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| Concepcion W. Thomas and her supporters have been protesting war 24/7 since 1981. Concepcion herself happened to be in attendance during our visit. |
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| Students read the many anti-war messages surrounding her camp. |
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| The Whitehouse from Pennsylvania Ave. Security keeps the crowds at a distance. |
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| Shaun looking rather presidential. |
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| Sarah and Jennifer striking a deal. |
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| Molly seeking input from her most trusted advisers. |
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| Posing for a photo-opp after signing legislation. |
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| After our group meal at Old Ebbitt, a few adventurous students journeyed to Chinatown, just a short walk from the hotel. |
Meeting Concepcion was the most touching part of this day for me. Although I didn't agree with everything she was protesting, I still found her very inspirational. Her passion and belief in freedom of speech made me want to jump in her tent and join her. She had almost every section of her tent covered in posters or quotes, as well as pamphlets to hand out. It was a great way to keep the public informed of what was happening around the world and show people what the impact of voice can have.
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way, reading her pamphlet as more and more people gathered around her tent. The initial date of her cause was after I was born, meaning for 26 years she's been busy with her protest and steadfast on her will for liberty and hope for us all. And what have I done? Look's like I might have some serious business to attend.
Delete(First comment didn't post so I will re-summarize)
DeleteKinda going off on what you guys said about not agreeing with everything she was protesting. I understood the "Genocide goes on in Gaza", "If you stay the course this will happen to you", and "Dont be a lemming, save yourself. Renounce genocidal weapons", but then there is randomly placed anti-keystone poster. I assume she is speaking about the keystone pipeline and it just didn't fit with the rest of her protest. Not to down play her achievement. I will say she has a unique position though, literally. She is so close to the White House it makes her cause get a lot of attention
-Howie
I agree with you it was very I found the lady fascinating. The funny thing is that I have seen the lady during my other trips to Washington and assumed she was a homeless. It was amazed about knowing what she stands for how she has been protesting for many years.
DeleteMenna Assefa
Agree to disagree is great. I respect her because she could do something that I don't think I am capable of. I also believe it is important for us to have people like her to wake people up and think twice.
DeleteConcepcion was a sight of inspiration, but with her protest there are others who are open to disagree with her views in particular with Israel. A gentleman who was close to the same age at Concepcion, walked straight up to her and yelled retort in their common tongue. Everyone watched and no one made a move. What divides them is he is a tourist and she lives her protest with exercising the rights we all have as Americans.
ReplyDeleteI like your comment about that gentleman. I was confused at first because I obviously couldn't understand their language and thought he might have been saying something positive. Then I heard her tell the crowd "He's a communist" and realized what it was he had said to her. I would have loved to stay there longer and witness the various conversations she had with people.
DeleteHe walked up to her and called her a "Communist" if I remember correctly and she retorted with "Fascist!" I thoroughly loved her vigor and devotion to her beliefs. This girl had game! Even though she replied, she didn't skip a beat or blink an eye. I'm sure she is very well used to comments (some probably more rude than others) being thrust in her direction. However, it only further speaks to her commitment to her cause and that she has an undying will to take a stand. :)
DeleteAfter reading Courtney's post I may have that backwards, but I do remember both terms being used. :)
DeleteI also remember the "Communist," and "Fascist," yelling match going on but wish I would have understood the conversation that sparked the controversy as Shaun, Molly, and Courtney have mentioned. I did notice however that the confrontation drew a bigger crowd to hear Conception's message. What's that saying again? "Any publicity is good publicity?"
DeleteSo we arrive at the White House front lawn. It is crowded and gloomy. While some of my classmates thought the White House looked better in picture I actually thought it looked better in person. Sure, some photoshop touches might make it standout a little more, but I thought it looked larger in size than in picture even standing back as far as we were. Concepcion has HEART! I was getting chilly and there is no way I'd be out there, especially for 34 years. She looked like a little raisin and it made me more sympathetic to her cause.
ReplyDeleteHead around back of the White House. Michelle's garden was looking a little bare, but Dr. Milakovic convinced me to cut her some slack because it was early in the spring. I'll let you off the hook this time Michelle...
-Howie
I definitely agree with you on the argument about Michelle's garden. I wasn't very pleased with White House as a whole. After that looney jumped the fence he ruined the party for everyone and standing that far away from the lawn took away the allure for me. Dinner was a great plus at the end though! -Laurel
DeleteTrust me quite some people from the east think the us capital building is the white house. The real one simply low keyed hard.
DeleteWhen we left from Kansas City the weather was very gloomy. However, I was excited about the trip. I have been to Washington DC several times prior to our class trip. But this trip has been very informative and educational. I was educated about a lot more things during this trip than all my other trips combined. For example, I have seen the women in front of the white house during my other trips to Washington, and I assumed that she was a homeless lady. However, during this trip I learned that she has been there for 30 years protesting about different things. I am now very curious about her story and I will be researching about this particular woman.
