LJS Washington trip opens doors for students
Chris Pepple |
When Charla Long, director for Lipscomb University’s Institute for Law, Justice & Society, planned the February trip to the nation’s capital for students, she hoped to give them an opportunity to really know the city and experience firsthand how the city and its inhabitants thrive on the fast-paced journey through judicial dilemmas, legislative challenges and the fight for truth and justice. She succeeded. The 31 students who traveled on the class trip discovered many things about Washington, D.C., and about themselves that they never realized before. They also found that doors had been opened for them that could lead to internships, career opportunities or areas of service that they had yet to discover on their own.
“Washington made something come alive in me. It created a passion and a desire to do everything to the best of my ability and never let an opportunity slip between my fingers. I think I can pin the reason for this down to three main points: I gained so much respect for the sacrifices many people have made for this country throughout history, I learned so much talking one-on-one with people who ‘seize the day’ and change lives daily because of it, and I expanded my understanding of what brings joy to life and makes me tick,” wrote Terah Little, a Lipscomb senior.
The trip gave the students an opportunity to tour the city’s major attractions such as the White House, the National Archives, the Washington National Cathedral, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and Capitol Hill. The students also had an opportunity to meet with various legislative representatives and their staff members, as well as have dinner with Lipscomb’s young alum that live and work in the area.
“This was a wonderful trip,” said Melanie Reeves, an adult studies’ student majoring in Law, Justice & Society who currently works as a development paralegal. “This trip gave us as students a chance to not only visit the city, but to really experience it. We were immersed in the life of Washington and could feel the pulse of the city. I am very established here in Nashville and have no plans of moving there, but this trip lit a fire in many of the younger students. It gave them new career avenues to explore and opened so many doors for them. It gave me a deeper knowledge of the issues challenging our country today. The trip opened doors for me to grow personally. I learned how to better research political issues and how to voice my opinion when I feel strongly about something. It opened new doors for me to work at the grass-roots level, while others on the trip can move more easily into careers on the frontline of politics. I realized that one person can make a difference in this society no matter what career goal we choose. One vivid reminder of this was our tour of the Holocaust museum. One person can make a difference in another person living or dying. You can work on the frontline or behind the scenes and still make a difference, save a life and change the course of history.”
To give students time to interact with Washington residents on a more personal level, dinners were planned at Tortilla Coast with young alumni and at Old Ebbitt Grill with distinguished alumni. Attendees shared their stories of life in the capital, opening conversations that ranged from personal life in the city to career paths, from stressful moments to successes. The students dined with Cicely Simpson (’96), former legislative director for Rep. Jim Cooper and current director of federal and state government affairs for Dunkin Brands, Inc.; Beecher Frasier (’98), chief of staff for Rep. Lincoln Davis; and Tom Ingram (’67), chief of staff for Sen. Lamar Alexander. Congressman Davis also attended the dinner at Old Ebbitt Grill and fielded questions from the students.
"It was a blessing to have the opportunity to visit with students who are thinking about the direction of our country and how they can make a difference," said Frasier.
“It was a pleasure meeting with young people who seemed genuinely interested in learning more about their government and how it works rather than just being apathetic or cynical. Our future as an effective democracy depends on greater involvement from more of our citizens, particularly young people. I was particularly impressed with the open discussion and willingness among members of the LJS group to freely express divergent opinions,” added Ingram.
Simpson agreed that the LJS group brought a lot of insight to the discussions. “As I continue to correspond with the students from the ILJS, I am just amazed by them. What a true honor to be an alum of a university and involved with a Law, Justice and Society program that has these kinds of students. I am convinced I will see some of them in Washington in a couple of years doing great things for this country. I am excited about the opportunities that await them,” she said.
Mandy Spears (’04) met with the students at the young alumni dinner at Tortilla Coast. She currently serves as a Presidential Management Fellow within the Office of Budget at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Last May, she graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in public policy. She contacted Lipscomb’s Alumni Relations office last year with the idea of organizing the city’s young alum into a DC network called Beltway Bisons. She agreed that trips to the city are very helpful in offering connections for students seeking a career in the area.
