May 19, 2009
The College Scholars Program
I have a confession to make. Lauren--who works more than I do, took more rigorous classes during the semester, and applied to vet school, interviewed, and got in this year--has been more diligent in keeping up with this blog. So props (and thanks) to my intelligent, dedicated, fantastic sister!
Why haven't I been so committed? Well, the amount of work I’ve done does not compare to what Lauren does when she's not writing the blog, but I had been consumed in writing of my own: my senior thesis.
Yes, it frightened me a bit, too, when I first learned I had to do one. I'd been accepted to the Chancellor’s Honors Program in summer 2005 before beginning my freshman year at UT and knew that one of the requirements to graduate in the Honors Program was to complete a senior project. I had no idea what I'd do for my senior project. I didn't even know what to declare as my major.
To complicate matters, I joined the College Scholars Program my junior year, opting to design my own major and curriculum, which was interesting for a girl whose worst flaw is indecisiveness. A senior project is also required not just for me to graduate in the College Scholars Program but for me to graduate. Period.
Those of you who have to write a senior thesis, don't freak out. Those of you who do not, I highly suggest that you consider writing one. I was able to research and write about something that pertained to my interests, without having to worry about content requirements and page limits or minimums. It was the culmination of my four years at the
It took me quite a long time to come up with a topic. First, I considered evaluating humanitarian aid. When I learned what an exhausted and vastly written-about topic that is, I chose to look at war-affected education, on which I focused during my spring 2008 semester in
Finally, after reading my notes from all three of my trips to northern
It is a topic that is relevant to present-day northern
Writing the paper was difficult. As I read article after article and chapter after chapter about northern
Furthermore, I recognized that my perspective was limited as an outsider. My connection to northern
And that was the beauty of writing my senior thesis. To understand more deeply people I have created friendships with over the past two years. To make my undergraduate education meaningful less so for my transcript and resume and more so for the people I have worked with and others who might learn something from reading what I'd written.
So, friends, I leave you with advice for making your experience at the University of Tennessee not just another four years of routine learning, but rather a period of personal growth, engaged learning, and understanding of the world in which we live.
- Personalize your education. Make it meaningful to you and those who can learn from you.
- Support a cause. (If you're looking for a place to start, check out the Jazz for Justice Project.)
- Turn to your local and global communities for real-life education. Learn from and with people.
- Take a class with Dr. Jon Shefner of Sociology and Dr. Rosalind Hackett of Religious Studies.
- Study, intern, and/or work abroad.
- Open your mind.
- Discover your passions.
- Act on them.
Peace.
• • •
May 2, 2009
Oh, finals. Love them.
P.S. We were totally there.
• • •
Apr 22, 2009
What did you do in class today? Was it as cool as what I did? Probably not.
I apologize in advance if you're tired of hearing from me, but Erin's been swamped with finishing her thesis for College Scholars and I think you all deserve an update!
I've been thinking a lot about our little sister recently. She's a senior in high school and yesterday she sent me a picture of the prom dress she bought. After trying to comprehend that she was actually old enough to go to her senior prom, it hit me that that's not the only significant thing happening for her in these next few weeks. It hit me that she has EIGHT days left to decide where she's going to COLLEGE. (Gah, how is she this old?) But she's not the only one. So do you! This is such an exciting time for you! Good luck on the decision and shoot some questions our way if you need some last minute advice, thoughts, wisdom... That's what we're here for.
Speaking of ends and new beginnings, today was my last day of undergraduate classes. My one class tomorrow was canceled and I'll be in Lexington for a field trip on Friday when classes officially end for the university. It's surreal. These past four years seem to have flown by...but even still...when I think back to freshman year, it seems like ages ago. We'll both write more about graduating after graduation.
On a happy and probably more interesting note, I thought I'd share a few things I've done in my horse production class these last few weeks! I absolutely love my major and never miss out on an opportunity to brag about all the cool things I get to see and do. My horse production class encompasses everything horses. Everything from conformation to genetic diseases to saddle fitting to first aid to parasitology to nutrition to...reproduction.
Last week, our reproduction lab entailed teasing mares with a stallion to determine which mares were in heat and which ones were not. After selecting which mares exhibited signs of heat, we collected semen from Chief, filtered the semen, and then artificially
inseminated the mares. It sounds easy, right? Well, you're not wrong. It wasn't difficult. BUT, you have to remember that these are 1100 lb. animals who can become dangerous when excited. That's me in the picture collecting Chief. I know, I know...all my friends giggled when I showed them the picture, too, but it was actually pretty incredible. Chief knew exactly what his job was. He casually mounted the phantom and then I collected. He's done this for years and the handlers know his behavior pretty well, but taking those extra precautionary steps to wear a football helmet and vest were necessary if he slipped or became too excited. It took about 30 seconds to collect it all and then he stepped down.
