Adam Putnam

Congressman John Lewis

Disclaimer: I can’t give justice to how amazing this man is; you will just have to meet him yourself.

What do you say to the man who, when in his early twenties walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in a nonviolent march during the civil rights movement, was almost beaten to death, and never once gave up his beliefs in peace and nonviolence? “I am very pleased to meet you” just doesn’t seem to cover it.

Congressman John Lewis is a powerful man who’s every word rang with history, faith, and conviction. He told us “For me, the philosophy of nonviolence is not a tactic, but a deep value that affects the way I live.” It is with this value that he walked across that bridge in Alabama March 7, 1965, and it is this value that he brings with him to Congress. He believes in peace and that, “If we can teach our children to put people down because of race, religion, or gender, we can also teach them the way of peace.” A man of great faith and family roots, he told us stories of growing up and the power of prayer and community. He told us about raising his chickens, getting up in the morning to feed them, naming them, talking to them, and preaching to them. He even said that he wished half the people in Congress listened as well as his chickens did! We all got a great laugh with him on that.

I don’t think I have ever been more inspired to go out and fight for something, anything, in hopes of making a difference, and this can all be blamed on Congressman Lewis. He gave the right advice to the most willing ears when he said, “It’s time for you to get in ‘trubba.’” He emphasized this pronunciation with a twinkle in his eye. He said that it should be the “good and necessary kind of trubba.”

Congressman John Lewis told us how he disobeyed his mother and got in involved; got into “trubba”, but it was the “trubba” that lead the civil rights movement. He advised us to “agitate for what is right” and that there comes a time when “somebody, some place has to speak up.” And now is our chance to speak up. We have no reason not to. We have every capability, right, and obligation to get into that “good and necessary trubba”. “Right now as a nation, as a people we are too quiet. We need to stand up and make some noise.”

Thank you, Congressman John Lewis. I do believe we are ready to go and make some noise now.

-Ashley England

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Congressman Ron Paul

I was nervous about this interview. Aaron and I were the ones who first wrote and called Ron Paul’s office to request an interview. Now, our efforts, along with those of our teacher and Tom Tucker in Congressman Farr’s office had paid off. Nonetheless, we felt it was our tails that were cooked if this interview was anything less than great. I didn’t know what to expect and as soon as Congressman Paul came into the room, the unexpected happened.

He walked into the room and his presence was different than any other person we had met so far. Usually when people walk into a room, you get a feeling, a feeling in your gut about who this person is and what kind of energy they give off. When Congressman Paul walked into the room, I couldn’t pinpoint how I felt exactly. He had something powerful about him like when Former Secretary of State George Shultz walked into the room, but at the same time this power that was joined by a certain humility and naturalness that made him seem approachable.

As he sat down with us we introduced ourselves, explained why we were there and what we were doing and then gave him the chance to talk. All of a sudden, he stood up and began to talk. He spoke with such passion and intensity that I knew that every word out of his mouth held tremendous meaning and importance for him. He burned through question after question with heartfelt answers. It was clear to me that this was a man who felt so strongly about his ideas that he stood throughout the entire interview! This is part of what was so powerful to me about this man. Here was a person who had so much to convey to us and with such vigor, that it was impossible for him to sit. For a half an hour he spoke with sincerity, fervor, honesty and respect. I found a similarity between Ron Paul and Ralph Nader. Both men challenge and question our government in a passionate manner, although Nader does so with a more subdued style.

Congressman Paul talked a lot about the right of the people, focusing on how government has become overdeveloped, too big, and too powerful. Sitting there with this man and listening to him speak so passionately about so many different ideas, I couldn’t help but consider them myself. He spoke of things I didn’t even think about before I met him. This interview with Congressman Paul made me look at our government in a whole new light. He walked out of the room the same way that he came in, with a quiet kind of indefinable power, and the interview was over. Though his entrance and exit baffled me, during the interview I felt exactly what this man was all about. He was a man who stood for his beliefs when he talked and believes passionately in all that he talks about. He’s a man that wants to change the world.

-Naveen Hattis

Congressman Dennis Kucinich

The first time we met Congressman Kucinich was last year when we were still juniors. It was on our way home from the rafting trip when suddenly our teacher Mr. Mailliard received a call. Congressman Kucinich was in Santa Cruz and was inviting us to speak with him. As soon as the vans stopped, we were running to change. We had less than two hours to go home, shower away the river, dress up, and be out the door and on our way to the interview. It was hectic, but well worth it. Today we got to meet him again, but in a much different setting.

