A Day On The Hill
Story: Anthony Devone. Photo By: Jason Pye.
JUNE 12, 2017: I got an opportunity to visit at Capitol Hill for a day. I want to study law when I get older and a chance to see Congress up close is something not many students can take advantage of. The lady who led us was a staff member in the Homeland and Security division of Congress. They work on the Democratic side of the Congress and I’m glad I was with people I’d likely agree with politically. After telling us about what goes on, we got to walk around. There’s an underground train that takes workers to and from buildings. We got to ride the train and, it felt like a rollercoaster. First, we saw “The Floor” where all 535 members of Congress vote on laws. Not many get to see it, including people who have worked on the Hill for years.
Afterward, we went back to the office and toured the facilities a bit. We had pizza for lunch with the staff members. They introduced themselves and told what they did. Some performed dictation for members of Congress. Others did research or even traveled. They also work on safety concerns in regards to importing and exporting goods and tracking social media. There’s a variety of people working within the department who keep Congress and its issues together.
After that, we went to a hearing where an issue is discussed. Members of Congress bring in people relevant to the issue. Then congressmen and congresswomen discuss and come to a conclusion on it. The topic discussed was airport security. It could’ve been interesting but we didn’t get to spend a lot of time there because it started getting late. We did get to meet a few members of Congress and shake their hands. One of them even attended a college I want to attend...Syracuse. I forgot their names but, I hope this won’t be my only chance to remember them.
Lastly, we took an audio tour for tourists which didn’t last long as it was time to go. Before we left, we received a few gifts like a pen and a textbook on black members of Congress. One of the guys there sat me and the other student down and had a straightforward conversion about life and growing up. He was black and could relate to us. He explained how working in Congress wasn’t always his passion, however, it was something and to work towards our goals and not do stupid stuff. It was something I’ve heard a million times but, it was understandable why he, a black man, tried to reach out to black kids.
Visiting The Hill allowed me to see a place I’ve lived not far from for years. I met people who could come in handy later in life and learned things I’ll keep forever. It was a great experience that I plan to expand on in the future.
Anthony Devone is junior at Friendship Collegiate Academy.