Please enjoy these student photos and captions, podcast intros and more from the Drake in DC 2025 trip.
A group had the opportunity to tour the Library of Congress. The tour guide was very engaging and had lots of insight into the history of the building and the symbolism of the decorations. | Photo by Eve Loehrer
Students take photos of the stunning ceilings in the Library of Congress. Each painting and mosaic has significance and the Library of Congress published a book that delves into them, titled On These Walls: Inscriptions and Quotations in the Library of Congress. | Photo by Eve Loehrer.
To get our Library of Congress reader cards, we had to take a long journey through the administrative areas of the building. | Photo by Pat McCabe
Pictured left to right: Eli Benson, Hannah Goldsmith, Professor Rachel Paine Caufield, and Fran Conner. After leaving the hotel at 6 a.m. and waiting in the cold outside of the Supreme Court for a little over two and a half hours, we finally made it inside the building. Photo courtesy of Professor Rachel Paine Caufield. Caption by Hannah Goldsmith.
Our group of early risers was fortunate to have finally made it into oral arguments. The Supreme Court heard two cases today: Thompson v United States and Waetzig v Halliburton. | Photo by Rachel Paine Caufield For more information on the cases, visit these links: Thompson v. United States – SCOTUSblog | Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. – SCOTUSblog
The whole student group was able to visit the Supreme Court building after oral arguments, once again having to wait outside for some time. However, the queue was not too long and we were able to explore the highest court in the land. | Photo by Pat McCabe
Turtles represent longevity and the slow deliberate pace of justice. They are found supporting light candelabrums in and around the Supreme Court Building.
The turtles can be found around the Supreme Court building! Here is one of these instances, where turtles are depicted at the base of a light fixture inside the entrance of the Supreme Court building. Photo and caption by Hannah Goldsmith.
Pictured left to right: Fran Conner, Hannah Goldsmith, and Imman Yimer. During a free day, we opted to try out Soupy Dumpling & Boba, located not far from our hotel. Photo courtesy of Imman Yimer. Caption by Hannah Goldsmith.
Members of our group visited the language arts museum, Planet Word. One of the exhibits had interactive tablets allowing visitors to explore a new language with a native speaker. As a former traveler to Iceland for a family reunion, it was exciting to see Icelandic as an option! | Photo by Elijah Alsop. To learn more about Planet Word, follow this link to their website: Planet Word Museum
Several members of our group visited the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and received a private tour. We were very impressed by their collection of items from the entertainment industry, including jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet, as several of us are Gillespie fans. Photo by Erin Nicklas. For more information from the Smithsonian about the talented Dizzy Gillespie, click here.
During our “Monuments by Moonlight” tour, we stopped by the Franklin Delano Roosevelt memorial. Tucked away in the memorial is this statue of Eleanor Roosevelt, which group member Erin Nicklas was enthusiastic about. Photo by Eve Loehrer, caption by Erin Nicklas
Listen to a Drake student open NPR’s Politics podcast on Jan. 10, 2025.
Entire Group at CNN Washington with Wolf Blitzer, anchor of The Situation Room (back left). For more information on Wolf’s career, visit https://www.icfj.org/about/profiles/wolf-blitzer
Pictured in photo (left to right): Imman Yimer, Madilin Vrieze, Torin Johnson, Lily Wasserman, Morgan Ryan. Taken by Imman Yimer. Group photo in front the Supreme Court. Although we weren’t able to enter due to the funeral of Jimmy Carter, we still appreciated the moment to be seeing the highest court of the U.S.!
Pictured in photo (left to right): Eve Loehrer and Imman Yimer. Taken by Imman Yimer. Dinner at Chercher Ethiopian Restaurant. Washington D.C. and its surrounding suburbs are known for being a hotspot for the Ethiopian diaspora, gaining the nickname “Little Ethiopia”. The article linked below explores the reason behind the large community in the area. https://wamu.org/story/16/04/21/how_did_the_dc_region_become_home_to_the_largest_population_of_ethiopians_in_the_us/
Pictured in the photo (Left to right): Raya H., Michael M., Will B., and Senator Booker. Thanks to Will Blevins and his awesome connections, we got the opportunity to meet Senator Booker! The senator welcomed us to walk with him and even go on the Capitol Subway!
Pictured in the photo (Left to right): Amanda F., Nora M., RPC, Cassie F., and Raya H.
Exploring D.C. on a trolley for a night monuments tour. The group got the chance to visit the Washington Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial and more!
Pictured in the photo: Raya H.
Captivated by the intricate beauty of Janet Echelman’s art installation at the Renwick Gallery in D.C. For more information, visit https://americanart.si.edu/exhibitions/echelman to learn more about Janet Echleman and her artwork.