We filtered the sample and observed its motility under the microscope. It was interesting to learn how sensitive the semen's fertility was to external factors. It was pretty chilly that day, so Chief's normally motile sperm were a bit slow. Two students artificially inseminated two mares while the rest of us rectally palpated the other mares to feel their uterine horns and ovaries. We also performed an ultrasound while palpating to better distinguish what we were feeling. Erin doesn't understand why I get excited about this stuff, but I'm sure my fellow blogger and animal science major, Elizabeth, does. These may seem like trivial I-can't-believe-you-stuck-your-arm-up-a-horse's-butt things, but these just barely scratch the surface of what we'll be able to do with our degree. The field of veterinary medicine is so beautiful in that our patients cannot tell us what hurts or where it hurts or why they think it hurts. They don't understand us when we tell them that we're here to help. We have to be so in tune to the animal's behavior that we can tell when something is wrong. We have to be able to communicate with both the animal and the owner to ensure safety and understanding. We have to create an entirely stress-free environment without saying a word to our patients. That's why I love this stuff. Learning to rectally palpate a mare means that I could one day save a foal. That's why I get excited.
Yesterday was a lot less "gross" for all you readers with weak stomachs.
I drove two 2,000 lb. Belgian draft horses! I've been riding competitively for years, but I have never...never...been in control of 4,000 lbs. of muscle. Never. These gentle giants were fascinating to be around. They were so aware of their huge size, but never took advantage of us measly humans. Their hooves were the size of dinner plates and their heads the size of toddlers. Each of us had the opportunity to drive the horses around a big field. Amazing.
I had mentioned that I'll be in Lexington on Friday for a class trip. It's for this class, too. We're camping on the grounds of the Keeneland racetrack and in addition to watching a race, roasting marshmallows, and having a bonfire, we'll be visiting Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Reproduction Center. I can't think of a more perfect way to finish this semester.
Alrighty. Now I've got to stop procrastinating and write my 10 page paper...my last assignment of my undergraduate career.
--Lauren
I've been thinking a lot about our little sister recently. She's a senior in high school and yesterday she sent me a picture of the prom dress she bought. After trying to comprehend that she was actually old enough to go to her senior prom, it hit me that that's not the only significant thing happening for her in these next few weeks. It hit me that she has EIGHT days left to decide where she's going to COLLEGE. (Gah, how is she this old?) But she's not the only one. So do you! This is such an exciting time for you! Good luck on the decision and shoot some questions our way if you need some last minute advice, thoughts, wisdom... That's what we're here for.
Speaking of ends and new beginnings, today was my last day of undergraduate classes. My one class tomorrow was canceled and I'll be in Lexington for a field trip on Friday when classes officially end for the university. It's surreal. These past four years seem to have flown by...but even still...when I think back to freshman year, it seems like ages ago. We'll both write more about graduating after graduation.
On a happy and probably more interesting note, I thought I'd share a few things I've done in my horse production class these last few weeks! I absolutely love my major and never miss out on an opportunity to brag about all the cool things I get to see and do. My horse production class encompasses everything horses. Everything from conformation to genetic diseases to saddle fitting to first aid to parasitology to nutrition to...reproduction.
Last week, our reproduction lab entailed teasing mares with a stallion to determine which mares were in heat and which ones were not. After selecting which mares exhibited signs of heat, we collected semen from Chief, filtered the semen, and then artificially
inseminated the mares. It sounds easy, right? Well, you're not wrong. It wasn't difficult. BUT, you have to remember that these are 1100 lb. animals who can become dangerous when excited. That's me in the picture collecting Chief. I know, I know...all my friends giggled when I showed them the picture, too, but it was actually pretty incredible. Chief knew exactly what his job was. He casually mounted the phantom and then I collected. He's done this for years and the handlers know his behavior pretty well, but taking those extra precautionary steps to wear a football helmet and vest were necessary if he slipped or became too excited. It took about 30 seconds to collect it all and then he stepped down.
We filtered the sample and observed its motility under the microscope. It was interesting to learn how sensitive the semen's fertility was to external factors. It was pretty chilly that day, so Chief's normally motile sperm were a bit slow. Two students artificially inseminated two mares while the rest of us rectally palpated the other mares to feel their uterine horns and ovaries. We also performed an ultrasound while palpating to better distinguish what we were feeling. Erin doesn't understand why I get excited about this stuff, but I'm sure my fellow blogger and animal science major, Elizabeth, does. These may seem like trivial I-can't-believe-you-stuck-your-arm-up-a-horse's-butt things, but these just barely scratch the surface of what we'll be able to do with our degree. The field of veterinary medicine is so beautiful in that our patients cannot tell us what hurts or where it hurts or why they think it hurts. They don't understand us when we tell them that we're here to help. We have to be so in tune to the animal's behavior that we can tell when something is wrong. We have to be able to communicate with both the animal and the owner to ensure safety and understanding. We have to create an entirely stress-free environment without saying a word to our patients. That's why I love this stuff. Learning to rectally palpate a mare means that I could one day save a foal. That's why I get excited.Yesterday was a lot less "gross" for all you readers with weak stomachs.