One of the defining themes he left with us today was the power of language and truth. He told us that miscommunication was one of the easiest ways to disrespect each other. “Language. Watch what you say. Words start wars.” He used the example of Washington DC by saying that it “holds the Olympics for derogatory speech.” When we’re careless about our language, we spread misunderstandings that lead to distrust and unhealthy relationships. “Tell the truth to yourself. Good citizens exemplify truth.” This was an easy concept to grasp because we are at a stage in our lives where we are beginning to form new relationships. Some of us have learned the hard way that a simple lie, even to yourself, can destroy a relationship from the inside out. Lies create an illusion, and relationships collapse under such conditions. Congressman Kucinich emphasized that telling the truth was not only an important value for oneself but an important value for our country. It takes people to tell the truth as they see it, difficult though it can be, for us to be able to improve ourselves and bring peace into our lives. Congressman Kucinich spoke poetically of a single world where war did not belong. To be able to spread peace, we must first find peace within our own hearts; peace begins with truth. “You cannot advocate peace unless you have it in your own heart.”

Congressman Kucinich spoke with such sincerity and warmth. He looked directly into your eyes when responding to questions. He had a gravitational pull that drew us in from the beginning to the end of the interview. You could feel the passion that he held for his ideals and for his fellow humans. His drive for truth and passion for peace made him an impressive figure that we all admired. If he runs for president in 2012, he has our vote!

-Rachel Sunberg, Ashleigh England, and Leah Nascimento

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Ralph Nader

There are many names I’ve heard throughout my life that I can’t put faces to. My parents tend to discuss politics at the dinner table, I often heard the name Ralph Nader come up in their conversations. Today, I was able to put a face to the name.

Ralph Nader sat before us, speaking eloquently as he answered our questions with a calm ease. Then suddenly, he shifted this position and leaned forward, eyebrows raised.

“How many plan on being leaders?”

Five raised their hands

“And how many plan to be followers?”

No one raised their hand.

I thought to myself, “ I need to decide which I wanted to be, a leader or a follower.”

Ralph Nader is a force to be reckoned with. When we asked why he does what he does, he replied, “I like justice.” His statement was plain and simple. But don’t begin to think that he is simple-minded. Far from it! In fact, after the interview we were talking with one of the young people on Nader’s support teams, and he explained to us that the term “bandwidth is how fast the internet can carry information back and forth and how much information it can carry. He said that Ralph Nader, in computer talk, has the largest bandwidth of anyone that I have ever met.” During our hour and a half interview he relayed an incredible amount of knowledge. I was impressed with his ability to look at our country and recognize what was broken and develop solutions to fix it. He asked us, “What do you want knowledge for?” And when there was a silence in the room, he looked straight into our eyes and said, “Use it to make action.”

Ralph Nader is not the type of person to talk about what he wants and then let it go, when he has strong feelings about something he takes action to influence change. He said, “You always have to ask what is happening to us. Don’t just go with the flow. You must be a contemplative generation.” And he is certainly a man who lives by his advice. Did you know that Ralph Nader is the reason that we have mandatory seatbelts and airbags in cars now? Nader fought for environmental issues, child labor laws, and corporate responsibilities; these are issues that affect each and every one of us.

Thanks to Ralph Nader, I now feel equipped to begin my journey towards becoming a leader, one that won’t say, “oh well” when something isn’t right. I will take Ralph Nader’s advice of, “Put a fire in your belly.” A burning passion that will drive me to be a citizen who will fight, even if it means being defeated and trampled upon by the majority.

-Bodhi Schaffer and Hannah Meade

Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte

I woke up this morning, noted the breaking clouds through the window above my head and then remembered where I was. I was in Washington DC, and today was the day when we were going to interview the DEPUTY SECRETARY OF STATE! I bolted upright and immediately began to prepare myself for the interview to come.

It was all very surreal leading up to the interview. We walked up to the massive building that houses the Department of State. Flags above us were waving gloriously in the wind. We all had to clear through security and then met with Public and Intergovernmental liaison Bureau of Public Affairs, Eileen McCormack , who took us up to the legendary Seventh Floor.

