CENTRAL SQUARE – Matthew Stevens, the 17-year-old Paul V. Moore Excessive College senior and one in all two New York state winners of the distinguished $10,000 U.S. Senate Youth Scholarship, returned from his prize weeklong keep in Washington, D.C. just lately, and what a whirlwind journey it was. I spoke with him about his seemingly-nonstop, jam-packed week within the nation’s capital.
“It was an unimaginable expertise,” Stevens mentioned. “Heaps I realized, numerous cool individuals, and unimaginable individuals I received to satisfy there.”
Right here, as they used to say, however for apparent causes not do, is the tick-tock:
Day 1: Stevens lands at Reagan Nationwide Airport and is straight away greeted by the safety staff and among the army mentors that will likely be obtainable all week to him and the opposite 103 winners of this scholarship (two from each state plus 4 others). From there it was off to The Mayflower Lodge for a meet and greet and COVID testing. The 104 college students had been break up up into teams of six to 10 college students per group in accordance with no specific rationale.
“You had been primarily with them the entire week. You traveled collectively. You’d have a few of your meals collectively. It was simply to interrupt issues down and ensure every thing went easily,” Stevens mentioned. Each group did the identical factor. “We did every thing collectively,” he mentioned. Day 1 ended with dinner.
Day 2: Breakfast at The Mayflower at 7 a.m. “Each breakfast was a pleasant little buffet for everybody, so it was a superb informal begin to the day,” Stevens mentioned. From there it was off to George Washington’s Mount Vernon property, a tour of it and a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington’s tomb. That was adopted by a go to to the fairly new Be Washington Theatre, which, Stevens mentioned, “is a bit of little bit of an expertise the place they provide you an precise situation that occurred, and you got totally different selections on a time restrict to determine what you’ll do in Washington’s sneakers. On this case, it was a dispute between the French and the British, after which it was deciding whether or not we might keep neutrality, or whether or not we might honor the treaty and assist the French beat the British. Me and my associate for this, we determined to implement neutrality, partially as a result of we knew what we might do in historical past, but additionally it appeared like the best choice.” And that proved to be the proper alternative, not like that made by nearly all of the scholars who determined to go along with implementing the treaty or, another choice, letting congress resolve the trail ahead. By then it was midday and it was again into D.C. and to the John F. Kennedy Heart for the Performing Arts. Lunch was served on the terrace degree there adopted by a tour of the property. An opera was being carried out, however the college students weren’t allowed into that. They did, although, tour all the opposite efficiency areas within the Heart. They then returned to The Mayflower for dinner (“each meal was very formal and really scrumptious”) and a slideshow presentation by the army mentors who made positive all the scholars had a listing of contacts, “in order that you possibly can keep up a correspondence afterwards and actually construct a relationship,” Stevens mentioned.
These relationships appear to already be constructing. “All of us, thus far, are protecting in contact,” Stevens mentioned, “and quite a lot of us are going to be engaged on totally different tasks collectively on various things we’re obsessed with. As soon as we realized rather a lot about what everybody does and their very own tasks, we discovered how we may work collectively to advertise an excellent greater change in our communities and in our nation.”
After dinner there was free time to socialize with the opposite delegates. And that was the top of Day 2.
Day 3 began identical to all of the others at 7 a.m. in The Mayflower for breakfast, full today with a visitor speaker, Robert Henry, former chief decide of the U.S. Courtroom of Appeals for the tenth Circuit.
“He talked a bit of bit concerning the courts,” Stevens mentioned. “He additionally talked rather a lot about morality and utilizing ethics in your decision-making. He was truly there fairly a number of days with us, and I imagine he was a former alumni of this system. This was the 61st 12 months of it.” Henry was a part of in 1971.
Stevens and his co-delegate from New York received to have breakfast with Henry. “So, we talked with him there beforehand, but additionally there was a Q&A session after his speech.”
The Henry expertise hasn’t modified Stevens future targets. “I feel I’m going to avoid the particular regulation space,” he mentioned, “however I’m going to undoubtedly go nonetheless someplace into politics or worldwide relations.”
The expertise, he mentioned, “was type of like a religious revival in a approach. Getting this expertise actually created a brand new imaginative and prescient of what we are able to accomplish in that pathway.”
From breakfast, the scholars went to the Russell Senate Workplace Constructing to satisfy with the secretary of the Senate and the Senate parliamentarian. Amongst different matters, they talked about their expertise on Jan. 6, 2021 “when the Capitol was attacked. The secretary was serving to preside over the ground,” Stevens mentioned, “and the parliamentarian defined that her staff, when every thing began taking place, they retrieved the gavels from the ground, in order that after they got here again later that evening, they may proceed the work in an official method. In addition they talked about how their workplaces had been fully trashed after they got here again.”
Leaving the Senate, Stevens’ subsequent cease was the Library of Congress the place he had lunch with the Senate historian and the librarian of Congress. They talked, Stevens mentioned, “concerning the significance of sustaining historical past and preserving it for future generations.”