I drove two 2,000 lb. Belgian draft horses! I've been riding competitively for years, but I have never...never...been in control of 4,000 lbs. of muscle. Never. These gentle giants were fascinating to be around. They were so aware of their huge size, but never took advantage of us measly humans. Their hooves were the size of dinner plates and their heads the size of toddlers. Each of us had the opportunity to drive the horses around a big field. Amazing.I had mentioned that I'll be in Lexington on Friday for a class trip. It's for this class, too. We're camping on the grounds of the Keeneland racetrack and in addition to watching a race, roasting marshmallows, and having a bonfire, we'll be visiting Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital and the Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine and Reproduction Center. I can't think of a more perfect way to finish this semester.
Alrighty. Now I've got to stop procrastinating and write my 10 page paper...my last assignment of my undergraduate career.
--Lauren
• • •
Apr 5, 2009
A quick update from Lauren
Sooooo, I found out this week that I got into UT's vet school! Buuuut, as much of a humbling honor that is, I have decided to attend the veterinary school in Ireland. My dream as I explained in my first post is to become a world citizen in the field of international veterinary public health. Living and learning in another country is my first step towards achieving that goal, in addition to learning how to become a better American citizen who understands more people than just her American brothers and sisters, more than an American education, more than an American perspective on medicine, and more than an American perspective on ...living.
• • •
Mar 19, 2009
A year of applying to veterinary school....
I have mentioned that I applied to veterinary school, but I never actually explained the application process. I never actually explained what this past year of planning my next four years has entailed. For all of you who plan on earning another degree after college, get ready.
My vet school plans did not begin this year. Unsurprisingly, they began when I was a kid and naturally guided my way through college. The very first day of my freshman animal science class, my professors wanted to know how many of us planned on attending vet school following graduation.
Nearly the whole class's hands shot up because this had been our dream since we knew what an animal was. They told us that by senior year, that number would reduce by more than half because going to vet school required a lot more than "loving animals," that a rigorous undergraduate curriculum would cause a lot of us to start working towards Plan B. Their skepticism frightened me to the point that I'd walk past the vet school and shudder, fearing that I'd never make it there. I remember earning an 88 on my first freshman biology exam and running to my advisor with tears in my eyes, asking him for advice on which major to switch to. He told me to stick with it.
I did and I used this fear as drive. As I watched general chemistry and organic chemistry and biochemistry weed out my classmates, I soon realized that the study habits I formed freshman year were enough to make me a candidate for vet school. I soon realized that the veterinary students were in fact human, that the veterinary school professors were in fact human, and that my undergraduate education at UT had more than prepared me for four more years of school. My love for learning would be enough to carry me through.
May 2008:
I took the GRE and earned a decent score, but not one that I'd be proud to send to my future university. I bought a book and planned to study over the summer.
June 2008:
There are only 28 schools in the United States and as much as I had wished I could apply to all of them, I had to be realistic. Applying to even one was in NO way inexpensive, so I had to narrow down my list. Eight of the schools offered dual degree programs in which I could earn my Masters of Public Health in the same four-year time frame as my DVM. The other twenty were out. Three of the schools required classes I hadn't taken and wouldn't have time to take in my senior year. I was down to five.
July 2008:
I began writing my personal statement and asking people for letters of recommendation. I also started making lists of my experiences, activities, honors, and classes.
August 2008:
I did not open the GRE book once during the summer, but retook the GRE and scored 190 points higher than the first time! I created an account with the veterinary school online application and began filling out the tediousness that I had been warned about. They weren't lying when they told me to START EARLY.
September 2008:
In between updating drafts of my personal statement and tweaking the online information, I was not making enough money to send applications to five schools. I knew that applying to my future alma mater was a given, so UT was in. I e-mailed admissions representatives from the other four until I found an out-of-state school that not only had the programs I was looking for, but the spirit and energy I could easily see myself a part of. That was it.
Those few weeks in September consisted of application crunch time until my deadline had finally come. The day before I left for Haiti, I sat in the library reading and rereading my application to ensure that everything was perfect. I had read a little blurb on the application website that day about a school in Ireland recently becoming accredited with the American Veterinary Medical Association and thought, "An international school? Ehh why not?" The final total was three. I navigated to the send page and after about seven minutes of biting my nails and frantically texting Erin about how nervous I was to send the document that would decide my future, I clicked SEND. The confirmation box popped up and my jaw dropped: I just sent my veterinary school application. WOAH. I breathed a sigh of relief and went home to pack for Haiti. All I could do now was wait.