None of us were sure of what to expect when we walked through the elevator doors. One thing we saw immediately was that the décor was hands down ten times more beautiful than that of the ground level. I found myself face to face with the portrait of none other than George Shultz, a brilliant man we interviewed not even a month ago. I felt a bit more at home knowing he was there at least in spirit. As we were waiting, we talked with Eileen who gave us a brief history of her years spent in the building. Then the doors of the Deputy Secretary’s conference room opened and out stepped many Indonesian statesmen and a tall sharply dressed American, John Negroponte the number two person at the State Department, second only to the Secretary, Condoleezza Rice. Mr. Negroponte exudes a physical sense of control and power. I was star-struck and watching him with the delegation it was clear that he was a confident and experienced diplomat.

Emotions were running high as we prepared to face what we expected to be one of the most challenging interviews of the whole trip. Both elated and nervous, we entered his paneled conference room, not sure what we were about to face. What we discovered was an intellectual, thoughtful, humorous and articulate man that is not only dedicated to his job in public service, but someone that is proud to represent his country. He told us “Be proud of the American example,” and that “you represent a great country.” It is impossible to not feel patriotic when you are sitting and taking to the Deputy Secretary of State. It is like one of those moments when you suddenly stop, look up, and there, with the blue sky and rolling white clouds in the background, waves the American flag in the afternoon breeze. It’s priceless.

Born to Greek parents in London, Negroponte studied abroad and is a man of many languages. In the interview he told us that there is “no better way to learn about a culture than to learn its language.” This is advice that we have now received from multiple people and makes me think that there might be something to this whole language business. It also makes me wish I still knew my German. He reminded us that we are only 4% of the world’s population and that China and India are rising powers that will be a reality for us now and in the future. Knowing foreign languages opens us up to other cultures and will enable us to operate in the future society.

Another moment in the interview that was interesting was when Hannah asked the Deputy Secretary if he had been influenced in his thinking and decision making by living in other countries. He paused and said, “I have not really thought about it.” He then proceeded to tell us in eloquent terms, about the “Pacific Way,” which was a way that in the northwest they talked out issues until an agreement was reached. He said it was better than a close vote where so many would be waiting for a policy to fail. I love watching his brilliant mind do a quick search and then come up with a new answer that was so complete as if he knew it all along.

As we were winding down from one of the best interviews we had yet done, we came to the last question for the day. After all the advice he had already given us, was there one thing that he wanted us to take away that could help us in our own futures? With a smile, he told us “Hard Work.” There is no effortless way to achieve greatness, and “as long as you work hard,” he told, “people will recognize you for that.” And so, as we continue our journey in DC, I think we’ll do great things as long as we work hard!

-Ashley England, Hannah Meade and Chris Fust

Layli Miller-Muro

Layli Miller-Muro is a lawyer. She founded the Tahirih Justice Center, a non- profit organization dedicated to providing legal aid to women around the world who are in serious and dangerous situations. When she was still a law student, she took on a case that may have changed the course of her life defending Fauziya Kassindja, a seventeen year old girl seeking asylum from female genital mutilation (F.G.M.) in her home country. She was assigned the case, because earlier she had written a paper regarding whether or not F.G.M. could be the basis for asylum. It is amazing that Layli while still a student pioneered a change in asylum laws to include gender based persecution. But you would never find out from her. A modest woman, she does not boast about the wonderful things she has accomplished for woman’s rights. She believes, “you will be very disappointed and you will also burn out very quickly if you’re working to be recognized.”

We asked her what was the original spark that motivated her to be so interested in issues of social justice. She responded that it came from growing up in Atlanta as a member of the Baha’i community. This provided Layli Miller-Muro many opportunities to develop relationships with kids from many different backgrounds. As she grew older, she began to notice a difference in the way people treated her compared to how they treated her friends of color. This realization, among others, was what sparked her passion for justice.

A woman of endless grace, she works tirelessly for her clients. She said that it is important not to impose her personal values onto her clients. It is not her place to convince them of what they should do or force her beliefs onto them. It is about helping them in any way she can to tackle the problems that they want to solve. She tries to maintain a balance of being passionately and emotionally committed while knowing her limits. She understands that she cannot change people; she can only encourage them to change themselves.

I can’t say I’m envious of her position because I doubt my ability to show up to such an emotionally straining job every morning, but I can voice my endless respect for her and her colleagues in the Tahirih Justice Center. They are making a critical difference in many women’s lives.

