Thursday was an exciting day for the 19’s. In the morning, we visited the Pentagon and were given a VIP tour by a special friend of Norfolk Academy. He told us about some of the history of the Pentagon and his views on U.S. involvement in the Middle East. We were also able to find the legendary purple water fountain and visit the hallway of the Secretary of Defense. We then paid tribute at the Pentagon Memorial in honor of the men, women, and children who died as a result of the terrorist events of 9/11. After the Pentagon, we enjoyed some Ethiopian cuisine from Keren’s restaurant in Washington D.C. After our hearty meal, we went to the Estonian Embassy where we were treated with a taste of Estonian diplomacy by Tanel Sepp. Mr. Sepp explained how Estonia plays it’s part in NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the EU (European Union). After the Estonian Embassy, we went to the hotel before heading off to Ray’s Hell Burgers where President Obama has enjoyed a meal on more than one occasion. This was especially interesting because one hungry Hispanic decided to order a massive milkshake and the Hot Mess and was unsurprisingly unable to finish it! Back at the hotel we played the drawing game before going back to our rooms and getting a good night’s sleep in anticipation for the day ahead.
Today we visited Buzzfeed, met two FSOs, and talked with Greg Priddy from the Eurasia group. In the morning we did a morning run (without Dr. Rezelman), which bonded us together as we jogged around Georgetown and saw the steps from the movie Exorcist. We then met with Ellie Hall, a journalist who works for Buzzfeed. She is an NA graduate class of ’07. She told us all about her job and described her many experiences and the stories that she covered, from ISIS to the British royal family. It was very interesting and inspiring to hear about her career and her past. We then spoke with Mary and Michelle, two State Department Foreign Service Officers. They summarized their experiences as diplomats explaining the state department’s cone system and exchanging stories about their travels through places such as Estonia. They described all their language training and even spoke some Estonian for us! It inspired us to hear about their cool stories and great travels. Lastly, we talked with Greg Priddy, part of the financial risk consultant firm Eurasia Group. He described his job and explained how he predicted future trends in other countries’ economies. Afterwards we even played a game with him, dubbed the drawing game. We all had a laugh as we admired our amazing drawing skills. Today was amazing and full of fun! I couldn’t ask for anything better.
Tuesday was surely not a day to forget for the IR Fellows of the class of 2019. The fellows were treated with the chance to sleep in and eat breakfast comfortably in the morning, a great way to start off a day. After breakfast, we headed to the Air and Space Museum at “The Mall.” This was especially cool because Dr. Rezelman and Coach McMahon were our private tour guides. After this we made our way to Georgetown’s campus for a delicious lunch at a famous restaurant that’s in a basement called “The Tombs.” We then made our way to meet retired Army Infantry and Special Forces Colonel David Maxwell. Colonel Maxwell, who works in the Center for Security Studies (CSS) is an expert on relations with North and South Korea. He told us stories about his five tours of duty in Korea and his adventures patrolling the Demilitarized Zone between the two nations. He shared with us his view for the potential outcomes of the conflict between North and South Korea and left us with a lasting impression of these two nations. After this, we went swimming at the hotel pool and enjoyed playing “Marco Polo.” For dinner, we went to a delicious German restaurant that was a childhood favorite of Coach McMahon’s called “Old Europe.” The Veal was outstanding! As we turn into our beds, we know that Wednesday could only be better than today, which is really saying something.
Today the cohort of International Relations fellows visited both the American Red Cross headquarters (DOCC – Disaster Operations Control Center) and the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB). We received a fantastic tour of the Red Cross with Mr. Chad which included a great overview of the positions held by Red Cross members around the nation, the purpose served by the Washington D.C. headquarters, how they prepare for and respond to many levels of disaster and how they interact with the greater International Red Cross. After enjoying lunch at our hotel from Panera Bread we set out again on the Metro and headed toward the EEOB. We met Alex Macgillivray President Obama’s Deputy Chief Technology Officer. We received a super tour of this amazing office complex adjacent to the White House. We delved into how the President’s cabinet works, the inter agency process and how policy is made within Washington. What an insight! We then walked down to the National Mall and visited the statue of Einstein and the Vietnam War . For dinner we immersed ourselves into the Asian world of Hotpot!