ReplyDeleteMenna Assefa
I agree with you Menna , there was a lot to learn on the first day despite the weather. The lady story was very amazing to me because it was my first time to see the lady. Also the fact that she look old and cannot even stand up straight really stroke me hard. I think it was a good experience for me . kenneth
DeleteMAKE SURE YOU SIGN INTO GMAIL BEFORE TRYING TO POST!!!! YOU WILL LOSE EVERYTHING YOU WROTE IF YOU DON'T!
ReplyDeleteThis was my first adventure to DC and it will definitely not be my last. I fell completely in love. Everything from the building and monument designs to the fast paced subway systems had me enthralled. Even though upon arrival the weather was not ideal, I found that the white and pink cherry blossoms popped more vividly against the grey skies than they would have under the sun. I loved that everywhere I turned I saw shades of pink decorating the concrete city. The cherry blossoms are truly the shoelace that ties the city together. I didn't expect the White House to look so fake, but I enjoyed meeting Concepcion and learning about her cause. She inspires people everyday and demonstrated the power of commitment. I learned form her that even if your standing alone, you never be afraid to voice your beliefs. AMERICA MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!
~Molly McNamara~
Totally agree about the Cherry blossoms! Throughout our whole trip, I kept looking up and seeing the shades of pink and white in the trees and finding a smile on my face! Interesting way to describe... shoelaces and cherry blossoms... but I totally agree with the White House looking fake. It seemed to me to be like the apartment buildings in cities that act only as a facade, empty on the inside but with a grand face.
DeleteAlden Stockam
I totally agree about White house and Cherry blossoms. This was my first time that I saw Cherry blossom. It was really special, really beautiful. Whenever I saw the Cherry blossom during our whole day walking I would look at it, admire the beauty and relax a little bit. White house was the only building that was kinda disappointing during our four day trip. When we arrived at white house I was like is this it? I personally think that the back side of the white house is looks nicer than the front side, because of the big fountain and big lawn.
DeleteTomislav Lubenjak
The first day was a bit of blur for me. I was overwhelmed with everything that D.C. had to offer. The hoards of people rushing by caught my attention at first. Some were almost ran over by bikers who whizzed past the White House. The story of the woman who had been protesting for 30 years was so interesting to me. I thought it was amazing that one person could make such an impact and thought if everyone did something like she did how much our world would be different. All the buildings, monuments, and statues outside made me feel so irrelevant. There was so much around me that I almost forgot to take pictures and document in my journal. I was so excited to see the White House, but was disappointed. I hate to say it but it just looked like a big ol' house to me. If I were able to see it closer I think my reaction towards it would've been different. Although it was very excited to realize how many men and women had lived there. I will say the weather was gloomy and cloudy but it did not take away my excitement of being in the city. -Laurel Lujano
ReplyDeleteThe story of the old lady that has being protesting for thirty years in front of the white house was really interesting to me also because it is not all that easy to find people who are so dedicated to communicate their message across by protesting for that long. Also I was disappointed that we could not go closer to the white house because I really wanted to see what is on the first lady's garden.
DeleteThe story of the old lady that has being protesting for thirty years in front of the white house was really interesting to me also because it is not all that easy to find people who are so dedicated to communicate their message across by protesting for that long. Also I was disappointed that we could not go closer to the white house because I really wanted to see what is on the first lady's garden.kenneth
DeleteI also was not very impressed with the White House. However, the protest across the street was very interesting. It is hard to imagine that for thirty years that tent has had a protester in it 24/7, rain or shine, hot or cold. The amount of dedication involved is astonishing and I hope they continue to protest for what they believe in.
DeleteI was very overwhelmed when we arrived to D.C. I have never been there before and I was so excited to be there and see everything. I also found it very interesting to see the women there protesting and thinking that there has been someone there 24 hours a day for the passed 30 years. That is through the hot summers and the brutal winter. I was also very disappointing with the White House as well. I thought that is would be bigger as well. Everything exceed my expectations besides the White House.
Delete-Erica
As we arrived to D.C. the weather was gloomy and a bit chilly. We walked to the White House after arriving to our hotel. I thought the White House was smaller in person because it all the pictures I have seen of the White House it looks huge. I have never seen it in person only in pictures so to me it was kind of underwhelming. I wish that we could have been closer to the back of the white house to get a better view of it instead of being pushed back behind four different fences. The Concepcion was really neat to see. I can't believe that it has been there for 30 years. I couldn't imaging sitting our there during the freezing cold and the very hot summers. I was very excited getting off the plane since I have never been. I mean who wouldn't want to see the nations capital, its beautiful! As we walked to the White House and back to the hotel after dinner I just looked around seeing what all was around me and how nice of a city it was.
