Marching On

The SIT health and community program has finally taken off! Having taken care of all of the safety regulations and policy, today we were finally able to start our learning. This morning we heard from a guest speaker on the United States health care system and Affordable Care Act. She was a policy analyst educated at the University of Washington and Seattle University (woohoo!).

 I was especially interested to hear her comments about how she never would have conceived this reform possible and couldn't even really imagine transitioning to a system of universal care in our country. She brought up specifically how the ACA will do little to nothing to support the poorest of the poor in our country. I thought the most interesting anecdote shared was about when health reform started to happen in Congress and they were going to have to enroll in the exchange program that they worked to institute, our politicians put up a stink and demanded their old insurance coverage for fear of losing benefits. Very telling, right?

 Today was also the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington. After we got out of class we walked down to the Mall and joined the thousands of other people fighting their way through security checkpoints and summer downpours to celebrate the anniversary. We made it in and were able to hear the speeches of Congressman John Lewis, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. King's family, President Carter, President Clinton, and President Obama. I found Rev. Dr. Bernice King's speech especially moving. She really urged people to continue working for civil rights, reminding that her father's dream has not been fully realized. I also really appreciated Obama's reminder that although progress is often slow, falling into the idea that nothing has really changed since 1963 is disrespectful to the memories of the men and women who have given their lives to the cause of justice and equality throughout our country's history. Being present for this moment in history is something I will never forget and a powerful time for reflection as I begin studying health as a human right.

Library of Congress

Today was Day 1 in our nation's beautiful capitol. 80 degrees. No humidity. Gorgeous.

But, in classic Taylor Durham and Sarah Dannin fashion, we had to stay inside to finish our required pre-departure readings. So, with our program launch 24 hours away, we embarked on a trip to the Library of Congress to get to work. Little did we know the Library isn't open for use by the general public. No problem. Dannin wasn't going to be deterred by the warning that reading rooms are reserved for those doing important research. As I whined that I couldn't come up with a fabricated history of my public health research project, we plunged into the underground tunnels of the library to get issued library cards. Navigating the underground labyrinth of stacks, conference rooms, and coffee shops, we finally came upon the card office. We presented identification, logged into the online system, and took photographs for our new official "research" library cards.

We did spend most of our day inside, but nothing better than sitting under the domed ceiling of than the Main Reading Room of the Library of Congress, surrounded by statues of the great contributors to art, literature, and philosophy, to get you motivated!

Enjoyed our last dim sum dinner before the program begins tomorrow! Bring it on SIT!