By Emily Roberts

We began our Washington DC experience by meeting with Congressman John Lewis on the back steps of the Capitol building. While it was extremely hot outside, it was extremely cool that we had the opportunity to meet with this man who was such a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement.

He led the march from Selma to Montgomery and was the youngest speaker at the famous March on Washington with Dr. King, and the only speaker still alive today. Although we were disappointed that our meeting with Mr. Lewis was so brief, we have come to understand the ever-changing schedules of political figures.

We were lucky enough to run into Congressman John Murtha just as we were leaving our meeting with Congressman Lewis. We saw him while he was checking out the new Humvees that are much safer for the troops in Iraq and that companies are trying to sell to Congress. Mr. Murtha actively speaks out against the war in Iraq and was one of the main people that shifted the feelings of our country against the war. He advocates pulling the troops out of Iraq, though he realizes the process will not be completed overnight, so he wants the soldiers to have the safest equipment available while they are still there. Once he was finished looking at the humvee and speaking with the press, he came over and spoke to us about his views on the war and answered our questions.

It was very nice of this important man to take time out of his busy day to meet with us.

We had a yummy lunch in Chinatown to re-energize us for the upcoming meetings. Our first meeting was with Greenpeace, an organization that deals with environmental issues. We spoke about everything from global warming and saving forests to keeping our water clean. We also heard about their famous Save The Whales campaign.

Our final meeting of the day was with Jubilee USA. This organization works towards eliminating debt in poor countries such as Zambia and Kenya. Eliminating their debt will allow these countries to benefit with better education, healthcare, and an overall better quality of living. We wrote letters on paper plates to our Senators and Congressmen to promote the Jubilee Act.

We had a fun night in Georgetown where we ate and shopped. It was a great first day in DC!