Group with Colin Timmerman, an alumnus who shared his experiences working in Foreign Relations on Capitol Hill and abroad, including through the Mansfield Fellowship Program.
Pictured here is Reid Stevens. The unusually heavy snowfall in D.C. allowed some visitors to the National Mall to get creative, creating snow sculptures of the Capitol and Washington Monument.
DC locals enjoying a Sunday night at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Residents and visitors can enjoy up to two hours of ice skating for $12 and skate rental for $6 through March 2nd. For more information on ice skating visit https://www.nga.gov/visit/ice-rink.html Photo and caption written by Will Blevins
Pictured in Photo: Raya Hoppe, Chloe Gayer, Imman Yimer, and Reid Stevens. The Eastern Market neighborhood in DC offers a variety of cuisine for all three meals of the day. We ventured into Bullfrog Bagels for some bagel sandwiches in the middle of our scavenger hunt around the city! Photo and caption written by Will Blevins
A Capitol police officer helped capture this photo of Alan Fox, Pat McCabe, Torin Johnson and Mitch Davis after finding congressional representatives’ office in the Cannon House Office Building. Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX08) helped the group find the exit and is pictured second to left. Photo and caption by Alan Fox.
This was the official funeral program at the state funeral of Jimmy Carter at the National Cathedral on Jan. 9, 2025. Drake Alumni Brent Slay provided students an opportunity to see the program during an alumni reception later that evening. Students visited Carter lying in state the previous day at the Capitol Rotunda. Photo and caption by Alan Fox.
Alan Fox and Reid Stevens attended the Washington Wizards basketball game on Sunday, Jan. 12, 2025, at Capital One Arena. Students were shocked by arena prices. Having been in the city for almost a week already, some of these stadium prices were shocking. A liter of water was $8.99, a souvenir popcorn bucket being $22.99, with the most expensive menu item: a super premium double cocktail at a whopping $38.99. It was a reminder of higher prices and the cost of living in DC. Photo and caption by Alan Fox.
This picture was taken in Union Station while the group was taking a break for lunch and souvenir shopping on Jan. 10, 2025. This day was a national holiday for the city following Jimmy Carter lying in state. Photo by Eli Benson and caption by Liv Swaney.
On Monday, Jan. 13, the group visited the offices and studio of CNN Washington. Pictured are group members in Jake Tapper’s studio where he films “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” Photograph taken by Bridget Sullivan at CNN and caption by Amanda Favazza.
On Sunday, students walked through the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Pictured Liv S. and Raya H. read about ancient dinosaurs. Photo and caption by Amanda Favazza.
We’ve got our scarves to keep us warm! While waiting for the bus, Fran C., snapped a photo of Amanda F., Raya H., and Nora M. bundled up near Stanton Park. Photo by Fran C., caption written by Amanda Favazza.
Pictured outside of the Supreme Court, which is already being prepped for inauguration festivities, is one group member, Liv S., and a member of a different group, Raya H. Jan. 10 was a particularly cold day because just two days earlier DC had a phenomenon, snow. Photo by Raya H. and caption by Liv Swaney.
On Sunday, Jan. 12 part of our group visited the American History Museum. Amanda F., pictured here, connected specifically with an exhibit on journalism and media because she’s a journalism major. Photo and caption by Liv Swaney.
On Jan. 9, the group of students were able to attend a Drake University Alumni Networking event. This opportunity was an amazing chance to meet and connect with Drake Alums in the D.C. area, as well as providing a chance to catch up with two recent Drake Alums, Nick Johnston (Left) and Sam Rothbardt (Right). Photo and caption by Eli Benson
Later in the evening on Jan. 9, the group had the once in a lifetime opportunity to tour the Capitol after hours thanks to former U.S. House of Representative and current Iowa House of Representatives member, David Young. This picture is taken within the Capitol Rotunda, which just hours previously, held the casket of Former President Jimmy Carter. We were able to tour the Speaker’s Lobby, Statuary Hall and sit on the floor of the U.S. House. Thank you Rep. Young . Photo and caption by Eli Benson.
The D.C. metro is a fantastical system where trains come every 10 minutes and can take you anywhere you want. We’ve grown used to running down escalators to hop on trains, and are starting to master mapping metro routes. Photo and caption by Lily Wasserman
The afternoon of Jan. 13 was spent at CNN headquarters. While there we were lucky enough to be on the set of “The Lead” hosted by Jake Tapper. From left to right, Nora Miller, Raya Hoppe, Amanda Fazzava, Liv Swaney, Eli Benson, Fran Conner, Casssie Contreras-Franco, Michael Mitchell, and Will Blevins. Photo by Amy McCoy and caption by Eli Benson
Drake in DC 