Waynesburg University students visit D.C amid historic week
news@greenecountymessenger.com
For more than a decade, students with Waynesburg University无毛视频檚 Stover Center have traveled to Washington D.C., to explore the capital and job opportunities, and to network.
But the timing of this trip, a ten-day conference hosted by The Washington Center, is especially illuminating.
无毛视频溛廾悠禎We无毛视频檝e met with many people: Justice Sotomayor, the late Justice Scalia, former Justice O无毛视频機onnor. We无毛视频檝e met with Senator Toomey twice and Senator Casey, as well as judges, lobbyists,无毛视频� said Dr. Lawrence 无毛视频淟arry无毛视频� Stratton during a phone interview from D.C. Jan. 5.
无毛视频淭his is something new. We无毛视频檝e never taken part in this particular Inside Washington conference. (Friday was) two years after Jan. 6. Discussions about the state of the American democracy are there before us. There无毛视频檚 the perpetual voting of the Speaker (of the House),无毛视频� Stratton said before Republicans selected U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker in the early hours Saturday. 无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 pretty cool.无毛视频�
Stratton and three students are focused on enjoying the conference, which is a 无毛视频淐hoose Your Own Adventure无毛视频� of sorts with opportunities to connect with D.C. professionals, engage in debates with about 300 students from 20 universities and colleges nationwide, attend plenaries and explore the city. But they can无毛视频檛 help hear the buzz of history in the making.
无毛视频淯sually politicians act in a way that promotes their self interest, but this doesn无毛视频檛 seem to promote anyone无毛视频檚 self interest,无毛视频� Stratton said. 无毛视频淚t shows how fragile things are. Speaking with some of the (public relations) people trying to promote policy right now, it无毛视频檚 all on hold because no one knows what the state of things are.无毛视频�
Stratton and the three students who accompanied him to Inside Washington were having a wonderful time amid the historic week at the nation无毛视频檚 capital.
无毛视频淏eing here in a week where so much is going on with voting for the Speaker of the House has been very special,无毛视频� said junior Ethan Lown, a political science major on the pre-law track. 无毛视频淲e just happened to be here. It无毛视频檚 been great; we无毛视频檝e had a great week. My expectations were to just hear from a lot of speakers, hear and have discussions with students from across the country. All those expectations have been met. I think just spending time in the city has been the highlight for me, being able to walk around, seeing the different monuments and hearing from such a diverse group of speakers.无毛视频�
Since Inside Washington kicked off Jan. 3, Stratton and the WU crew, along with their team of Temple University students and staff, have met with ambassadors to African countries, toured Capital Hill and dined with Waynesburg alum who now hold political and legal positions in D.C. They, along with San Antonio College attendees, visited APCO Worldwide, an advisory and advocacy communications consulting firm, and engaged in friendly debates.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 not often you get to spend a week in D.C. hearing from so many important and high profile people,无毛视频� said Micah Leith, a senior communications major from Bedford County who serves as the executive editor of the Waynesburg University Yellow Jacket.
Students have also attended keynote speeches by notable Washington D.C.-ites, including Dr. Fiona Hill, who earned her doctorate in Soviet Studies at Harvard, wrote a biography on Russian president Vladimir Putin and serves as Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute.
无毛视频淲e met with a woman who is just out of college and works as a lobbyist for the Sandy Hook Foundation, which seeks to promote mental health for high school students. She discussed what it无毛视频檚 like moving out of college to Washington, D.C.,无毛视频� said Stratton. 无毛视频淭hat无毛视频檚 the type of theoretical and abstract public policy, down to how do you live in Washington D.C., how do you afford it, how do you network?无毛视频�
Inside Washington at The Washington Center concludes Wednesday, and already Stratton is looking forward to next year无毛视频檚 D.C. trip 无毛视频� hopefully with more students. This year无毛视频檚 experience was made possible through grant funding, and the trial trip exceeded expectations.
无毛视频淚无毛视频檓 impressed. I knew that The Washington Center was very interested in helping students sort of find their niche in Washington,无毛视频� he said, but he didn无毛视频檛 know just how impactful Inside Washington would be.
无毛视频淪o many Washington D.C. programs strike me as you go there and you无毛视频檙e with all liberals or you无毛视频檙e with all conservatives, and this is diverse. For me, it无毛视频檚 the D.C. Spark, or the lightbulb moment, that I无毛视频檓 seeing not only in my students from Waynesburg University but also in these students from Temple. One student 无毛视频� went to meet with this public relations office, initially not being very interested in it. As the discussion kept moving, the PR experts spoke, and she suddenly was passionately interested,无毛视频� Stratton said.
Stratton said watching friendships form between students from different places, with varied backgrounds and interests, has been fun, and he无毛视频檚 enjoyed networking with faculty from across the country.
Ultimately, 10 historic days on Capitol Hill is an engrossing, informative adventure Stratton would like to share with more WU students.
无毛视频淚t无毛视频檚 a way to expand horizons,无毛视频� Stratton said. 无毛视频淚 view it as an opportunity to expose Waynesburg students to more possibilities within Washington D.C. and the shaping of public policy.无毛视频