Well the fourth week came and went, and I apologize for not keeping up with the blog as much as I should. Time is flying by faster than anticipated, and there is still a lot of work left to do. The weeks begin to mash together as I become more acclimated to my surroundings and responsibilities, and there are also events to attend outside The Washington Center as well. However, every week has its own defining characteristics that help to distinguish them from each other. The Keystone XL protest was an event that helped define the fourth week of the program, and was an interesting way to spend a Sunday.

Prostesting in D.C.

There are issues that people are truly passionate about. For example, I have always had a great passion for environmental issues, so I was naturally drawn to the rally concerning the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. In case you aren't familiar with the issue, you can click here. The controversy is basically whether or not to build a pipeline to pump Canadian oil from Alberta to the Gulf of Mexico. People who promote the construction say it will decrease our dependence on foreign oil and bring new jobs into the United States. The opposition argues that the pipeline will create a negative effect by keeping us reliant on oil from destructive tar sands, and that the pipeline could threaten the aquifers of the Great Plains. That's basically the controversy in a nutshell.

The rally took place as an attempt to sway the White House to prevent the pipeline from being constructed, and to demand action on climate change. There were many interesting people to meet, and thousands of advocates dedicated to their fight. The speakers were engaging, and an estimated 40,000 people showed up! They even had people like Rosario Dawson (Sin City) show up to support the cause. I showed up by myself, and spent about two hours trying not to freeze to death. It was cold but as we marched around the White House, we became squeezed together in the street and began to warm up.

(To get to the bathrooms, you had to brave a sea of people. That was an adventure in itself.)

(Here is a wider view to get a sense of how big the crowd was.)

(You can see how bundled-up everyone was.)

The Washington Center does a great job of telling people what events are happening in the D.C. area, but they can only give you a limited number of choices due to the sheer amount of things going on in the city. The internet is a great source, but having a network of friends is an invaluable asset. I learned about the rally through a group of friends who shared similar interests. Just remember to get out and meet people or you could waste your whole weekend.

I also went to the National Air and Space Museum the following day. It has incredible exhibits that really captivated my interests. The only down side was the massive amount of people who showed up on the same day. I guess gigantic crowds of people can become normal around here, but I can learn to avoid most of the tourists with a little more planning. The great thing is that you can walk to the National Mall fairly easily from the apartment complex, so I get to avoid some of the rush-hour metro headaches.

In the end, a lesson to take away from all this is that even in the cold winter, you can still run into many people, rallies, and events all over the city. Just make some new friends and you'll have plans for your weekend. It still amazes me that I can run into someone I know from TWC in the most random places. I spot people in museums, on the metro, and even at events like the rally. It makes the city feel more accessible and welcoming when you can spot a friendly face on the street.