ReplyDelete-Erica Bales
The first day of the trip was very interesting starting with the back and forth changing of gates in the Kansas City airport. As we arrived, DC the weather was not very nice as I expected since I did not take any coat with me. I was very happy to ride the underground train again after fourteen years since I left Germany. Walking to the white house was a great idea because it was my first time going to the white despite the fact that we could not really go closer to the building itself. I noticed that the visitors spoke different languages, which was very interesting. Also the story of the old woman who had been protesting for 30 years really makes me think how devoted are some people to protest in what they belief is right despite the circumstances and the impact they create. Stopping at the gift shop and looking at all the various types of gifts was cool despite the fact that the prices were so high. Taking a picture at the president desk was one of the souvenirs of the tripe. The evening dinner was a nice way to end the day as a group, I enjoyed it so much that we all had dinner together and have time to chart and know each other more. Going back to the hotel that evening , I had a good feel about the tripe already and looking forward for the next morning. Kenneth Ndikum
ReplyDeleteWitnessing Conception's protest and hearing Dr. Milakovic talk about the history of the protest was inspiring and definitely my favorite part of our first day in Washington, D.C. To be so passionate about something and to live in protest 24 hours a day 365 days of the year for 30 years was such a remarkable thing to be in the presence of. Although I may not stand with her in her opinions it was truly moving to see her unshakable beliefs and dedication to spread them. In all honesty though, seeing the White House itself was kind of a let down. We had to stay so far away and it was just very unmoving. I was way more excited to see the buildings and architecture that we saw up close the following days. When we ventured to the backside of the White House and saw the First Lady's garden I was pretty surprised. I would not have believed that you could see her personal garden had I not this day and I found it pretty cool. After all I am a biology plant nerd so I definitely nerded out at being able to see it.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI don't necessarily agree with everything Conception stands for either, however, I love that every American has the right to free speech and the ability to make their voice heard. That is a privilege that we take for granted, and a freedom that most of us don't actively exercise, so it was nice to see her making the most of it. Pretty cool also that she can say that she has lived at the White House for the past thirty years or so.
DeleteEntering into DC, I found that the entire experience of entering this world not to be what I expected. I had in my mind a place similar to Ancient Greece: That is, a city on a hill, a place where law and philosphy combined to create an atmosphere of learning and respect. As we soon found out, however, this was quite the opposite of the fact. As we walked in front of the White house, cars came down the sidewalk as a mass of people swarmed around, taking pictures. Policeman and security guards were about, standing off in isolation, looking at the crowd with tilted heads and commenting to each other with hushed breaths. I went into DC expecting Ancient Greece; I ended my day feeling like I had been in Disneyland.
ReplyDeleteAlden Stockam
Having never been to D.C before, I was ecstatic when the opportunity presented itself by way of this class. Upon arrival, the mere setting of he city astounded and fascinated me. The architecture of the buildings, movement of people and traffic, landscaping, and transportation drew me in immediately. Riding the metro for the first time was thrilling, and I couldn't get over how convenient it was. Our trip to the White House was a great experience. The feeling of actually seeing where the President of the United States lives was exciting. However, I was actually underwhelmed by the building itself. It almost had a faux aura to it, like the precision and whiteness was too much, making the house look like plaster. The landscaping in the back of the house, along with the First Lady's garden, was much more along the lines of what I was expecting and fit the images I have been raised with better. I also received my first glimpse of the Washington Monument, and was already anticipating visiting it the next day.
ReplyDeleteI've been excited for this trip all semester. DC is one of my favorite cities I've ever visited. I have been so many times, and every time there is something different to behold. Especially because the people in the city are always changing, so though the sights are the same, the response and general feeling are always transforming. The White House has never been tops on my list of DC sightseeing, so I hadn't seen it in quite a few years. It was nice to see it again, even from a distance. Also, I had never been in the White House gift shop, so that was a pretty fun experience.
ReplyDeleteDinner was quite delicious, and being reunited with the Metro was fun (that is one of my favorite parts of DC - I love how easy it is to get around the city!). The hot tub and wine was a great way to end a long day of travel. :)
Sarah,
DeleteNow I have only been to DC once, but I could see how going more than once could be something that would be different each time. Traveling through the city was pretty easy once I got the route of the Metro figured out. Thinking about how different the experience would be if there were different people around. And like any city, it would be so much fun to visit again and again to see different things.
I've been excited for this trip all semester. DC is one of my favorite cities I've ever visited. I have been so many times, and every time there is something different to behold. Especially because the people in the city are always changing, so though the sights are the same, the response and general feeling are always transforming. The White House has never been tops on my list of DC sightseeing, so I hadn't seen it in quite a few years. It was nice to see it again, even from a distance. Also, I had never been in the White House gift shop, so that was a pretty fun experience.