In addition they defined, Stevens mentioned, “how after they do their swearing-in ceremony, quite a lot of congressmen will go over there to pick some historic merchandise, whether or not it’s a bible or some non secular e book or a comic book e book to be the e book that they swear the oath on.”
So, despite the fact that by this time of his third day in Washington, D.C., Stevens had met with extra spectacular individuals and been to extra spectacular governmental locations than most individuals meet or go to in a lifetime, it was nonetheless solely simply previous lunchtime, and so, why not jam in a go to to the Supreme Courtroom and meet with a Supreme Courtroom justice, particularly one from New York state, Justice Sonia Sotomayor? Stevens and his co-delegate from New York had been in a position to have a photograph taken with Sotomayor earlier than she got here out and spoke to the entire group.
“When she did the speech to the entire group, she undoubtedly had some inspiring phrases,” Stevens mentioned.
Then it was again to the lodge for a presentation of the colours, a efficiency by the Previous Guard Fife and Drum Corps, and dinner with Colorado U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper. That was adopted by a service venture known as No Child Hungry within the basement of the lodge the place they packed luggage to thank individuals who helped with this system. And so ends Day 3.
Day 4 began off with breakfast at 7 a.m. however no speaker. Stevens then headed for the Division of Justice the place the group met with Assistant Legal professional Normal for Civil Rights Kristen Clarke who talked about “what civil rights means to our nation” and a panel mentioned this additional and in depth.
Lunch was served at the US Institute of Peace in collaboration with the State Division. “They mentioned peace should be studied and realized with a purpose to be waged. So, just about, in the event you don’t know the artwork of peace, then there’s no solution to actually obtain it on the planet,” Stevens associated.
“It sounds prefer it’s quite a lot of on-the-ground diplomacy,” he mentioned. “They’ll go there and work with the federal government and with the individuals, and whereas they gained’t put the plan in place, they’ll simply guarantee that they’re enabled to deliver peace to their very own nation and to the area. They mentioned battle and peace are only a matter of negotiation. They are saying generally it doesn’t work out, however peace will at all times discover a approach.”
There then was time for a fast cease on the Martin Luther King Memorial adopted by dinner on the Nationwide Archives. “That they had it proper in entrance of the Structure, Invoice of Rights, and Declaration of Independence, which was fairly cool,” Stevens mentioned. Audio system of the night had been first the performing archivist of the U.S. adopted on the precise dinner by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia. Stevens remembered her saying the actual present is to be a superb listener. “So we talked rather a lot about bipartisanship, and she or he mentioned, ‘Listening is among the most necessary expertise to succeed in that.’” And that was the top of Day 4.
Day 5 began off with breakfast at 7 a.m. and Secretary of Schooling Miguel Cardona. “He actually defined to us the position that youth can play in being changemakers,” Stevens mentioned. “He talked about how one can present the individuals the branches they’ll’t see. That was one factor he actually shared how everybody has a expertise, everybody has talent, however generally they could not acknowledge it, so it’s important to assist them see that. Then he additionally talked about how it’s actually as much as us to form the schooling system as we need to see it, and his job is actually to encourage youth to be the changemakers in their very own colleges.”
After breakfast, “just about the entire group went to the Lincoln Memorial aside from me and my co-delegate. We had been truly held again. We had been knowledgeable that Senator Schumer wouldn’t make it to the Senate reception later within the day. However he did have a pair minutes for us, so we went as much as Capitol Hill, simply the 2 of us and received to satisfy with him in his workplace for a pair minutes, and he signed our scholarship. He was very fast as a result of there was truly a vote happening on the ground proper when he got here out. So it was comparatively fast out and in. It was superior simply being in his presence, truthfully, and simply having the ability to be there with him.”
They then returned to satisfy up with everybody else again on the lodge for the Journalism Luncheon with Soledad O’Brien. “She mentioned, ‘Make the most of being uncovered to a room,’ and I really feel prefer it has quite a lot of totally different interpretations to it, simply understanding the place you might be and benefiting from it,” Stevens mentioned.
From there, it was on to the Senate Workplace Constructing for the annual reception the place all of the senators which can be obtainable are available, signal scholarships, get images with the scholars and have a dialog with them. Nonetheless, sadly for the 2 New York college students, as defined earlier, Sen. Schumer was unavailable and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand couldn’t make it both.
“Cory Booker got here in,” Stevens mentioned. “Everybody loves Cory Booker. He is available in, meets together with his individuals for a number of of minutes, however then he comes over, we do a proper picture, he takes a selfie together with his telephone, after which he goes round to about 40 of the children, takes their telephone, and takes a selfie with them personally. He was superior. If you wish to encourage youth and present them how politicians are purported to behave, that’s the way in which to do it.”
That was adopted by a casual dinner in informal apparel, after which, “all of us went to sleep.” So ended Day 5.