October 2008:
October 2nd is the national due date for the application, so I calmly carried on my October 1st as I watched my classmates frantically finish their applications. I was so thankful for sending mine two weeks earlier.
November 2008:
The week before Thanksgiving, the out-of-state school had sent me an e-mail inviting me to interview with them in the end of January. I hadn't expected to hear anything so early, so I was excited! My dream was actually on its way to becoming reality.
December 2008:
...impatiently waiting...
January 2009:
The day after returning home from the inauguration, I sat in my favorite off-campus coffee shop studying reproductive physiology when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I walked outside to take it. "Am I speaking to Lauren?" the voice asked in an Irish accent. I confirmed that it was. "Lauren, this is ____ from ____. You'll be receiving a letter later this week, but I just wanted to call you with some good news. We would like to offer you an invitation to join next year's veterinary class. How does that sound?"
At 12:30 that afternoon, my 21-year-old dream came true. I was going to veterinary school.
On January 30, I traveled out of state for my first interview. I had taken a career seminar class through animal science last year where we participated in mock interviews. I went into it as prepared as I could possibly be and actually had a blast! My interview committee consisted of three school affiliates who wanted to know about me and about my knowledge of current public health events. If an interview could be fun, this one was.
February 2009:
While at work over Valentine's Day weekend, Erin texted me to inform me that a letter from that out-of-state school had come. "Big or small envelope?" I asked. "Big," she wrote, "Do you want me to open it?" I thought about it for a while, but couldn't resist the temptation. I asked her to open it.
"You got in."
Wow. I couldn't believe that I was fortunate enough to have a CHOICE as to which veterinary school I wanted to attend. I didn't know how I could be so lucky.
Right before my birthday weekend, another letter had come. This time it was from the University of Tennessee and again, Erin read the good news before I did. UT had invited me to interview with them!!!
March 2009:
E-mails and telephone calls generally tell me nothing about a school. I decided to take two days off from classes and fly over to my ancestors' homeland to visit that Irish veterinary school and get some face time with professors, students, and admissions. I learned that a degree here will allow me to practice in the United States, the United Kingdom, and any British Commonwealth country. Not a bad idea for someone who wants to work internationally.
Continuing the Irish theme, my UT interview was on St. Patrick's Day. The day that I had prepared for since that first animal science class had finally come and it was so surreal. I think the interview went well and I'll find out about acceptances in the next few weeks!
April 2009:
I will have to make a decision by April 17th.
May 2009:
I graduate on May 6th and begin a summer of emptying my brain for the onslaught of information that I will receive come August!
It's been fun and if I could change anything about these close to four years, I wouldn't. Everything happens for a reason, especially regarding changing passions. Don't be afraid to go with it.
-Lauren-
My vet school plans did not begin this year. Unsurprisingly, they began when I was a kid and naturally guided my way through college. The very first day of my freshman animal science class, my professors wanted to know how many of us planned on attending vet school following graduation.
Nearly the whole class's hands shot up because this had been our dream since we knew what an animal was. They told us that by senior year, that number would reduce by more than half because going to vet school required a lot more than "loving animals," that a rigorous undergraduate curriculum would cause a lot of us to start working towards Plan B. Their skepticism frightened me to the point that I'd walk past the vet school and shudder, fearing that I'd never make it there. I remember earning an 88 on my first freshman biology exam and running to my advisor with tears in my eyes, asking him for advice on which major to switch to. He told me to stick with it.I did and I used this fear as drive. As I watched general chemistry and organic chemistry and biochemistry weed out my classmates, I soon realized that the study habits I formed freshman year were enough to make me a candidate for vet school. I soon realized that the veterinary students were in fact human, that the veterinary school professors were in fact human, and that my undergraduate education at UT had more than prepared me for four more years of school. My love for learning would be enough to carry me through.
May 2008:
I took the GRE and earned a decent score, but not one that I'd be proud to send to my future university. I bought a book and planned to study over the summer.
June 2008:
There are only 28 schools in the United States and as much as I had wished I could apply to all of them, I had to be realistic. Applying to even one was in NO way inexpensive, so I had to narrow down my list. Eight of the schools offered dual degree programs in which I could earn my Masters of Public Health in the same four-year time frame as my DVM. The other twenty were out. Three of the schools required classes I hadn't taken and wouldn't have time to take in my senior year. I was down to five.
July 2008:
I began writing my personal statement and asking people for letters of recommendation. I also started making lists of my experiences, activities, honors, and classes.
August 2008:
I did not open the GRE book once during the summer, but retook the GRE and scored 190 points higher than the first time! I created an account with the veterinary school online application and began filling out the tediousness that I had been warned about. They weren't lying when they told me to START EARLY.
September 2008:
In between updating drafts of my personal statement and tweaking the online information, I was not making enough money to send applications to five schools. I knew that applying to my future alma mater was a given, so UT was in. I e-mailed admissions representatives from the other four until I found an out-of-state school that not only had the programs I was looking for, but the spirit and energy I could easily see myself a part of. That was it.