ReplyDeleteDinner was quite delicious, and being reunited with the Metro was fun (that is one of my favorite parts of DC - I love how easy it is to get around the city!). The hot tub and wine was a great way to end a long day of travel. :)
Agreed that the metro is a wonderful part of life and should be a wonderful part of every city. This is a city we are going to have to explore more. I feel like you need a couple weeks to be able to get to everything the city has to offer. I was great fun, with great people. jennifer tousley
DeleteI was really excited about this trip to DC. I love to travel. I have seen and experienced a lot of new things. This was my first time riding metro. I loved it. When we exited from the metro station I was pleasantly surprised. My first though was: "woaaa this is really beautiful, I would like to live in a city like this one day." It was nice to see White house in person, it looks different than it is presented to the rest o the world. The White house store was really fun experience, for not so much money a had a lot of fun. Dinner was great. It was fun to talk to my classmates and to see how did they perceive the first day of our trip. After our dinner few students and me visited the china town. This was my first time at China town. It was interesting to see how DC can look differently just by going to china town.
ReplyDeleteTomisav Lubenjak
When we visited the White House it was really disappointing on how far away the protective barriers were. I have heard about all the "fence jumpers" that have come to the White House for whatever reason, but it made me feel as though I could not get near my countries White House. The increased security around the building was interesting. All the same I am so glad I got to see the building, though it looked so much smaller than I had expected, but it could have been because of the distance between us and the building. The one thing I love about being old cities is the fact that there is so much history around the city. From the buildings that we visited to the restaurants we ate at.
ReplyDeleteAlexandra, I completely agree with your comment about being disappointed on not being able to see the White House closer. The way that these "fence jumpers" keep doing what they do best, one day we are going to need binoculars to look at the White House. Hopefully that will never happen.
DeleteAfter a crazy adventure of flying, it was nice to visit the White House when it was not that busy. I was shocked when I first saw it because I was expecting it to be really white but instead it was more of a cream color. However, it was still a beautiful building and it was amazing to think that I was so close to where our President lives. I was a little sad that we could not get a closer view of the White House because of people jumping fences. One would think that there would be heavier security around the White House since that is where the President and his family lives, but there weren't many security guards there, at least what I saw. I love the architecture of the White House because it makes it look older and I love that look on buildings, especially government buildings.
ReplyDeleteThe first day of our trip involves decent amount of travel. We got to airport in the morning and I can see that most of our classmates are full of power. My first impression of the capital city of the United States was flat. I don’t know if it is correct but that was what I perceived from up on the airplane. After feet on the ground and walking in the city, it game me this very strong “city” feel. Other than fair amount of tourists, most people walking by are all shooting out this “business person” atmosphere. It is something that I should familiar with and yet been separated from for quite some time. I still remember my first several days in Kansas City. A lot of people walk by will greet a stranger like me and I feels like they would come and give me a hug anytime. D.C. is different though, it looks very formal and official.
ReplyDeleteFor a very long period of my childhood, I thought the United States Capital building was the white house. It indeed it’s very “white house” itself. It is pretty white too and looks much more will designed. In contrast the real white house is rather low-pitched.
The protester Conceción Picciotto was very interesting to me. I respect and admire her consistence to do what she believes to be right. It was funny when this man came to her and argued with her for a few sentences and left. She was saying something to his back in a cursing tone and I heard she called him communist. I felt this to be so ridiculous that even peace activists have hatred toward my people. It’s interesting how many people here still dislike others because of their belief or simply because of where they live. We all learned the power of propaganda and even how rhetorical appeals could affect people. So in a time like this, in a society like ours, how many of us could say I am a hundred percent being ME. Sometimes I felt the outside influence are inevitable. It’s something worth to think twice before we make our judgement or state our opinions.
----敖彦达 Yanda Ao
This was a day of travel. I would have loved to get to the city sooner to be able to spend more time exploring the first day, but it was great non the less. The white house was our next trip and I was surprised to see how small it was. I don't what I thought that I was expecting but with all the talk of power and trying to make people feel small, this was certainly a little less (size wise) than I was expecting. I suppose it's not a bad thing to have the presidents home not the size of the Capitol building so show America that the president is just a person, a powerful person, yes, but still just a person. The protester that stood outside of the white house was unexpected. I can't help but see people like that and think, man, what a waste of a life. I realize that they are making a statement for their country but I feel like that's something that could be done in many different ways other than wasting your life trying to make a statement in an already over populated (politically) town. Life is ugly and fill with hate, but make something of any opportunity you have been given . We most likely only get one life, you might as well make it a good one.
ReplyDeleteDinner was wonderful, The duck was wonderfully prepared and my adult beverage extra delicious after a long day of travel. A good way to start the trip- Jennifer Tousley