Day 14: Final Reflections

Reflections of these past two weeks            

Upon my return to El Paso, I still have a lot of work to do. The Gila still needs to be planned, O’Rourke still needs to be thanked, and my parents still have to be appreciated. But the lessons and the new parts of my character I learned and developed over the course of these two weeks gave me a new perspective on these actions. These aren’t just things to be done and forgotten, they are experiences worth committing to, worth that extra mile and that spring in my step, worth the experience they have given me in shaping myself, others, and the world. I have to thank all of the friends I’ve made and people I have met to realize that the effort was worth it.

Submitted by Daven Cheu

  

I entered this program as a shy and nervous person, unsure of what was going to happen in the next two weeks. I felt I would be unable to complete some of the tasks scheduled, such as conducting research on an official vessel or talking to a congressperson. However, as the days progressed, I learned so many important lessons that will benefit me throughout my life. One of the most important lessons I learned was commitment. I entered thinking that I would only need to stay committed to the academic work, such as writing papers and taking class notes, but it never really occurred to me that I’d need to be committed to the group as well. At first, it seemed a bit uncomfortable to be stuck in a small group with a bunch of strangers, but after a few days, the fear and tension seemed to melt away.

I also learned the benefits of collaboration and working towards a common goal, and how much everybody can gain if we all invest time and effort to the group. I was scared to step outside my comfort zone by doing things such as writing the issue paper or the congressional meeting because I’ve never done any of these things by myself. However, the group had each other’s backs in all of the meetings, and the RAs and instructors were always there for anything I could possibly need help with. After completing the meetings, I realized how much of a difference we can make. I used to think that it was only politicians who had the power to make change in government, but I learned that citizens can make just as much of a difference through hard work, research, and passion. Finally, I learned that I’m still learning.

I did things I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do because I had the chance to work with and learn from others. Working closely with this group has taught me that change and growth are necessary (and sometimes challenging) parts of life. Overall, these past two weeks have been some of the most educational, exciting, and memorable experiences I’ve ever had.

Submitted by Jen-Li Barry

 

 

Highlights for this program for me were the day on the research vessel, the day that we flew to Washington, and the night time Trolley tour of the monuments. On the research vessel, we collected samples of the water to see the pH and to see the amount of minerals every so many meters. I also steered the ship and that was one of the highlights for that day.

 

Another one of my favorite things from this trip was the day we flew to Washington for two simple reasons, it was my first time on a plane, and I lost my luggage. Well, my luggage wasn’t really lost, it got there before me. Sure made my day go from a 10 to a zero and back to a 10! Seeing the monuments and seeing them at night was awesome. Besides our driver MJ, was informative, attentive and entertaining.

Submitted by Juan Martinez

I came into the GELS program unsure of what to expect in the next two weeks. Who could blame me? I would be thousands of miles away from home, and participating in a environmental and leadership program having limited knowledge on both topics. Little did I know that during these two weeks, I would learn a lot about not just the environment and politics, but about myself and my peers. Throughout these two weeks, we participated in various activities, ranging from icebreaker games to 8 hour research vessel rides. As different as these activities were, they all encompassed the seven C’s, which we learned were the components of the social leadership model of change. For example, by meeting with our congressional staff members or representatives, we expressed citizenship. All my peers and I worked towards a common goal, which was to have our representatives take action to address our respective environmental issues. Although I was nervous about meeting someone possessing such a high position of authority, I was committed to making a positive change in my community, so I fought down the urge to run away from my meeting, and followed through with what I signed up for. After the GELS program ends, I hope to be able to incorporate these values into my everyday life as well. Whether it be in my interactions with my family, to encouraging my school's student body to incorporate eco-friendly changes into their lifestyles. The GELS program has offered me insight on the environment and leadership that I would never receive from any other person or program I attend.

Submitted by Annie Yu

 

 

 

Photo Highlights

Juan and Juan

Juan just before his meeting with Juan Vargas

 

 



Beto O'Rourke

Daven Cheu

 

 

Iowa Jima- nighttime monuments

Jefferson Memorial

 

Peaceful protest at Lincoln Memorial

 

Washington Monument

 

Capitol Hill

 

EPA tour with Kara Koehrn

 

 

Issue Papers

Issue Papers

Day 12 Second Day On The Hill

Submitted by Annie Yu

Despite feeling anxious for our second round of presentations, we were much more at ease knowing that we (most of us) had gotten through our meetings with our individual representatives and would now be experienced at introducing our legislations. Now on to the committee meetings!

Meeting with NOAA representatives



Beto O'Rourke from Texas meeting with Daven

Each committee had an entirely different role in the government, and were working on unique projects. It was interesting and informative being able to hear about the issues they were addressing, and being given advice about entering government positions on the hill and post-high school opportunities in general. In our meeting with the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Jen Li’s proposal on funding solar window research was a hit!  The Committee is presently working on a bill for renewable energy and was impressed with her research and said they might put a provision in their bill. WOW! This made us all realize how much of an impact we really could have with just the work we did in these two weeks. With my Representative potentially cosponsoring the Trash Reduction Act of 2015 that has been sitting in Committee, Jen Li’s proposal for Solar Window Research and Daven meeting with Beto O’Rourke and being offered an unpaid internship in his local El Paso office, we walked away from the day feeling empowered and productive.

