. Nicknamed “Hitler’s buzzsaw” the MG-42 was notorious for cutting down troops as was the case with those on the Normandy beaches. Due to a lack of ammo in the late days of the war (remember that Germany would surrender in a matter of weeks), Cuje remembers being told to hold his fire until the enemy troops were closer to conserve their bullets and ensure that they would hit their targets. Cuje admits that this was total madness and he came up with a plan with his belt-feeder that, when the enemy was approaching, they would fire a quick burst then surrender. I can remember back when I was 12 and can’t imagine being trained to fight in a war.

On April 23, 1945, Cuje was captured by French soldiers who later released him, insisting he return home and find his family. He later reunited with his family in Frankfurt at a displacement camp, where he first heard American jazz on the radio for the first time. It was then that Cuje decided that he would go to the United States and become part of the jazz scene.

Cuje left Germany in 1950, Cuje arrived in the United States and was drafted into the U.S. Air Force two years later. He served with the Special Weapons Project, taking part in various nuclear tests in the Frenchman’s Flat in Nevada.

Today, he is a renowned Jazz musician, having personally played for President Clinton at the White House and throughout various clubs in New York, DC, and the East Coast. To this day, he continues musical engagements and keeps quite busy.

To learn more about Lennie and his life, please refer to this link:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/metro/interactives/jazz/

From Hitler Youth to American Jazz – what an interesting life!



KN

Congressional Football Game

The Super Bowl. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Congressional Football Game. Each of these events can be grouped together due to their epic nature. On Wednesday November 2, 2011; Congressmen, Capitol Policemen and, NFL stars all hit the field for the Congressional Football Game.

The Capitol Police would win the game by a score of 27-14 but, in all honesty, that really wasn't important. The experience as a whole was incredible and it will surely be one of things that I will not soon forget about my time in DC.

While at the event, I got to meet people like Heath Shuler (former Redskins QB and now rep. from NC), Jon Runyan (former Eagles OL and now rep. from NJ), Herschel Walker (former NFL stud), John Sullivan (Rep. from Oklahoma's 1st District), and Marco Rubio (Senator from Florida). To the right of this is a picture of Herschel Walker. He is one big dude!

Being able to attend this event allowed me to see the other side of politicians. At the end of the day, they are all people too. For one night, I was no longer just a Hill intern and I was able to have relaxed conversations with US Reps, Senators, and former NFL stars. It was a pretty surreal moment as I look back.

My office was basically tasked with planning the whole event. Congressman Shuster coached the team, two of the staffers built the roster and generated a list of plays, and I did a lot of the little stuff. All of this work resulted in a smoothly run event and an overall good time. The picture to the left shows Congressman Shuster being interviewed for a local TV station.

While it may not be a customary D.C. activity for interns, it was a great experience.

-M.M.

Busy days at the Pentagon

It should come as no surprise that life at the Department of Defense never ceases to be uneventful. By the time I arrive in my office before 0800 and leave, there’s been a great deal that certainly keeps me busy and on the move. Besides my current internship project, I attend lectures and presentations featuring prominent military figures.

On October 4th, I attended a meeting at CSIS featuring U.S. Army General Carter Ham, commander of American forces in Africa. On October 17th, I visited the Naval Heritage Foundation at the Navy Yard and had a one-on-one meeting with former Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral James Holloway.

In addition to these events, I’ve manage to personally arrange one-on-one meetings with some of the senior-most military and civilian leaders in the Department of Defense. So far, I’ve met over a dozen of these officials and have another dozen currently scheduled.

For instance, this was the line-up of events today:

• Talked with the Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for Reserve Matters, Major General Charles Luckey in his office. He advises the Joint Staff on all reserve force matters so he handles a great deal of responsibilities. An Ohio Native, he’s a loyal Browns fan, but just doesn’t get those Buckeyes.

• Had a Burger King lunch with the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force, General Philip Breedlove and discussed aviation history in his office. As the Number 2 in the Air Force, he helps oversee the training, organizing, and equipping of some 680,000 active-duty, guard, military reserve, and civilian forces. He shared some of his insights and experiences as a F-16 pilot and wing commander of various units over the world.

