Elle Harrigan

in Spring 2014, Student's Blog, Washington, DC
April 7th, 2014

What surprised you the most about Washington, DC?

By Elle Harrigan
Spring 2014

I came to Washington not really knowing what to expect. I’ve been a political junkie since before I could properly tie my shoes, tagging along with my mom as she voted in the 2000 election, but I still felt incredibly green in the face of the indomitable entity that is Washington, D.C. So much so, in fact, that when asked by my work supervisor on one of my first days in the office if I knew how a bill became a law, I replied “Uh…I think?” I 100% definitely know how a bill becomes a law and have known since Schoolhouse Rock came into my life 12 years ago but I really did not know which aspects of TV Washington I should believe.

Washington might be like what you see on TV. But I certainly didn’t get to see that side of things. What they don’t show you in House of Cards or Scandal is that for every Frank Underwood or Olivia Pope, there are hundreds of staffers and thousands of interns laying the groundwork and fighting the good fight to keep the United States government afloat. Turns out you actually need a lot of people to get that done. Who knew?

What probably surprised me the most during my time in D.C. is the sheer amount of people who work in this city. It sounds silly, but these individuals come from all across the country, work in every field you could possibly imagine, and devote their lives to advancing their cause and doing their duty for democracy. The brainpower in this city is absolutely staggering. Boston may be the academic Mecca of the United States, but D.C. is where those brilliant minds come to put their knowledge to use.

All these experts in one place leads to so many opportunities to learn about pretty much any issue of your choosing. On any given day, dozens of events are held across the city providing heaps of information on a wide variety of subjects. That has been one of the most pleasantly surprising aspects of Washington. This town is thriving with energy and knowledge and passion all the time. Even as our elected officials stall, the Washington spirit of open discourse and the preservation of democracy continue.