Thursday, January 22, 2009
Kevin Dessart
We woke up early and made it to the train (and then the next train, then the bus and finally the plane) this morning and now we are back in Green Bay. It was memorable and I would like to thank everyone for making this trip possible. Thanks to all the parents, the YMCA, Tom, and especially Julie. The countless hours spent planning to make sure we had no problems and then taking the lead and getting us headed in the right direction--Julie, Thank you. Lastly, thanks to the kids for making this enjoyable. There was very little complaining and when there was it was probably warranted. (You should get to eat sometime!) And on a final note, thank you Cassie for getting the blog up and running. I had many people post comments, e-mail and call me to tell me they followed our trip. It was great being able to share this experience with everybody. Anyway, thanks again and see you in Madison or next meeting, whichever comes first.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Bailey Jaworski
Every moment today was picturesque starting with the visit to the capital building, to the magnificent sunset behind the Washington Monument, and I have the pictures to prove it! :]
I cant wait to tell everyone back home everything because I will never forget this trip because it truly was a once in a lifetime trip. :]
(p.s. >> i'm not going to lie, i really don't want to leave here, and i might consider living here when i get older.) anyone considering a trip here, do it and you will have no regrets. :]
I cant wait to tell everyone back home everything because I will never forget this trip because it truly was a once in a lifetime trip. :]
(p.s. >> i'm not going to lie, i really don't want to leave here, and i might consider living here when i get older.) anyone considering a trip here, do it and you will have no regrets. :]
Catie Knier
good times at hard times!!! :D [[hard times cafe, that is]] a fancy dinner, a long day of memorable touring, and another great meal of good ol' chili! today was as great as all the days before. ditto to all those posts beloww ;))
>>>BIG thank u to: our chaperons mr. dessart (julie see below)), congressman KIagen (great stories, sense of humor, and advice for us all!), frances kerry from reuters (amazing tour!!!), all the people who helped get us into the inauguration (life changing), president Obama himself (inspiring) and our #1 julie!! :]] thank u all who made it possible, soo much for making the experience great!! it is something i will never forget!
>>>BIG thank u to: our chaperons mr. dessart (julie see below)), congressman KIagen (great stories, sense of humor, and advice for us all!), frances kerry from reuters (amazing tour!!!), all the people who helped get us into the inauguration (life changing), president Obama himself (inspiring) and our #1 julie!! :]] thank u all who made it possible, soo much for making the experience great!! it is something i will never forget!
Kevin Dessart
Today was very cool. For all you fans of current events out there, the Reuters office was maybe the most amazing thing I have ever seen. We could see stories being written and sent around the world. The woman there was amazing and what a time to visit a newsroom in DC--24 hours after a new President takes office. UNREAL.
The meeting with Congressman Kagen was also very interesting. He was discussing what it was like to actually get things done in Washington and I felt he was very honest and straightforward answering our questions and giving us some insight into the beltway.
This is my 5th time to DC and there are still new things to see. Some of the old favorites though we saw today--the Lincoln memorial is always impressive and of course the Vietnam and Korean War memorials are very sobering.
The kids today were great and I am not surprised. If we are handing our government to these future congresspeople we are in good hands.
Tomorrow--back to GB.
The meeting with Congressman Kagen was also very interesting. He was discussing what it was like to actually get things done in Washington and I felt he was very honest and straightforward answering our questions and giving us some insight into the beltway.
This is my 5th time to DC and there are still new things to see. Some of the old favorites though we saw today--the Lincoln memorial is always impressive and of course the Vietnam and Korean War memorials are very sobering.
The kids today were great and I am not surprised. If we are handing our government to these future congresspeople we are in good hands.
Tomorrow--back to GB.
Yes we did!
First off, let me tell you, there were over 100 tons of garbage collected after the inauguration.
Today, we traveled around the city, seeing everything we could before we leave tomorrow. We first went to Representative Kagen's office, and actually got to meet him. He talked to us for a while, and then after meeting him, we were off to the capitol building for a tour. Seeing the capitol building from inside was amazing. The architecture was awe inspiring, as were the sculptures and paintings. We sat in on a small debate in the House of Representatives, too. There was debate on whether or not we should honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday, rather than the third Monday of January, as we currently do.
After staying in the capitol building for some time, we went to Thompson Reuters for a tour of an international news room. Other than the facility being a zillion degrees (an obvious exaggeration, but it WAS quite warm) it was quite an exciting and interesting experience. The link to the Reuters website is http://www.reuters.com/
After the (warm) experience at Thompson Reuters, we went to see the White House. Though we could only see it through the fence, it was quite exciting to see the house that our new president is living in. We then went to Union Station to eat and shop.