Those few weeks in September consisted of application crunch time until my deadline had finally come. The day before I left for Haiti, I sat in the library reading and rereading my application to ensure that everything was perfect. I had read a little blurb on the application website that day about a school in Ireland recently becoming accredited with the American Veterinary Medical Association and thought, "An international school? Ehh why not?" The final total was three. I navigated to the send page and after about seven minutes of biting my nails and frantically texting Erin about how nervous I was to send the document that would decide my future, I clicked SEND. The confirmation box popped up and my jaw dropped: I just sent my veterinary school application. WOAH. I breathed a sigh of relief and went home to pack for Haiti. All I could do now was wait.
October 2008:
October 2nd is the national due date for the application, so I calmly carried on my October 1st as I watched my classmates frantically finish their applications. I was so thankful for sending mine two weeks earlier.
November 2008:
The week before Thanksgiving, the out-of-state school had sent me an e-mail inviting me to interview with them in the end of January. I hadn't expected to hear anything so early, so I was excited! My dream was actually on its way to becoming reality.
December 2008:
...impatiently waiting...
January 2009:
The day after returning home from the inauguration, I sat in my favorite off-campus coffee shop studying reproductive physiology when I got a call from a number I didn't recognize. I walked outside to take it. "Am I speaking to Lauren?" the voice asked in an Irish accent. I confirmed that it was. "Lauren, this is ____ from ____. You'll be receiving a letter later this week, but I just wanted to call you with some good news. We would like to offer you an invitation to join next year's veterinary class. How does that sound?"
At 12:30 that afternoon, my 21-year-old dream came true. I was going to veterinary school.
On January 30, I traveled out of state for my first interview. I had taken a career seminar class through animal science last year where we participated in mock interviews. I went into it as prepared as I could possibly be and actually had a blast! My interview committee consisted of three school affiliates who wanted to know about me and about my knowledge of current public health events. If an interview could be fun, this one was.
February 2009:
While at work over Valentine's Day weekend, Erin texted me to inform me that a letter from that out-of-state school had come. "Big or small envelope?" I asked. "Big," she wrote, "Do you want me to open it?" I thought about it for a while, but couldn't resist the temptation. I asked her to open it.
"You got in."
Wow. I couldn't believe that I was fortunate enough to have a CHOICE as to which veterinary school I wanted to attend. I didn't know how I could be so lucky.
Right before my birthday weekend, another letter had come. This time it was from the University of Tennessee and again, Erin read the good news before I did. UT had invited me to interview with them!!!
March 2009:
E-mails and telephone calls generally tell me nothing about a school. I decided to take two days off from classes and fly over to my ancestors' homeland to visit that Irish veterinary school and get some face time with professors, students, and admissions. I learned that a degree here will allow me to practice in the United States, the United Kingdom, and any British Commonwealth country. Not a bad idea for someone who wants to work internationally.
Continuing the Irish theme, my UT interview was on St. Patrick's Day. The day that I had prepared for since that first animal science class had finally come and it was so surreal. I think the interview went well and I'll find out about acceptances in the next few weeks!
April 2009:I will have to make a decision by April 17th.
May 2009:
I graduate on May 6th and begin a summer of emptying my brain for the onslaught of information that I will receive come August!
It's been fun and if I could change anything about these close to four years, I wouldn't. Everything happens for a reason, especially regarding changing passions. Don't be afraid to go with it.
-Lauren-
• • •
Feb 22, 2009
Happy birthday to us!
We're 22 on 2/22! And we're twins...so there are 2 of us! Had to share the excitement of our Golden Birthday. This won't happen for another 200 years.
By now we've posted enough pictures for you to guess which one's which in this one. Go ahead. Guess.
By now we've posted enough pictures for you to guess which one's which in this one. Go ahead. Guess.
• • •
Feb 3, 2009
January 20, 2009.
We know this post is long. It was a long day, but well worth it. We hope reading this is, too.
3:30 AM: Rise and shine!
For some reason it's easier to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to witness history being made than it is to get up for an 8 o'clock class. If only our professors could promise a newsworthy lecture every morning...
The seven of us rolled out of our respective beds, couches, and floors and into the endless layers of clothing we would soon be thankful for packing. As we downed coffee and jammed muffins into our pockets, we briefly wondered if waking up eight hours before the swearing in was even necessary. The answer, we'd quickly find out, was yes.
4:15 AM: Stand back, doors closing.
We walked through the chilly pitch-black morning to the Vienna Metro station in northern Virginia where the line to purchase Metro tickets was already overflowing out of the station and into the parking lot. Being well versed on Washingtonianism, we bought our tickets the day before and bypassed the hour-long line to join the dozens beyond dozens of people already waiting on the platform. We managed to find seats for five of us...pretty good, considering.