• Met Deputy Director of Nuclear Operations, Brigadier General Michael Carey in the National Military Command Center in the lower-levels of the Pentagon. Since he’s a Michigan fan, we joked about football and I tried to convince him to go to a Buckeye game. An hour after our meeting, he was promoted to Major General so I’m the last to talk with him as a Brigadier General.

• Finally, attended a presentation by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, General Chiarelli at the Willard Hotel discussing the effects of military suicide and the challenges the military faces.


These one-on-one meetings have been a great way to gain a better insight to the leadership roles within the DoD. Following these half-hour to an hour meetings, I’ve collected a great deal of business cards, military challenge coins, gained additional DoD contacts, been added to invite lists for future military functions in DC, kicked back and joked with the top generals and admirals, and been offered to come back to their office(s) to further discuss career opportunities.

Needless to say, I think I’ll return home with a great deal of military, DoD contacts.

KN

WAIP Reppin' on OSU's Homecoming Court

Representing WAIP on Ohio State University's 2011 Homecoming Court are (from left to right): Alexa Odom, Joe Flarida, Shawn O'Meara and Sean Fitzpatrick.

White House Garden Tour

On a perfect October Saturday, my mentor, Mary Fischietto invited me to the White House Garden Tour. She works for the Office of Budget and Management as a health policy advisor and received special passes for the event and encouraged me to bring a friend along.

My roommate, Gia, and I met up with Mary about a block away from the White House and began the journey through security and throngs of people. The Garden Tours occur twice a year, in the fall and spring, and show off numerous gardens that have grown and blossomed since the original Garden Tour in 1972 that was hosted by Pat Nixon.

The tour began with a look at the impressive South Lawn, which includes a putting green, the landing site for the President's helicopter, Marine One, and the Presidential Trees. Since the 1870s, most presidents and their wives have planted trees of their choosing. I got my first view of the Residence and the West Wing which were very impressive, as the West Wing overlooks Jackie O's Rose Garden. I also learned about the Residence, I always assumed the presidential family lived in the huge white house, which is not the case.

It was an absolutely beautiful day and Gia and I were thrilled to finally get an up-close view of the White House. The gardens represent a lot of history and are amazing in the way they show the playful, down-to-earth sides of the President. There were pictures of ambassadors and Presidents having beer in the Rose Garden and Presidents running with their dogs in the South Lawn. I'm glad the Garden Tour provided this opportunity.

Beautiful Things

Last weekend a few loyal Buckeyes came to visit me in DC, and somehow we managed to get in most of the sites in DC in one day. One of our stops was the Botanical Gardens.

The Botanical Gardens are divided by climate and as you walk through you see plants you never knew existed and the beauty of the whole scene is calming and peaceful to say the least. I am disappointed I have not visited this oasis, this little slice of paradise, right around the corner from our apartment before now.

Don't get me wrong, I love my internship with the Initiative Against Sex Trafficking. I enjoy researching, thinking about and participating in discussions about how this modern day slavery. However I would be lying if I said it wasn't upsetting and depressing half the time. The evil of this world and the scope of this grave human rights violation often leaves me feeling paralyzed. And so I am very thankful for this conservatory that has preserved beautiful things that our earth has so graciously made. These flowers and trees remind me that life is a gift and that there is good in the world that we must try to preserve and protect.

I wish more people, including myself (though I am probably one of few hippies in DC), visited these gardens to take a moment to remember that there is inherent good and beauty in our world and it is our responsibility to preserve and protect that.

-G

Time to Take the Wheel

Although I am a Capitol Hill inhabitant, unlike many of the other fellows, I have not had the chance to intern on the Hill or attend a Congressional hearing; so when my boss invited me to attend two in the coming week I had no clue what to expect. Tuesday was Education and Wednesday: Seaports. I believe that I know as much about seaports as the next citizen.

While I recognize that 71% of the Earth is comprised of water, until today, I did not fully recognize how vital a role the oceans play in our future as a nation and as a world.

The maritime industry alone impacts over 13 million jobs as well as our competitiveness in the global economy. The topic of today's hearing posed a perplexing question: Is the United States prepared for the 21st century trade realities?