We wrapped up our day by walking down the Mall, seeing the Washington Monument, the World War II memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korea Memorial, and, of course, the Lincoln Memorial.
Today was a fun day, and we saw a lot of things that we will remember for a long time. We're sad to be going home tomorrow, but we are so grateful to have had this experience. None of us would trade it for anything, and will remember it forever.
Today, we traveled around the city, seeing everything we could before we leave tomorrow. We first went to Representative Kagen's office, and actually got to meet him. He talked to us for a while, and then after meeting him, we were off to the capitol building for a tour. Seeing the capitol building from inside was amazing. The architecture was awe inspiring, as were the sculptures and paintings. We sat in on a small debate in the House of Representatives, too. There was debate on whether or not we should honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on his birthday, rather than the third Monday of January, as we currently do.
After staying in the capitol building for some time, we went to Thompson Reuters for a tour of an international news room. Other than the facility being a zillion degrees (an obvious exaggeration, but it WAS quite warm) it was quite an exciting and interesting experience. The link to the Reuters website is http://www.reuters.com/
After the (warm) experience at Thompson Reuters, we went to see the White House. Though we could only see it through the fence, it was quite exciting to see the house that our new president is living in. We then went to Union Station to eat and shop.
We wrapped up our day by walking down the Mall, seeing the Washington Monument, the World War II memorial, the Vietnam Memorial, the Korea Memorial, and, of course, the Lincoln Memorial.
Today was a fun day, and we saw a lot of things that we will remember for a long time. We're sad to be going home tomorrow, but we are so grateful to have had this experience. None of us would trade it for anything, and will remember it forever.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Main Event
Waking at the crack of dawn is one of the "best" parts of this experience and one that we got to experience again today! We woke up at 4:15 am (3:15 Wisconsin time) and got to our complementary breakfast five minutes before it even opened to make sure we left the hotel in time to get a good spot at the inauguration. Despite the time, the metro station was still packed and we had to take our second option of train. From 5:45 on, we were on our feet in lines waiting for the gates to open at 8. The security checks started taking place slightly before 8 with a very mild mannered crowd. We were lucky enough to have tickets given to us by Congressman Kagen, Senator Kohl, Senator Feingold, Patty Hoeft, Jack Kreuger, and Tony Vanderbloemen so we were much closer than the general public, but the tickets required that we had to go through security.
The amount of people was absurd. All you could see were people, from the Washington Monument to the Capitol building there was a solid wall of people. We estimated that in the ticket area alone was 4 times capacity Lambeau Field's, and the surrounding area had 40 times the stadium's capacity.
The rest of the day was spent standing...and waiting. There was some background music but all and all we were responsible for keeping ourselves occupied. When the festivities started the electricity in the air was unmeasurable. Their were several performers including the United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Gabriela Montero, Itzhak Perlman, and Elizabeth Alexander.
The inauguration speech explained our countries current condition, outlined our challenges, and actions needed to address those issues. The crowd roared and clapped with every statement that encouraged our progress.
All and all the crowd was excited and respectful, with the exception of the introductions of former presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and other Republican dignitaries.
We managed to follow the crowd to the metro station and promptly waited 1 hour 7 minutes and 34 seconds (of course only a rough estimate). We made it to our hotel for some much needed rest. We weren't fortunate enough to receive Inaugural Ball tickets but decided to get dressed up and go out to dinner anyway.
The last hours of the day were spent bonding and writing this blog to keep you all involved in this part of history.
The amount of people was absurd. All you could see were people, from the Washington Monument to the Capitol building there was a solid wall of people. We estimated that in the ticket area alone was 4 times capacity Lambeau Field's, and the surrounding area had 40 times the stadium's capacity.
The rest of the day was spent standing...and waiting. There was some background music but all and all we were responsible for keeping ourselves occupied. When the festivities started the electricity in the air was unmeasurable. Their were several performers including the United States Marine Band, Aretha Franklin, Yo-Yo Ma, Anthony McGill, Gabriela Montero, Itzhak Perlman, and Elizabeth Alexander.
The inauguration speech explained our countries current condition, outlined our challenges, and actions needed to address those issues. The crowd roared and clapped with every statement that encouraged our progress.