In the Botanical Gardens

After our meetings and lunch in the Senate Cafeteria, we visited the Botanical Gardens. It felt so humid at first, and I could feel myself start to excessively perspire as soon as we stepped into the “tropical” room. Despite this, being surrounded by lush green plants, brilliantly colored flowers, and feeling the mist around me made me feel relaxed, despite the heat and humidity.

After dinner in Union Station, we were off to an evening trolley tour. Our driver, M.J. made the ride unforgettable by making jokes, playing songs, and narrating boisterously, filling us up with a bit more energy during the ride. While a majority of the trolley ride consisted of relaxing in our seats, and feeling the evening breeze, we were able to hop off for 15-20 minutes at a few memorable stops and take both individual and group photos, at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, the Iwo Jima Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial. Despite being probably the most tiring day of the whole program, the experiences were unforgettable and the memories will be forever imprinted in my mind.

Day 11: Perspectives on the DC Metro System

Submitted by Daven Cheu, July 13, 2016

The DC metro was constructed, to the best of my knowledge, during the 1970s. Its architecture definitely shows that influence: stations of concrete with curves and weight saving cutouts in the vaulted roofs in a minimalist fashion that mimicked the sights of the streets above. It was built as part of a city made to facilitate the smoothness of government, a manifestation of the government America hoped to be.

The trains also reflect that atmosphere, but I can’t help but see the dream hasn’t aged well but is still well loved by millions, myself included. I once rode these trains from Fort Myers to the heart of the city three years ago. Wear and scraps of paper left in crevices reveal the many stories that followed these train lines. The angular, metallic design alludes to a vision of the sleek future long since passed.

Daven in his meeting with Beto O'Rourke- After our ride on The Blue Line Train

Today, we got a special treat to the antiquity of the system despite the attempts at modernization. After Susan tried to find a way to avoid paying $2 for smart trip cards for all of us as the paper tickets had been phased out two weeks before, we waited on the platform for a train to Farragut West. She told us a story of how her little brother was left behind at a subway station in New York, them going back for him, and realizing they were on the wrong train the whole time. After a few minutes of waiting on that platform, we took a train that would never let us forget which one it was.

“This- is -The –Blue- Line- Train- to –Pentagon- City.”

It was Federal Center SW when we stopped at a crowded platform, the train announcing which direction it was going, but the doors didn’t open, and we spent the next two minutes slowly inching up the station until it finally stopped. The intercom didn’t, and the conductor continued without fail to repeat the name of the train for the rest of the stops extremely slowly as if everyone in the station was hard of hearing until we finally arrived at Farragut West. It still continued to ring in our heads and I think the only way we could get it out, at least the way the rest of the group agreed upon, was to turn it into a mixtape. The humidity outside was suffocating, so I’d rather take an UBER. For just a little more than the cost of a Smart Trip card and fare you could go to the Capitol in under 10 minutes from the hotel.

Day 9: George Washington University

Submitted by Juan Martinez

 

Today we had a lot to do and my favorite was going to George Washington University. After breakfast we went to UCDC to work on our congressional meetings and then went to GWU after lunch. When we were walking out of GWU, I saw a railing and it looked awfully tempting so I decided to slide down it with a shout along the way, and then all of a sudden, I heard “JUAN” in an authoritative voice. Susan did not look pleases and so like the well behaved guy that I am I apologized and decided to behave or the rest of the tour

 



Juan and George taking a break together

The tour guy did a good job explaining and pointing out some of the best places or some of the most well-known. I have never been to GWU before so that was a new experience for me. I felt like the campus was fairly big and very different compared to other Universities. I thought that with this tour and a walk around the campus, I would be more inclined to come to this university, but it did not have as big an impact as I anticipated because it felt exactly like going to school in a city. The campus is literally the streets of Washington D.C., and that made it feel small and not very interesting to me. The reason this was one of my favorite parts of the day was because what the tour did do for me was to have me learn that I am leaning more towards a place that is not already like where I live.

Day 8: DC Here We Come!

Submitted by Susan Moerder

As our first week of research at SIO comes to a close, we packed and got ready to embark on the second week of our journey.  So no one in their right mind would be up at 4:00 in the morning to get to the airport but not only were we up at that time but so were the three RA’s who were driving us there. Sleepy and groggy we loaded the vans and said goodbye to Tioga dorm and UCSD for now. As I reflect back on the first week of the program I am thankful for Veronica Tamsitt and Bonnie Ludka for their dedication and expertise in teaching the students about data analysis and patterns to discuss. The students began preparing their first draft issue papers and their first practice run through of their Congressional meeting. We’ve got a lot of work to still do for them to be ready for Wednesday!

Veronica Tamsitt and Bonnie Ludka, SIO Researchers 

The flight was uneventful except for the fact that this was Juan’s first time EVER flying!  It was fun to see his excitement and his anxiousness with every detail that we had to cover from checking in, checking luggage, going through security, take off, landing, and not having his luggage turn up in DC. Well it did turn up, seems it was sent on an earlier flight from Austin (our stop-over) and so his apprehension about losing his stuff was calmed quickly.

Sporting our AC GELS shirts!

Juan and his "Build Your Own Plane"

After checking in to the hotel, we walked to a local pizza place. Ah- east coast Italian food- can’t beat it!

Now we are ready to take on the hill!  Well, we do need to practice more first so we are looking forward to working with Danny Richter from Citizens Climate Lobby tomorrow to learn how to handle ourselves in our congressional meetings this week.