After attending the two-hour long hearing, I have an unfortunate answer: no. While both sides of the aisle seem to understand the gravity of the issue and its ability to hinder our future economic growth, the more immediate issue is the broken branch of Congress we have spent the past weeks reading about.

Countless testimonials only further underscored the fact that it is time to "lay down our swords and stand side by side for the good of nation," as Peter Peyton, the President of the ILWU Marine Clerks Association, demanded. He explained that in California, there are 62 projects that would translate into 100,000 high-paying construction jobs waiting to be unearthed, but restrained by unnecessary "bureaucratic red tape."

Representative Corrine Brown (D-FL) offered the most passionate proposal, even stating that she would gladly vote on ANY bill her fellow Congressmen offered to clean up the mess we are in, but someone must first introduce a bill. She fervently remarked that she "is sick and tired of all of the talk, but no one walking the walk. It is time to bring our A game and work together. You give me a bill, bring it to the floor, bring it to committee. Show me something."

In a current economic climate where Congressmen find it difficult to prioritize, the issue of maritime trade is at the forefront of debate. Paul Anderson, the CEO of the Jacksonville Port Authority, relayed that our "national recovery can come by sea" but it is up to our Congress and Administration to act. It is time to take the wheel and as Representative Bishop (D-NY) urged, "get this ship back on even keel." The one thing stopping Congress from getting us there? Itself.

-AMC

New Perpectives on History and Biology

This Monday, Columbus Day, I spent my afternoon at the National Botanic Gardens and the National Museum of the American Indian. These two strikingly different museums fascinated me in their own unique way. The National Botanic Gardens was a refuge of peace, quiet, and exotic features. Meanwhile, the National Museum of the American Indian provided a greater depth of knowledge on the expansive history of Indian peoples in the Americas and their courage to survive in today's globalization-centered mindset.

The National Botanic Gardens was a lovely trip because on a warm, bright, sunny day I was able to enjoy to serenity that is afforded to one when walking through the quiet beauty of a garden. The Gardens are split into "branches" off of the central lobby inside. The "branches" are the Jungle, Hawaii, Children's Garden, Endangered Species, Medicinal Use, and the Desert. Each area, as you would figure, has vegetation from each biome that is listed. The jungle was thick, dense and very green in terms of plant life, while the desert featured a vast array of cacti and small, brown shrubbery. I truly enjoyed the Hawaii section for its color (plenty of whites, yellows, reds, and violets) and variety(size/shape). In addition, the Medicinal Use "branch" was interesting because so often we see the product of all of the various herbs and spices that we use in medicines or food, but we do not often see the full plant. When I was younger, I remember my great-grandmother having a spearmint bush as well as sugarcane down South. But, some of the herbs there were cinnamon, oregano, vanilla, licorice, tea, bay, and others. Also, the the lobby features some massive flora such as the bamboo tree, a banana tree, a palm tree, and others.

Next, I went to the National Museum of the American Indian, which is a part of the Smithsonian Network of Museums and Libraries. Referencing my experience as an intern for an architectural firm, I was struck by the beauty of the building. This beauty is derived from its keeping in American Indian traditions, specifically the Western tribes like the Pueblo and Navajo. Its is a four-story building, but it does have huge spaces that are improperly used. Moreover, the Museum is accurate in its representation of all Indian tribes throughout the Americas (not just North Am.). I enjoyed the exhibits and their depth and quality. I also learned alot about the strife that American Indians have today in regards to gaming. Many feel that it does not uphold the values and traditions of Indian culture, while others see the immediate and long-term viability of Indians fiscally. One area of specific interest was that of the Afro-Indian relations. I realized that at a time when there were more Blacks in America than any group (mainly as slaves) they had cooperative relations with Indians who suffered similar injustices. They also bonded through shared moral and philosophical beliefs. This was important to me as my maternal great-grandfather and great-grandmother were Afro-Indian (Creeks of Mississippi and Chickasaw of Georgia, respectively).

All of these things, in conjunction, created a very special day with lots of new information and appreciation for the life we have, in the world that we are in. I hope others can have such an experience as well.

KAL