All and all the crowd was excited and respectful, with the exception of the introductions of former presidents George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and other Republican dignitaries.
We managed to follow the crowd to the metro station and promptly waited 1 hour 7 minutes and 34 seconds (of course only a rough estimate). We made it to our hotel for some much needed rest. We weren't fortunate enough to receive Inaugural Ball tickets but decided to get dressed up and go out to dinner anyway.
The last hours of the day were spent bonding and writing this blog to keep you all involved in this part of history.
Lisa Grewe
For all of you wondering, there were multiple port-a-potties, not nearly enough for all the people though. Also there was no toilet paper so we stocked ourselves before we left.
Emily Erdman
Well, we have been up since 4:15. We dressed in all the clothes we could possibly place on ourselves. We ate a speedy breakfast and left the hotel at around 5:30. We waited on the subway for about an hour before we arrived at the 2 hour line waiting to get in the gated area. At around 8:30, we entered and attempted to find a space to stand in. Trying not to upset too many people, we found a spot that was close to the reflecting pool, yet behind hundreds of people wearing obnoxious hats. Jumping up and down until 11:30 to try to see the stage, we finally are greeted by a choir and some famous names sounding from the loud speaker, without much of a view for all of us who are under 6 feet tall. So, all in all...doesn't sound so glamorous does it? Correction. It was probably one of the greatest experiences ever. All I can say is, I know we're in good hands, and it's all thanks to you fine people.
Joe Albers
The inauguration was a life changing experience. Adam, Emily, and I found a very good spot away from the group. The inauguration was packed to the gills and miraculously we found Mr. Dessart right away on our way out with three million people surrounding us. On a side note, after Barrack was sworn in and gave his speech Emily, Adam, and I went on the reflecting pool in front of the Capital. The ice started to crack so we got off. This historic moment my have impacted my view on government forever.
Bailey Jaworski
What a day!! After hesitating to get up after two 4am mornings, I stumbled out of my bed and proceeded to dress myself (Warmly!!) for the day. The complementary continental breakfast was amazing and I did not hesitate to stuff myself silly since the next opportunity for food would be nearly 10 hours away. Riding the Metro was a headache, but amazing in the sense of that we were all here for the same reason, to witness history. When we finally arrived at our destination approx. 1hr after we boarded, people, people, people!! It was ALMOST like a lambeau field game when it came to the weather and the crowd. When we finally got into line with other silver ticket holder we waited in line for about 1.5hrs before the line started to actually move. Inside the gates, Catie and I went on a view adventure trying to find the best view of the capital as possible. although unsuccessful we did meet a nice lady named Tami from Las Vegas. When the Inauguration finally got underway, it was a feeling of relief like "Yes! This is what we have been waiting for!" What an exciting day overall and maybe I will get the opportunity to see the next Inauguration because it is really an indescribable moment/feeling.
Catie Knier
we want change!!! :D after a previous day of long travels, missing hotel towels, and 4 hours of sleep, we kicked the day off with a very loud alarm clock..! even while missing some sleep, there was such a contagious excitement in the air that no caffeine was needed. On our feet for over 7 hours, legs aching, crowds chanting, we finally got a glimpse of our future president around 11:30, and a heartwarming speech leaving us all looking forward to the next 4 years to come.
Washington dc may be a big city, and even scary at times, but people there have hearts as big as their city... here i have met some of the most social &caring people, even if they are complete strangers! There are people willing to give up their spot on the metro to someone who'd need it more... its absolutely amazing...
more amazing than that is what this entire experience has been... and the best thing is its not over yet!!
Washington dc may be a big city, and even scary at times, but people there have hearts as big as their city... here i have met some of the most social &caring people, even if they are complete strangers! There are people willing to give up their spot on the metro to someone who'd need it more... its absolutely amazing...
more amazing than that is what this entire experience has been... and the best thing is its not over yet!!
Garth Halvorsen
Today was a momentous day. Though it WAS a momentous day, there were some things that, personally, I would have rather not had happen.
As former president George W. Bush was announced, many people, if not most everyone, booed him, and then proceeded to sing "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye."
I know that most people don't care for Bush as a president, myself included, but it WAS a bit, if not more than a bit, disheartening to hear. Being in the age we're supposed to be in, electing an African American as president, you would think we would be able to show our last former president a bit more respect.
Overall, though, the day was very exciting, with people everywhere, and was truly a great moment in history. I look forward to someday, if I have children, telling them, as well as their children, "I was at the inauguration of the first African American President."
