Meg Patterson: Captivating

When we first arrived in Washington D.C., I thought that the things I would see would be like it has been on any other school field trip: dull. And, if I’m being totally honest, at first, it was. I just wasn’t interested in all the text displayed in the glass cases, and didn’t care enough to read it.

However, once we observed the journalists working at NPR, I started to become fascinated in the people behind the scenes. It was nothing like I had imagined the workplace for journalists would be like. The atmosphere was calm, but resolute. The people seemed to be having a enjoyable time, but were engrossed in their tasks. I was captivated.

Throughout the trip, the places we ventured to were nothing like the usual field trip destinations. Although they had texts in glass cases, it was text that mattered that I wanted to learn about. Experiences that occurred and shaped not only journalism, but the U.S. as we know it today.

The Newseum, by far, was my absolute favorite part of the trip. Everything caught my eye, and I wanted to stay there longer. They integrated journalism and historical events in a way that allowed me to view how writing has evolved throughout time. Plus, the historical events were current, so I already possessed some information about them; but at the same time, the Newseum threw in additional details about each topic that I never knew about. They even acquired physical aspects of the events, which acted as reminders to the observers that let them acknowledge how these events were real, and build to the imagery of the texts to make it that much better.

In addition to the places we went to, we also had meetings with all sorts of pertinent people. At the Hamilton Place Strategies, we met with Tony Fratto to talk about how his various careers led to him being a managing partner at the public affairs consulting firm, and how he was determined to pursue his dream of becoming so.

We also met at the National Press Club with women from miscellaneous journalism businesses such as the Washington Post. They gave us insight on what the journalism community is like today, for instance, how hectic it is a the moment. They also told us how they became what they are today, and the struggles, along with the good sides, to their jobs. One woman even told us what it was like to be around President Trump, which can be a struggle in more ways than one.

While I enjoyed the informational parts of the trip, I would have to say that the food set me over the top. What can I say, milkshakes and pizza have a way with filling me with ecstasy.  

Overall, I gained new found knowledge while being captivated by just about everything around me. Unlike past school field trips, I enjoyed myself by learning as much as my overwhelmed-with-fascination brain could handle.