Friday, June 10, 2022
By:
The first full week at work went by fast. It’s only the second week and I feel like I’m getting into the swing of things: I have a grip on my project at work and I have begun to explore activities, museums, concerts and such in DC.
One of the most exciting things this week at work was getting the chance to eat lunch with Nobel Laureate, Dr. John C. Mather. We were able to ask any questions over lunch and we asked so many that he wasn’t even able to finish his food until the last five minutes when we were cleaning up. Work days go by pretty quickly but that was one of the fastest 1.5 hours yet. I am so thankful Dr. Mather was able to spend his time visiting with us!
I also received a monitor for my desk at work, thank you Milton and Nathan! It’s really helpful for reading and spotting outdated information (which has been one of my tasks this week). Additionally, I have been learning a little about science communication with my mentor which I think is an important skill set to continuously improve.
Wednesday, my roommate and I tried to attend a Halsey concert but after it was postponed due to lightning and waiting two hours in a half covered shelter for the storm to blow over we received a tornado warning and quickly got a ride from two nice strangers (thanks Stacy and Amy!). Headlines read Halsey Concert Canceled After Flooring at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Maryland the next morning. Although we never got to see Halsey, we did get reimbursed and had a great night by getting off the metro three stops early to walk along the lit up monuments. They are magestical at night. I would definitely recommend seeing the monuments at night to anyone visiting DC.
Policy, politics, and action are everywhere in DC. I have never lived somewhere where there are so many protests, people speaking out on injustices, and advocacy groups. I love it! People come from all over to share their thoughts and speak up for what they believe in. This week, besides the January 6th hearings, stronger gun control measures have covered the news and in DC, its not just in the news but outside your front steps too. On Sunday, 45,222 flowers were put up around the Washington Monument (by the gun control advocacy group Giffords) to symbolize each death due to gun violence in 2022.
Coming up soon: this weekend there will be plenty to do and our SPS cohort is kicking it off with a trip to see the Nats Baseball game. Thank you Mikayla, Kayla, and Brad for setting that all up for us! There will also be a pride parade, pride block party, and fireworks this Saturday. Us interns will definitely be exploring those events.
Below are pictures of fellow interns and I on some of our adventures (including a group selfie with Dr. John C. Mather)!
Lucy Corthell