This is truly a moment of history to be greatly proud of.
As former president George W. Bush was announced, many people, if not most everyone, booed him, and then proceeded to sing "na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey, goodbye."
I know that most people don't care for Bush as a president, myself included, but it WAS a bit, if not more than a bit, disheartening to hear. Being in the age we're supposed to be in, electing an African American as president, you would think we would be able to show our last former president a bit more respect.
Overall, though, the day was very exciting, with people everywhere, and was truly a great moment in history. I look forward to someday, if I have children, telling them, as well as their children, "I was at the inauguration of the first African American President."
This is truly a moment of history to be greatly proud of.
Kevin Dessart
An amazing overall experience. The crowd was huge and just being around all the people who were so excited was unreal. Everyone had on an Obama hat, shirt, blinking light or button. When President Obama took the oath you could just feel government at work. You could see a smooth transition of power and getting a chance to view it live was something I will probably talk about in class every year.
Adam Strebel
Today we were up early to get to the mall and secure good spots. After fighting through seas of people we found spots with a great view of the capitol platform and jumbotron which got better when a temporary fence was cut down and the crowds pushed forward. From then on we just mingled with other anxious onlookers for the festivities to begin.
Logan Finucan
The crowds were incredible, but we finally found our place. Obama's speech was excellent, moving at times. It may not be a speech that children need to memorize in the future but it's the speech America needed to hear.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Lisa Grewe
I don't know what to write on here. I'm tired and excited, all at the same time. Everyone was so enthusiastic about Obama, I even saw an Obama wedding dress! People are crazy, just kidding!
Emily Erdman
After a very long day I almost burned down the restaurant with a very small candle or something. No one was injured...I swear!
Kevin Desart
We made it YEAH! I was a little worried about losing people on the trip but because our kids were so good i was almost the one lost when my ticket wouldn't go thought the metro. I thought it was funny when the guy questioned us for putting 30$ on our metro cards. And I'd like to thank Congressman Kagen for coming through in the end for getting our entire delegation into the inauguration. GO REDBIRDS!
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
After an early wake up call and a brief interview with Channel 2 we were headed onto our flight for Minneapolis. The flight went just great with all of luggage and people making it to Minneapolis on time. We made a stop for Starbucks and other food places for brunch. We had quite a bit of a layover in Minneapolis and a hour delay, which we spent playing cards : D After all the hustle and bustle we arrived in Washington DC, followed by quite a bit of shuffling around to regain our baggage which some people needed to have checked due to lack of space on our flight.
After bus and metro ride we rushed to our hotel because the delay led to some serious problems with scheduling. We dropped our luggage at the hotel and made a hasty escape to the Rayburn House Office Building and Hart Senate Office Building to claim our tickets for the Inauguration . We spent quite a bit of time in Congressman Kagen's office, sitting in his chairs and taking his Jolly Ranchers.
In our futile attempt to find a cost efficient and close restaurant we finally settled on a more expensive hotel restaurant. With 15 dollar hamburgers and 12 dollar pizzas how can you go wrong?! We made our final trip on the metro back to our hotel to get some much needed rest for the long and exciting day ahead, set to start at 5 am!
After bus and metro ride we rushed to our hotel because the delay led to some serious problems with scheduling. We dropped our luggage at the hotel and made a hasty escape to the Rayburn House Office Building and Hart Senate Office Building to claim our tickets for the Inauguration . We spent quite a bit of time in Congressman Kagen's office, sitting in his chairs and taking his Jolly Ranchers.
In our futile attempt to find a cost efficient and close restaurant we finally settled on a more expensive hotel restaurant. With 15 dollar hamburgers and 12 dollar pizzas how can you go wrong?! We made our final trip on the metro back to our hotel to get some much needed rest for the long and exciting day ahead, set to start at 5 am!