There we were, six kids going to one of the most influential places in the world… But first we had to deal with Mr. McMahon and otter Dr. Rezelman, who might lecture us on the Spanish-American war for twenty hours but thankfully there was light at the end of the tunnel. We quickly discovered a game called “Contact”. We played this game of logic and teamwork for four hours and discovered the importance of an umbilical cords, the periodic table, and Lord of the Rings. After what seemed like a very quick trip we arrived at a very nice Holiday Inn in Rosslyn and had a good dinner at Ruby Tuesday’s. A good night of rest will see us ready to hit DC in the morning.
On Sunday, August 5th, we gathered at Norfolk Academy for the drive to Washington, D.C. By the time they had finally arrived in Rosslyn, six hours later, two harsh realities of the program had dawned on the International Relations Fellows: Washington traffic is bad, and Dr. Rezelman is capable of talking about world politics for hours. Topics of conversation in the car varied from the role of Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy, to the role of Swedish furniture stores in the restaurant business (and the potential of McDonald’s in the furniture business), to the love lives of various fictional characters from popular culture. After a dinner atop the hotel restaurant overlooking Georgetown, everyone retreated to rest for our first full day in Washington.
Our formal introduction was accomplished by an ideal host, Glenn Nye, in an ideal place, a conference room overlooking the Capitol. As a former Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) officer, and U.S. Congressman, Nye was able to provide the Fellows with a sweeping overview of the challenges posed in the formulation of U.S. foreign policy. Nye focused especially on the relationship between Congress and the various agencies of the Executive Branch. We also learned about some of the ways Nye’s current employer, Palantir Technologies, provides technological support to the study and practice of U.S. foreign policy. As Jessica reflected later, “Nye was a great start to our trip as we learned about the new software [created by] Palantir and the media’s influence on government institutions.” Hannah found most interesting Nye’s work for the State Department “in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Singapore,” remarking “now I want to learn more about being an ambassador.” Unfortunately our photography skills were not as sophisticated as our host, but with the aid of photo editing software, soon we should be able to improve our group photograph:
The Fellows with Dr. Rezelman and Congressman Glenn Nye, Palantir Technologies.
After our visit to Palantir Technologies, we crossed over from the Senate to the House side of the Capitol:
The Fellows with Ms. Priddy, U.S. Capitol.
The Office of U.S. Representative Scott Rigell (VA-02) was kind enough to arrange a tour of the Capitol for us from none other than Norfolk Academy alumnus, and Rigell intern, Alex Patterson (’09). Mr. Patterson provided us with an introduction to the breaktaking architecture, sculpture, and history (he was well-trained in history) of the U.S. Capitol. Along the way, Mr. Patterson also provided the Fellows with an informal discussion of the life of a university student of international relations and the life of an intern “on the Hill.”
The Fellows with Mr. Patterson, U.S. Capitol.
Sophie remarked that “I had never been to the Capitol before. It was so cool to be in the underground tunnels!” Pablo was struck by the architecture: “People really enjoy beauty. The Capitol is nothing but.” Hannah was especially impressed with “the frieze in the rotunda which was a breaktaking depiction of America through the years.” Thomas was proud that, while “every state can have two statues of bronze or marble in the Capitol,” Virginia actually gets three (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Robert E. Lee). Ms. Priddy was finally able to confirm or deny (confirm, as it turns out) a story she had been told as a child that Florida had chosen to honor in one of its statues the inventor of air conditioning.
Robert Gorrie, “Father of Air Conditioning,” U.S. Capitol.
Our final stop of the day was at the Cato Institute. Our host was Cato’s Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, Dr. Christopher Preble.
Dr. Preble, Cato Institute.
Dr. Preble continued the discussion of the role think tanks play in Washington that had begun earlier that day with Glenn Nye’s description of his work with the German Marshall Fund. As Thomas explained, “many think tanks are liberal or conservative, but the Cato Institute is different because it is libertarian, and sides with both parties on different matters.” Jessica was impressed by “the Cato Institute’s unique nonpartisan views.” Pablo explained that “it takes many years of hard thinking and work” to make an impact through a think tank. Sophie discovered one possible future career path: “Before going to the Cato Institute I wasn’t sure what a think tank was, and now I’m interested in possibly being in one when I’m older.”
A delicious postscript to the day was provided at the Mala Tang Sichuan Hot Pot restaurant. Some of us discovered that we love seaweed, and some of us discovered that we didn’t, but we all agreed that it was good that we now all had an informed opinion on seaweed. Sophie made the most important discovery of all, that of a second possible future career path: that of a chef. We all agreed that “Sophie Sauce” (a mixture of plum sauce and soy sauce) was fantastic.