5:30 AM: Lean on me.
Our early start was later than some. The Metro had
opened at 3, so the normal 30-45 minute ride into the city was delayed due to tourist Metro traffic on the trains in front of us. No worries, though. We made it into DC before the sun had risen and joined the throngs of people walking blindly towards the National Mall. After walking a few blocks, our adrenaline-aided hike to the Mall came to a dead stop. We were now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with breathing room only among HUNDREDS of people boasting every age, color, shape, and size. The world in one city block.
At this point, patience and a sense of humor were necessary for the following reasons:
1. It was freezing.
2. If you weren't claustrophobic to begin with, you were learning why that fear exists.
3. It was freezing.
4. It was early.
5. It was freezing.
6. After hearing the horrific news stories about the Black Friday Walmart tramplings, we realized how much of a reality a "death-by-trampling" really is.
7. Oh, and it was freezing.
These two necessities ran rampant throughout the crowd as indicated by random Obama chants and spontaneous singing. One group started singing "Lean on Me," but it only took a handful of seconds for everyone to join in. Funny how fitting that song was.
7:30 AM: What?! We're in the wrong line?!
We woke up at 3:30 that morning for one reason: to get a within-Capitol-view spot on the Mall. We had read that the Mall opened to the public at 4AM, so when our crowd had not budged an INCH towards that direction in the span of two hours, we started wondering why.
We were in the wrong "line."
When we got off the Metro, we had specifically told a DC police officer that we were wanting to see the swearing in and not the parade (tourists were advised to choose one over the other due to massive amounts of people). He had directed us to the wrong location. Sooooo...we pushed our way out of the parade group where we sucked in oxygen for the first time that morning and realized that it was, in fact, a lot colder outside of the crowd than inside of it.
DC cops have crowd control down pat. Frustrating for the crowd, but logical for the controllers. When we had escaped the parade traffic, we were directed to a specific intersection. When we got there, a policewoman directed us to walk four more blocks. When we got THERE, two policemen directed us back to that first intersection. We had walked in a 20 minute CIRCLE so that the crowd would disperse and become slightly more controllable. Thanks.
8:45 AM: This land was made for you AND me.
We made it.
Our goal of seeing the Capitol did not happen as we stood allllll the way back by the Washington Monument. We could care less. As far as we were concerned, we had a perfect view of one of the many jumbotrons and were currently standing among 2+ million of our fellow Americans. Gives us the chills to even write that.
(Erin on the left, Lauren on the right)
Go ahead. Say it..."WOW."
If you've noticed, we have yet to indicate which candidate received our votes (This was the first presidential election we were old enough to vote in, by the way. An exciting one, yes?) We won't because it doesn't matter...it didn't matter. All of January 20, 2009 can be summed up in that picture.
The media portrays a violent America; our home plagued with crime and fear; our American bothers and sisters polluted with prejudices and materialism. Think again, America. While walking to the Mall, inauguration volunteers handed out nametags that read: "HELLO, FELLOW AMERICAN. MY NAME IS ____________." Their cheery "Good morning!" and "Welcome to DC!" greetings destroyed claustrophobia, restored excitement, and removed resentment of waiting in the wrong line. We were now standing among friends we had never met, our countrymen and women whose life stories we wish we had the chance to hear. We were introducing ourselves to people from every state (plus several other countries!!), every walk of life, every ethnicity. We were reggae dancing to Bob Marley's "ONE Love" with perfect "strangers" (a.k.a. new friends). We were laughing and basking in what many have died to give us: freedom.
Before the swearing in, the previous day's "We Are One" Inauguration Concert played on the jumbotrons. Picture this: the microcosm of America that stood on the National Mall sang "This Land is Your Land" IN UNISON. The Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger-led rendition of the song we all learned in elementary school had so much more meaning when the people of that "land" were singing it together. We took a video, but here's one from YouTube that's longer than ours and closer to the Capitol.
11:30 AM: We have a new president.
At 11:30, President-Elect Barack Obama became President Barack Obama. And that's that.
See the people in this picture? They're Obama supporters. They're McCain supporters. They're Clinton (Mr. and Mrs.) supporters. They're Bush supporters. They're (insert name here) supporters.
We don't know if you caught any news coverage of this day, but in case you didn't: no arrests were made. 2+ million people of different beliefs crammed into a tiny city on a day the government designated "A National State of Emergency" and no arrests were made. We can vouche for that. With the exception of a few, this was a peaceful, respectable, respectful crowd. That's the way it should be.
3:30 PM: We can feel our toes again!
Due to the tourist invasion, Metro was closed immediately following the inauguration. We walked from one quadrant of the city to another to a friend's apartment where we watched pieces of the parade and warmed up with hot tea. The day was just about over for four in the group and the night was just beginning for three of us. We had a BALL to get ready for!