Day 6 started with breakfast at 7 a.m. and a speaker, Surgeon Normal Vivek Murthy.
“He was a really fascinating character. He was comparatively monotone, however on the identical level, he was very inspiring, to the purpose the place I imagine a pair children did admit later that they had been in tears throughout his speech. General, his message was of being there for others. He talked about how individuals who love you’ll hold you up in the event you permit them. After which he talked about being there for others after they want you as nicely,” Stevens mentioned.
“Then we had been knowledgeable that our time with the president wasn’t going to occur as a result of he needed to go away for Pennsylvania to introduce his finances. So, we had been advised there was an opportunity we’d have the ability to go see him if we went to the White Home within the morning. And we ended up, we had been outdoors for about an hour however had been solely inside for about 5 minutes, and sadly, we didn’t get to see him. We received a really fast tour of the East Wing, after which we left for the Jefferson Memorial, and we truly received to see Marine One land on the White home garden to select him up. We then needed to get again as much as the Hill for lunch within the Senate Hart Constructing. We had the Senate Minority Whip Senator John Thune of South Dakota come and communicate to us and in addition the press secretary for Senator Bennet of Colorado who can also be an alumni of this system. She talked a bit of bit about how this system opened some doorways for her to get right here.”
The identical is occurring for Stevens.
“It undoubtedly opened up alternatives already,” he mentioned. “Simply assembly among the individuals, you get contacts with a number of individuals. We realized of the significance of LinkedIn that week.”
And earlier than dinner, they received in a tour of the Capitol. Then dinner, the Ambassador Dinner with a former Australian Ambassador, Suzanne McCourt now working with the Australian Embassy within the U.S., and the day ended.
The final day, Day 7, started once more with breakfast at 7 a.m. with visitor speaker, Director of Nationwide Intelligence Avril Haines.
“She was very fascinating. She defined her position and mentioned–lots of people introduced up the liberty versus safety query–and she or he mentioned, ‘You realize, it isn’t actually one or the opposite, it’s you don’t have freedom and liberty with out safety.’ Folks requested concerning the Edward Snowden case, which occurred through the Obama administration, and she or he mentioned, ‘the controversy it created was good, nevertheless it was nonetheless damaging to the intelligence neighborhood.’
From breakfast Stevens and all others went to Arlington Nationwide Cemetery the place they met with its head and laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. They then went to the Pentagon the place they first had a really casual, fast lunch in a briefing room, after which from there, having been advised they needed to hurry, ran to the primary Pentagon constructing the place they heard from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees Normal Mark Milley.
“He was truthfully my favourite speaker,” Stevens mentioned. “You’d count on him to be this very what you envision if you consider a army man, however he was cracking jokes with everybody. He talked about confidence, character, and braveness and the way these are the few key traits. He talked about serving for the Structure, residing a real lifetime of service, and what the oath means. However then he additionally received into among the controversies he’s had over time. He talked about how he’s not a politician, so being within the highlight isn’t what he expects to be in, however he responds simply how he would another time. He talked concerning the China calls and all these different telephone calls he needed to have with overseas leaders that had been deemed controversial, and talked a bit of bit about January sixth.”
Concerning January sixth and his name to China, Milley mentioned ‘he has to just be sure you at all times need to have an open line of communication, not simply throughout a battle however earlier than the battle as nicely for de-escalation to stop one thing from taking place.’ So, he was actually simply there as a consolation to the Chinese language simply to say, ‘Nothing’s going to occur. If one thing’s going to occur, we’re going to maintain our strains of communication open.’ However Milley defined, Stevens continued, “whereas the president is the one one who can order the usage of nuclear gadgets, he doesn’t order it alone. There’s different individuals which can be often communicated with earlier than something like that may ever occur. And he talked about how there’s two individuals not less than concerned, and so they’re not inside arm’s attain of one another, who truly launch the system. They’re not inside arm’s attain simply to guarantee that nobody can affect the opposite.”
From there, the group returned to the lodge for “a really closing and really formal dinner with presentation of the colours and the U.S. Military Band Brass Quintet performed as nicely,” Stevens mentioned.
“It was a really unimaginable expertise. They did a flag folding ceremony, and each delegate left with a flag that flew over the Capitol from Senators Hickenlooper and Capito who had it ordered to be flown.”
The night was delivered to a detailed with two pupil audio system elected by the group a number of nights earlier, a slideshow recapping the week, and dancing till midnight.
“I feel general it’s an unimaginable alternative. They mentioned it proper from the start that it will be the Olympics of public service, and it undoubtedly was. Just about any child who needs to enter any area in public service, it’s a program I might undoubtedly advocate to them,” Stevens mentioned in summation.
In late August, he’ll start his school schooling at Le Moyne School in Syracuse. He’ll be finding out political science and worldwide relations.
And so, if the world can simply dangle on one other 4 years, Matthew Stevens of Central Sq. could also be prepared, keen, and in a position to make this world a greater place.