My Trip Overview
From Ben Koch ‘10…
Never would I have dreamed that part of my Bradley experience would send me to see the Inauguration of our 44th President! However, I’ve embarked on the journey of a lifetime. From January 10 - 21, I will be in Washington, D.C. attending an Academic Seminar with The Washington Center and witnessing the historic Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. For the first seven days I will be learning from top scholars around the country about the media and the presidency. I will likely have the opportunity to hear from Bob Schieffer, Moderator of Face the Nation and Ted Koppel, former Anchor of ABC News Nightline. Throughout the seminar I will be paired with students from across the country in small groups as we learn the ins and outs of “the District” and make site visits to important offices in D.C. I’ll even have the opportunity to be on C-SPAN 1 or 2! Yes, I am actually excited about being on C-SPAN. I find that while being extremely informational about government issues and policies, it is also quite calming when you need a break during finals. To culminate the experience, I will be writing a letter to President-elect Obama expressing my opinion on what issues he should address during his first 100 days and how he should address them.
The last three days I will be attending Inauguration events and celebrations. On the top of my list, I plan to view the Inauguration Ceremony from prime seats in front of the Capitol, thanks to Congressman Aaron Schock ‘02. Other highlights include an Abraham Lincoln bicentennial celebration at the Lincoln Memorial, the Inaugural Parade, volunteering in Washington D.C. on Martin Luther King Jr. Day and possibly a free Aretha Franklin Concert. I also plan to take in all the sights of one of the most important cities in the world and one full of so much history. Being a part of this experience is a blessing. I look forward to sharing with you about this exciting journey for myself and for our entire country. Let the change begin.