“I think that these types of trips give students a great snapshot of the different careers that D.C. has to offer. My first trip to D.C. was the Maymester course with the political science department. The trip definitely helped give me some perspective and an idea of what my options were. It’s also a good way to ease yourself into the city,” said Spears.
“It is admittedly a tough city. I told the LJS students that if they have anyone that they know or have even met only once or twice that lives in D.C., do not be afraid to shoot them an email or give them a call. For the most part, people are friendly and happy to give information. These kinds of contacts that they make on this trip can really send them in the right direction. I moved to DC in August 2005 with graduate school not beginning for another four weeks. My approach was writing a few Tennessee Congressmen to offer myself up as a free intern for the month of August. That small effort eventually turned into a job that I had throughout graduate school and led to invaluable contacts and friends that I will probably have forever.”
Seven of the Lipscomb students received a bonus educational opportunity on the trip. They camped out on the steps of the Supreme Court building to hear Justices weigh arguments in the Exxon Valdez case. They camped out with Alaskan fishermen hoping to be present as the Justices ruled on the punitive damages due to victims of the Exxon Valdez disaster.
“While every day spent in D.C. brought something new for me to learn, the night of Tuesday and morning of Wednesday was probably the most memorable experience for me on the trip. The entire trip I had been longing for an opportunity to get to hear the Exxon Valdez case in the Supreme Court. We knew that since this was such a monumental case that it would be hard to get in so we decided to spend the night outside the Court to make sure we got a spot. It was one of the coldest and most miserable nights of my life, but it was absolutely worth it. As we walked through the front doors of the Supreme Court, I felt chills. We sat anxiously in the court room, awaiting the Justices entrance and at 10 a.m. exactly they all filed in. Because of the magnitude of this case, the Court decided to extend Oral Arguments from 60 minutes to 90 minutes. The lawyer for Exxon first presented his arguments. He stood before the eight Justices (Alito was absent because he holds stock in Exxon), and for 45 minutes he had to hold his own as they picked at his case. It seemed like each point he made the Justices, especially Chief Justice Roberts, found some way to argue with him on it. Then the lawyer for the plaintiffs stood up to argue his side, and the Justices were equally harsh on him. Both men had to prove their case in every way in order to convince the Justices. The hinging point for both sides seemed to be based around whether the Captain of the ship that had the oil spill was at a managerial status within the Exxon company. If he was at that level then Exxon would be held liable for damages. Exxon’s lawyer made many strong arguments trying to prove how he was not at a managerial level, while the plaintiffs’ lawyer tried to prove the opposite. It was an amazing 90 minutes. It was a strange feeling as we walked out of the Supreme Court that day. Not only had I just sat in on a case in the Supreme Court, but I had witnessed history. The Exxon Valdez case is a landmark case that will affect many like it in the future. That experience is something I will never forget,” said Amie Vague, a Lipscomb junior.
Little reflects on the high moment of the trip for her and expresses her hopes that this trip truly opens doors for her: “Visiting the International Justice Mission was a high note of the trip for me. I have an incredibly strong sense of respect for the work they do; their organization is a constant encouragement and reminder to me to take advantage of every experience I’m given and do my very best so I will be able to use my skills and abilities to serve other people who cannot necessarily help themselves. I am very passionate about all issues of social injustice and nothing brings me more joy than participating in creating that day when a person gets word that help is on the way and to just sit tight. I can remember different times in my life when things looked so dark and impossible and then a light cut through all of it and brought hope and chance for things to turn around. The problems I have dealt with in my life are nothing in comparison to what so many people suffer through worldwide, everyday, and that is why I want to work on projects and issues that contribute to a light cutting through someone’s darkness. That explains why I was hanging on every word anyone spoke concerning possible internships, job opportunities, ways in which to prepare for a career in D.C. I don’t want to work in D.C. to gain a high career status or authority, I want to work there because I see a passion for change in people and I want to contribute to that passion.”