6:00 PM: Good ol' Rocky Top.
As we were walking out of the apartment for the ball with our friend, Lindsay, we heard something familiar on the TV. The shot of President Obama bobbing his head to "Rocky Top" switched to The Pride of the Southland Marching Band. OUR band on national television! Were we proud? Oh yeah.
Back outside in the cold, we hailed a taxi. With roads closed off and parade/ball traffic, there was no way our cab driver could get us to our ball. No way.
So we decided to walk....in our gowns...in our heels...in the sunless cold...for 10 blocks.
About 3 blocks into our icy trek, we stumbled upon an empty rickshaw. As he was wheeling away, we shouted, "Rickshaw!!" We told him our story, so he piled the three of us in his two-person carriage and did everything...EVERYTHING...in his power to get us to the steps of the National Museum of Natural History for our ball. He took us down alleyways, around barricades, on roads closed to automobiles...and then we were there.
6:30 PM: The Health for All Blue Diamond Inaugural Ball
This time last year, Lauren interned with the American Public Health Association. APHA was one of the partners for this ball, so we were able to purchase discounted tickets. We were very lucky.
(Erin on the left, Lauren on the right)
Speakers at this event included Drs. Paul Farmer and Jim Kim of Partners in Health (go read Mountains Beyond Mountains if you've never heard of these men...NOW), several congressmen, the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the executive director of APHA, UN Goodwill Ambassadors, and others.
The ground floor of the museum was open for guests to explore, but only VIP guests could go upstairs and view the blue Hope Diamond after which the ball is named. We sat with a couple and talked about global health and public health education over hors d'ouvres before they let us use their VIP tickets to see the diamond. And the kindness theme continues.
Midnight: Koman ou ye, Dokter Farmer?
We snatched a picture with Dr. Farmer before heading back to Vienna. Lauren practiced her Creole with the man who pioneered global health (starting in Haiti) and then the night was over. We arrived in Vienna around 1 AM and drove straight back to Knoxville.
...just in time for class.
3:30 AM: Rise and shine!
For some reason it's easier to wake up at 3:30 in the morning to witness history being made than it is to get up for an 8 o'clock class. If only our professors could promise a newsworthy lecture every morning...
The seven of us rolled out of our respective beds, couches, and floors and into the endless layers of clothing we would soon be thankful for packing. As we downed coffee and jammed muffins into our pockets, we briefly wondered if waking up eight hours before the swearing in was even necessary. The answer, we'd quickly find out, was yes.
4:15 AM: Stand back, doors closing.
We walked through the chilly pitch-black morning to the Vienna Metro station in northern Virginia where the line to purchase Metro tickets was already overflowing out of the station and into the parking lot. Being well versed on Washingtonianism, we bought our tickets the day before and bypassed the hour-long line to join the dozens beyond dozens of people already waiting on the platform. We managed to find seats for five of us...pretty good, considering.
5:30 AM: Lean on me.
Our early start was later than some. The Metro had
opened at 3, so the normal 30-45 minute ride into the city was delayed due to tourist Metro traffic on the trains in front of us. No worries, though. We made it into DC before the sun had risen and joined the throngs of people walking blindly towards the National Mall. After walking a few blocks, our adrenaline-aided hike to the Mall came to a dead stop. We were now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with breathing room only among HUNDREDS of people boasting every age, color, shape, and size. The world in one city block.At this point, patience and a sense of humor were necessary for the following reasons:
1. It was freezing.
2. If you weren't claustrophobic to begin with, you were learning why that fear exists.
3. It was freezing.
4. It was early.
5. It was freezing.
6. After hearing the horrific news stories about the Black Friday Walmart tramplings, we realized how much of a reality a "death-by-trampling" really is.
7. Oh, and it was freezing.
These two necessities ran rampant throughout the crowd as indicated by random Obama chants and spontaneous singing. One group started singing "Lean on Me," but it only took a handful of seconds for everyone to join in. Funny how fitting that song was.
7:30 AM: What?! We're in the wrong line?!
We woke up at 3:30 that morning for one reason: to get a within-Capitol-view spot on the Mall. We had read that the Mall opened to the public at 4AM, so when our crowd had not budged an INCH towards that direction in the span of two hours, we started wondering why.
We were in the wrong "line."
When we got off the Metro, we had specifically told a DC police officer that we were wanting to see the swearing in and not the parade (tourists were advised to choose one over the other due to massive amounts of people). He had directed us to the wrong location. Sooooo...we pushed our way out of the parade group where we sucked in oxygen for the first time that morning and realized that it was, in fact, a lot colder outside of the crowd than inside of it.
DC cops have crowd control down pat. Frustrating for the crowd, but logical for the controllers. When we had escaped the parade traffic, we were directed to a specific intersection. When we got there, a policewoman directed us to walk four more blocks. When we got THERE, two policemen directed us back to that first intersection. We had walked in a 20 minute CIRCLE so that the crowd would disperse and become slightly more controllable. Thanks.