Friday, January 16, 2009
The Itinerary
Monday, January 19, 2009
Meet at Austin Straubel at 5:15 am
7:51 am arrive in Minneapolis St. Paul
10:10 Depart Minneapolis St. Paul
1:37 Arrive in D.C
2:15 PM Washington Flyer to West Falls Church Metro Stop
Metro to King Street Station
Drop luggage at hotel
Metro to Capitol
4:45 PM Wisconsin Delegation Reception
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Rayburn House Office Building Room 2359 (3rd Floor)
Pick up inauguration tickets
Senator Kohl’s Office
Congressman Kagen’s Office
6:30 PM Dinner and back to Hotel
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
6:30AM- 7:30AM Full Breakfast
8:00AM Depart for Mall area
11:30 AM Inauguration
Inaugural Parade
2PM Tour Senator Kohl’s Offices (tentative)
3:00PM Metro to 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue
Metro to Arlington Cemetery
7:00PM Ready for Inaugural Ball or Party at Hotel with our delegation
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
7:00AM-8:00AM Full Breakfast
9:00AM Tour/Visit with Congerssman Kagen (tentative)
10:30AM Guided tour of the U.S. Capitol
12:30PM Explore Union Station with Lunch
1:30PM-2:00PM Tour of Retuers International News Agency by Frances Kerry
2:30PM-3:30PM Visit the U.S. Supreme Court.
4:00PM-5:30PM Visit the national archives Here you will see the Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights on permanent exhibit.
6:00PM-7:00PM Dinner
7:00PM Evening walk around the Mall area to see War Memorials, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.
Return to Hotel
Thursday, January 22, 2009
5:30AM-6:00AM Full Breakfast
6:30AM Travel to AirportKing Street to West Falls Church Metro Stop
7:15 Washington Flyer to Duelles (arrive 7:40 am)
9:15 Depart Washington-Dulles
10:59 Arrive in Detroit
12:14 Depart Detroit
1:00PM Back in Green Bay!
Julie will have her cell in DC. Please don’t hesitate to contact her for any reason.Please remember that it will probably be cold in DC and bring appropriate warm weather gear.
Julie Knier 920-609-7128
knierj@new.rr.com
Meet at Austin Straubel at 5:15 am
7:51 am arrive in Minneapolis St. Paul
10:10 Depart Minneapolis St. Paul
1:37 Arrive in D.C
2:15 PM Washington Flyer to West Falls Church Metro Stop
Metro to King Street Station
Drop luggage at hotel
Metro to Capitol
4:45 PM Wisconsin Delegation Reception
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Rayburn House Office Building Room 2359 (3rd Floor)
Pick up inauguration tickets
Senator Kohl’s Office
Congressman Kagen’s Office
6:30 PM Dinner and back to Hotel
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
6:30AM- 7:30AM Full Breakfast
8:00AM Depart for Mall area
11:30 AM Inauguration
Inaugural Parade
2PM Tour Senator Kohl’s Offices (tentative)
3:00PM Metro to 1400 Pennsylvania Avenue
Metro to Arlington Cemetery
7:00PM Ready for Inaugural Ball or Party at Hotel with our delegation
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
7:00AM-8:00AM Full Breakfast
9:00AM Tour/Visit with Congerssman Kagen (tentative)
10:30AM Guided tour of the U.S. Capitol
12:30PM Explore Union Station with Lunch
1:30PM-2:00PM Tour of Retuers International News Agency by Frances Kerry
2:30PM-3:30PM Visit the U.S. Supreme Court.
4:00PM-5:30PM Visit the national archives Here you will see the Declaration of Independence, The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights on permanent exhibit.
6:00PM-7:00PM Dinner
7:00PM Evening walk around the Mall area to see War Memorials, Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.
Return to Hotel
Thursday, January 22, 2009
5:30AM-6:00AM Full Breakfast
6:30AM Travel to AirportKing Street to West Falls Church Metro Stop
7:15 Washington Flyer to Duelles (arrive 7:40 am)
9:15 Depart Washington-Dulles
10:59 Arrive in Detroit
12:14 Depart Detroit
1:00PM Back in Green Bay!
Julie will have her cell in DC. Please don’t hesitate to contact her for any reason.Please remember that it will probably be cold in DC and bring appropriate warm weather gear.
Julie Knier 920-609-7128
knierj@new.rr.com
Before we leave....
For about five months the Green Bay Youth in Government program has been planning a trip to our nation's capital to witness the historic inauguration of Barack Obama as our nation's next president. The past few months have been spent fundraising, planning, and securing our inauguration tickets but on Monday January 19th all of our hard work will pay off when we depart from Green Bay and make our way to Washington D.C. Under the supervision of chaperons Julie Kneir and Kevin Dessart ten students will be attending the inauguration; the students are Adam Strebel, Bailey Jaworski, Cassandra Van Gompel, Chad Hughes, Emily Erdman, Garth Halvorsen, Joe Albers, Lis Grewe, Logan Finucan, and Caite Knier. This blog will be updated daily and we thank you for your interest in our trip.
~The Green Bay Delegation
~The Green Bay Delegation
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