-Hannah Meade

Looking back on this past week, I cannot fully understand what has happened. It is beyond me, and far from anything I could put into prose. I apologize because this writing cannot do real justice to what I experienced. I imagine it is like a letter from a relative in a foreign country that you have never seen trying to describe the landscape. From the first interview with Alyse Nelson Bloom and Maria Pacheco I knew why I was here. These were amazing people that immediately pulled apart my flesh and bones and grasped my heart with their humility and kindness. At the Capitol building, we met Congressman Dreier who invited us into the Rules Committee. Once there, Congressman Hastings who sat on the committee was one of the most special people I have ever met. While we watched the Rules Committee debate, at times he was looking directly at me and we were visually interacting as the hearing went on. He was engaging with me across the room and without him even saying one word, the connection I felt was indescribable. He and all the other Members of the Committee, in the midst of a very vigorous debate would also employ humor as a way of defusing things, and I was finding myself in constant anticipation for every word that came out of their mouths. After the hearing, Congresswomen Slaughter, the Chairwoman invited us into her office and showed us, the students, a respect and hospitality that was truly surprising. Then on Thursday, Admiral Rochon, the Director of the Executive Residence of the White House spent far more time with us that I could have ever dreamed possible.

The most amazing thing that truly touched my heart was that all of them said they were honored to be with us. They said THEY were HONORED! Congresswomen Slaughter looked into my eyes and told me that we are the future and she wants to do anything she can to care for and help us. What can you say to that? What can you say to these people? Congressman Farr said something I probably will never forget. He said something along the lines that you see these passionate people in Iraq or wherever that believe so strongly in their cause that they are willing to kill themselves with bombs to do what they believe is right. They are so, so passionate. Well, these public servants feel this same passion but instead of using bombs, they use political debate and the ballot box to wage their war for what they believe in. These people care deeply about their causes, and to see this directly and to shake their hands and look them in their eyes, and for them to say, “God bless you. Thank you for coming to see me,” there is nothing that describes how that makes me feel. These people have affected all of me; mind, body and heart. They have impacted me with their respect, care and love. They love what they do and they love people and being with them. That comes through in a way that I never could have imagined.

-Naveen Hattis

Hillary Campaign Headquarters

Hillary Clinton’s Campaign Headquarters is run by a youthful passion. Getting off the subway at the Ballston- MU station, we found ourselves in front of a deserted looking building, but when we opened the door, we were greeted by a friendly looking receptionist and walls covered with enthusiastic letters to Hillary Clinton from elementary school children. Corley Kenna, Deputy Directory of Research, came to welcome us. She invited us on a tour of Clinton’s presidential campaign headquarters. The campaign headquarters looked like nothing more than a mismatched collegiate building, but we could feel the energy and professionalism coming from the people working in every room. We noticed that the majority of people working on the campaign were young people. We continually received curious looks and questions as we made our way to the fourth floor where we met with Corley and her colleagues, Isaac and Caroline. Isaac is a spokesperson for the campaign and Caroline works in the press office.

After each had introduced themselves, we split off into three groups to have a closer conversation; we were in the gro up with Corley. She told us that her family had always been involved in politics, her parents volunteered for several campaigns. She developed an interest in politics and studied in History and Political Science in college. Right out of college, she was offered an internship with Congressman John Lewis from her home-state of Georgia. From there she found her way to the Hillary Campaign. Her passion for politics came from one of her family’s “golden rules”; you’re not okay unless your neighbor is okay, so take care of your neighbor.

Corley, Caroline, and Isaac at Clinton Headquarters

On this trip, we have been interviewing people high in their professional fields. In each interview, their advice to us has been the same, follow your passion and dreams, don’t be afraid to fail, and if you try hard enough, you will succeed. Corley, Caroline, and Isaac embody this message. They are just starting beginning their political careers with a commitment to public service and a willingness to work hard for what they believe in. They helped us to realize that taking action isn’t something we should strive to do in our futures, we can begin taking action NOW.

-Alexa, Joanna, and Patricia

Professor Akbar Ahmed

Professor Akbar Ahmed

As an American student, I know little about Islam. I’ve spent some time trying to educate myself but it was too complicated for me to understand. The past few years I’ve been stunned by how much Islam comes up in American politics, and why don’t I know more about this.

As we got off the bus at American University, I was pondering this very thought. Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, now a professor at American University, is considered the leading scholar on Islam. I was ready to learn.