8:45 AM: This land was made for you AND me.
We made it.
Our goal of seeing the Capitol did not happen as we stood allllll the way back by the Washington Monument. We could care less. As far as we were concerned, we had a perfect view of one of the many jumbotrons and were currently standing among 2+ million of our fellow Americans. Gives us the chills to even write that.
(Erin on the left, Lauren on the right)If you've noticed, we have yet to indicate which candidate received our votes (This was the first presidential election we were old enough to vote in, by the way. An exciting one, yes?) We won't because it doesn't matter...it didn't matter. All of January 20, 2009 can be summed up in that picture.
The media portrays a violent America; our home plagued with crime and fear; our American bothers and sisters polluted with prejudices and materialism. Think again, America. While walking to the Mall, inauguration volunteers handed out nametags that read: "HELLO, FELLOW AMERICAN. MY NAME IS ____________." Their cheery "Good morning!" and "Welcome to DC!" greetings destroyed claustrophobia, restored excitement, and removed resentment of waiting in the wrong line. We were now standing among friends we had never met, our countrymen and women whose life stories we wish we had the chance to hear. We were introducing ourselves to people from every state (plus several other countries!!), every walk of life, every ethnicity. We were reggae dancing to Bob Marley's "ONE Love" with perfect "strangers" (a.k.a. new friends). We were laughing and basking in what many have died to give us: freedom.
Before the swearing in, the previous day's "We Are One" Inauguration Concert played on the jumbotrons. Picture this: the microcosm of America that stood on the National Mall sang "This Land is Your Land" IN UNISON. The Bruce Springsteen and Pete Seeger-led rendition of the song we all learned in elementary school had so much more meaning when the people of that "land" were singing it together. We took a video, but here's one from YouTube that's longer than ours and closer to the Capitol.
11:30 AM: We have a new president.
At 11:30, President-Elect Barack Obama became President Barack Obama. And that's that.See the people in this picture? They're Obama supporters. They're McCain supporters. They're Clinton (Mr. and Mrs.) supporters. They're Bush supporters. They're (insert name here) supporters.
We don't know if you caught any news coverage of this day, but in case you didn't: no arrests were made. 2+ million people of different beliefs crammed into a tiny city on a day the government designated "A National State of Emergency" and no arrests were made. We can vouche for that. With the exception of a few, this was a peaceful, respectable, respectful crowd. That's the way it should be.
3:30 PM: We can feel our toes again!
Due to the tourist invasion, Metro was closed immediately following the inauguration. We walked from one quadrant of the city to another to a friend's apartment where we watched pieces of the parade and warmed up with hot tea. The day was just about over for four in the group and the night was just beginning for three of us. We had a BALL to get ready for!
6:00 PM: Good ol' Rocky Top.
As we were walking out of the apartment for the ball with our friend, Lindsay, we heard something familiar on the TV. The shot of President Obama bobbing his head to "Rocky Top" switched to The Pride of the Southland Marching Band. OUR band on national television! Were we proud? Oh yeah.
Back outside in the cold, we hailed a taxi. With roads closed off and parade/ball traffic, there was no way our cab driver could get us to our ball. No way.
So we decided to walk....in our gowns...in our heels...in the sunless cold...for 10 blocks.
About 3 blocks into our icy trek, we stumbled upon an empty rickshaw. As he was wheeling away, we shouted, "Rickshaw!!" We told him our story, so he piled the three of us in his two-person carriage and did everything...EVERYTHING...in his power to get us to the steps of the National Museum of Natural History for our ball. He took us down alleyways, around barricades, on roads closed to automobiles...and then we were there.
6:30 PM: The Health for All Blue Diamond Inaugural Ball
This time last year, Lauren interned with the American Public Health Association. APHA was one of the partners for this ball, so we were able to purchase discounted tickets. We were very lucky.
(Erin on the left, Lauren on the right)Speakers at this event included Drs. Paul Farmer and Jim Kim of Partners in Health (go read Mountains Beyond Mountains if you've never heard of these men...NOW), several congressmen, the dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, the executive director of APHA, UN Goodwill Ambassadors, and others.
The ground floor of the museum was open for guests to explore, but only VIP guests could go upstairs and view the blue Hope Diamond after which the ball is named. We sat with a couple and talked about global health and public health education over hors d'ouvres before they let us use their VIP tickets to see the diamond. And the kindness theme continues.Midnight: Koman ou ye, Dokter Farmer?
We snatched a picture with Dr. Farmer before heading back to Vienna. Lauren practiced her Creole with the man who pioneered global health (starting in Haiti) and then the night was over. We arrived in Vienna around 1 AM and drove straight back to Knoxville....just in time for class.
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