Marcaela Allen: Captivating
The excitement could not be contained. It was splitting at the seams on the bus. Waiting four and a half hours in anticipation for the freedom from school, drama, troubles, and for the best three days of our lives. It was Thursday at seven in the morning but we were more awake than ever. As we boarded the bus, we could practically smell Washington, D.C. from the comfort of our coach bus seats. However, this was nothing compared to when we finally arrived at the unsurpassed, beautiful, sun-lit District of Columbia.
The Liaison Hotel was our first stop. Everyone eagerly hopped off the bus and, in groups of four, ran to our rooms. The moderately-sized hotel room housed your average two queen sized beds, a flat-screen TV, and a bathroom. We were given only twenty minutes to change out of our leisurely clothes and regroup before going to Union train station for food and then onto NPR, National Public Radio, studios tour. Later that day we walked and took the metro to have a meeting with Tony Fratto, former Deputy Press Secretary for President Bush and current cofounder of Hamilton Place Strategies which works to consult lobbying firms. The night ended with a pizza party in our rooms.
On Friday, my group and I walked down the street to a nearby Starbucks for breakfast. After that, both the NAEye and the NASH Uproar walked to the Newseum, a museum that depicted the history, importance, and impact of the news. To say the least, it was amazing and a very eye-opening experience. The Berlin wall, a virtual reality, 9/11 and Pulitzer award winner exhibits were my favorite and the most captivating. We didn’t stay long before switching to another tour at the FBI building. This tour provided a look behind the scenes of the FBI. Immediately after the conclusion of the tour, we hiked back to the Newseum to explore the rest of their captivating exhibits. To end the festivities for the day, we met with speakers Maura Judkis of the Washington Post, Nikki Schwab from Daily Mail, and Emily Hazzard from ThinkProgress at the National Press Club.
On the last day, Saturday, December 1 we started the day with a tour of the Capitol Building. Although our tour guide had an outgoing and overly joking nature, the tour was still very informational. The groups sectioned off and six of us did our own sightseeing and a little bit of shopping while the remaining people went with Mr. Hull to the African American Museum. Fortunately, the six of us that went on our own were lucky enough to survive the horrors of the metro and still get back to the hotel in time to board the bus to leave.