Headlines and Highlights

Whenever I walk down Pennsylvania Avenue in the direction of the Capitol, I always pass the Newseum. The name is cheesy, I know (it's a museum about the news), but it actually turned out to be one of my favorite D.C. attractions! I loved the exhibits, and highly recommend this place to visitors. Admission is about $22 per ticket, but somehow my Washington Seminar group got to go in for free, so that fact alone made the experience more enjoyable. Below are a few descriptions of the highlights.

Pulitzer Prize Gallery: You really understand the phrase "it pulls at your heartstrings" when you look at photographs from all over the world depicting some of the best and worst moments in the past century. Here are some examples: http://www.newseum.org/exhibits-and-theaters/permanent-exhibits/pulitzer/videos/pulitzer-prize-photos.html

Hurricane Katrina Exhibit: Lots of pictures and stories from reporters who were on the scene at New Orleans and in Mississippi.

9/11 Gallery: There's huge wall covered by newspapers with headlines about the terrorist attacks, and an intense video that features reporters who were at the scene in New York. Talk about hitting an emotional brick wall! The exhibit also features the mangled broadcasting antennae from one of the towers. :(

Antennae from one of the towers

Berlin Wall: There was a section of the Berlin Wall in the basement, in addition to an exhibit about the Cold War. 

Me in front of the Berlin Wall!

The President's Photographer: Did you know that every president since LBJ has granted a personal photographer "unlimited access" to the daily doings of the White House? Needless to say, there were some very interesting and casual pictures of the presidents. One of my favorites:

LBJ with dog

The Story of News Exhibit: You walk into a dimly-lit room and see a huge collection of newspapers featuring headlines from the very beginning of America until 2008. There were stories about the Boston Tea Party, the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, the end of prohibition, Pearl Harbor, the 1980 Olympics hockey game between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, Oklahoma City bombing, Obama's election, etc... It was a fabulous way to look at history. Here's a famous original:

Although I LOVED the Newseum, the best part of my weekend started at 6 am on Saturday morning. Most of my Barlow friends and I woke up early and got rides to a church in Virginia, where one of the Apostles of our church, Elder David A. Bednar, came and spoke to a huge congregation of young adults in the area. Since we arrived two hours early, I got to sit dead center in the fifth row from the front. It was such an incredible experience to be taught by someone we sustain as a prophet, sear, and revelator for our church in that particular setting. Elder Bednar didn't have a prepared talk, but instead he opened the meeting up for questions. I learned so much and loved every moment I was there!

Other highlights of the weekend:

-I ate a raw oyster for the first time. You have to slurp it from its shell! Quite the experience, and the taste made me think that I was literally eating the "smell" of the ocean. 

-I saw the Adjustment Bureau. I liked it (Matt Damon running for Senate=golden combination), though I probably would have been okay with seeing it after it came out on DVD.

-Seventeen of us went to Fridays on Saturday night to celebrate DJ's birthday (Barlow friend), and I experienced sweet potato fries for the first time. Delicious!

-I found out that my roommate Keisha is engaged! Landon is a very lucky guy! :)

And...since I'm a few days late with updating my blog, here are a few highlights of the first half of this week:

-One of my friends from my internship came over to the BC on Monday night. It was my turn to cook for my dinner group, so he ate with us and then stayed for FHE!

-I got to go sit in the House chamber during a joint session of Congress today. The Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, spoke, and you know how Members of Congress always stand up during the State of the Union when they clap? Well, the frequent standing ovations are apparently the norm. I lost track of how many times everyone in the room stood up and sat down. 

Anyway, that's the update. This weekend should be exciting since we're taking a field trip to Gettysburg, PA!