Professor Ahmed came to our meeting with a lesson plan and went straight into a college level lecture. He made it clear that he wanted to educate us on Islam, he asked us to “keep scribbling” notes as he spoke. After bombarding us with statistics and explaining why our generation needs to know about Islam, he proceeded to draw parallels between the grassroots of American society and Muslim culture. Though I didn’t get to ask my question, I learned a lot from him. He reinforced that learning about Islam will be required in order to understand world culture in the coming future.

I had a deeper question I wished to have answered; why is it natural for many Indians to have contempt for Muslims? It wasn’t fair, but it wasn’t questioned in Indian culture. It seemed as though after the Partition of India in 1947 that a large group of nationalist Indians began to despise Islam.

The lecture ended and I began to gather my things, selfishly frustrated that my question hadn’t been answered. Then, in a flash, Ward pulled me into his post interview conversation with Professor Ahmed and asked me what I gained from the interview. I went straight into what I learned a lot about the importance of Islam, but that I wanted to learn the roots of the tension between Muslims and nationalist Indians. Before I finished my rapid rant, he stopped me and asked me if I was a Sikh. Beaming, I replied affirmatively, and without answering my question, he virtually read my mind and appeased me in one sentence.

“I have many Sikh friends, Jasbir, and like them, I know that a Sufi Muslim laid down the first tiles of your Golden Temple.” I left the room feeling completely lit by hope. Simply by linking cultures, we as a future generation can bridge the gap between social disagreements. It just takes the effort of research, friendliness, and open communication.

-Jasbir Nijor

Akbar Ahmed

Admiral Rochon

Admiral Rochon Director of the Executive Residence Chief Usher

Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher. Despite the intimidating title, Admiral Rochon must be the most down-to-earth man I’ve met on this trip so far. It is almost as if he isn’t aware of his important position in the White House.

Admiral Rochon began in the Coast Guard, during the latter days of the Vietnam conflict. He had only planned to stay in the military for a short while, but instead he found himself working his way up through the ranks. He told us that he has received a couple of very important phone calls during his lifetime. The first call was from the Commandant of the Coast Guard, just as he was preparing to retire from the military, asking him to become an Admiral in Cleveland. The second, from the White House, asking him to consider interviewing for the spot of Chief Usher at the White House.

Not once during our interview with him did he make it sound like he was taking credit for his current position. He is incredibly humble. Admiral Rochon made the statement “You don’t run away from your commitments.” He definitely seemed to be a true example of what he preaches.

As he walked us down the hallways of the White House, he made our country’s history come alive. A life devoted to public service, is a life built upon deep roots and values. Admiral Rochon made it very clear that he believes that we should NEVER compromise our integrity and that we should ALWAYS be fair and equitable. “Getting ahead” in a real sense would not be possible if we sacrificed any of those values.

We got to the core of his management style when he elegantly stated, “This house is made of limestone and sandstone, but it takes flesh and blood to run it.” It’s the same with our country. We are made of hills and valleys, deserts and lakes, but it takes the hands of the people to create a nation.

-Hannah Meade

Going to the White House! Just these words are enough to send chills of awe and anticipation down anyone’s spine. In our case, we were still trying to believe our luck when Admiral Rochon, Director of the Executive Residence and Chief Usher of the White House, walked through the East Wing doors and welcomed us. You have to understand, we had no past history or connection to Admiral Rochon so the possibility of an interview, let alone a private tour was farfetched until we were standing in front of him.

I don’t believe I have ever felt the love and pure admiration as I did today for our country’s history. Every chair, every mirror had a story. Admiral Rochon graciously took us through an extraordinary tour of the East Wing, entertaining us with “fun-facts” along the way. It was late in the day so all of the usual tours had finished and we were alone with the staff inside of the big White House on the hill. The Admiral would take down the long ropes that were blocking off rooms and we were allowed to sit carefully on chairs made in the 1800’s. He led us through room after room and history was made real to us. We saw a portrait of George Washington that Dolly Madison saved when the British set fire to the White House in 1814. We had a glimpse from outside the Map Room where President Franklin Roosevelt practically lived during World War II as he monitored military activities around the world. We stood on the front steps underneath the huge columns of the White House, the green lawn spreading out before us, and realized that this was our world, our history, our chance to experience a piece of national heritage, and this was only possible because of Admiral Rochon.

Admiral Rochon went far and beyond any of our expectations and we are forever indebted to him and his graciousness. This day will forever go down in our personal histories and may have even changed the course the future for some of us.

-Ashley England

The White House – Admiral Rochon’s Tour