The DukeEngage interns meet once a week with Duke Professor Kristin Goss to discuss topics like civic engagement, millennial generation, and voting rights. This week, we talked about what “cultural immersion” means. While most can imagine what those activities would be in foreign lands, how do we become engaged with DC? What is the “real DC”? Each person identified a person or place that embodied the “real DC” and they ranged from America’s founding ideas to today’s culture and people.
Rachel, our Communication Intern, chose the National Archives as the “real DC.” After her visit there this weekend, she realized that the people waiting in line were all extremely different yet they all subscribed to the American ideals established in the founding documents at the National Archives. I chose Pierre L’Enfant, the original city planner for DC who envisioned the National Mall, a public area that has since been transformed into a civic stage. Having spent July 4th at the National Mall, Jenn, our field intern for Ohio, picked the National Monument as the physical symbol of DC: the monument towers over every other building, serving as a constant reminder of our history.
While some of us focused on the national side of DC, other interns identified local symbols. David, our Democracy Class intern, and Catalina, our field intern for Pennsylvania, chose local neighborhoods, Barry Farm and PG County respectively. They pointed out that the real DC is as much about the local issues such as race and crime as it is about national issues often highlighted by the federal government. Whereas some point out the unique aspects of DC, Joe, our field intern for North Carolina, discovered that the real DC can be like any other city. Joe talked to our dorm’s security guard, Marvin, who said that while DC is special, it is also a normal city. However, Marvin also humorously commented that living in DC is sometimes about dealing with the secret service while doing everyday things like grocery shopping.
Finally, Lauren, our field intern for Florida, said the “real DC” is about the people who work in the city. In particular, she spoke to Rock the Vote’s staff as one of the ultimate DC experiences: people are dedicated to a cause that goes beyond them. The “real DC” has a different meaning for interns like us, residents, and tourists. What’s the DC to you?
