Day in Court

Monday I was able to spent my morning in the DC Superior Court room 113-a courtroom used for family law, particularly Civil Protection Orders. I arrived around 9:30 and the judge didn't enter the courtroom until well after 10:00. The room had probably 50 seats in it, and almost all of them were filled. And a collection of maybe 10 lawyers sat in the jury box and a cranky woman sat next to the judge printing out papers and trying to organize the circus of events that was to come. I think I was thinking the seats around me were filled with spectators or supporters like me, but no-these were people who were there to see the judge. By the time I left around 1:00 I had seen around 20 cases. Many of them were quick: asking the judge for extension of a CPO, mutual agreement of a CPO, requesting a CPO, etc. Many of the people were representing themselves and I wasn't sure what to think when people who had been sitting near me went up and were told the logistics of their new restraining orders--then came to sit next to me again while they waited for their paper work!

The most interesting thing I saw was an actual hearing where two women came forward and gave their own oral arguments about why they though a CPO was necessary or unnecessary. It reminded me a little of Judge Judy-only the judge was a man. The judge several times had to remind the women of the rules and was a bit terse with them. After he heard what they had to say he made up his mind on what should happen, in this case that a CPO should be granted. I know that's what a judge is supposed to do, but for some reason I was really taken by how the judge could just decide what he thought really happened and give a ruling. Maybe that's just because in college we often answer the question "what's right/wrong?" with "it depends" and don't often have to throw all our eggs in one basket. Some other cases were interesting too. In one, an interpreter was brought in, and when the case was done the wife asked if she could give her husband (the man who had been issued a CPO) some mail he would need and also gave him his bible. It just seemed funny to me. Another case requred a prisoner to be brought in who was handcuffed and in chains.

Seeing the court was a really good experience. It wasn't really glamorous and perfectly orchestrated. It was actually kind of noisy and the bailiff would have to confiscate cell phones and tell mothers to take their babies out. But I thought it was a lot of fun. These were real people with real problems-some more marginal than others-but nonetheless everyone agrees that what the judge says will be followed. I hope to have more chances to sit in on more cases, but I am thankful that each new experience I have here gets me excited about law. Phew! I'm still headed in the right direction!

Visiting Gettysburg

Yesterday Eli and I had the privilege of going to Gettysburg Pennsylvania with our new friend Mary Vander Maten (a daugher of some people from my church) who lives nearby. It took us close to two hours to get there. We perhaps didn't take the most direct route (perhaps accidentally) but we did get to see some pretty countryside and cows! Neither Eli or I had really seen any cows since we left Iowa and a strange excitement came over us. We spend the first part of our time at the brand new visitor center. The center's claim to fame is their cyclorama-a 360 degree painting with lights and special effects that is narrated to recount the battle of Gettysburg. We stood on a platform in the middle to watch. The experience was very cool, although we agreed the ambiance was weakened some by the museum employee who barked at us which way to turn to see things.

We drove back into the downtown area of Gettysburg for lunch and decided to eat at Lincoln's Cafe. There wasn't much Lincolnian about the restaurant besides the name, a sandwich named after him and I think I saw one other painting of him in the large restaurant.

We knew the weather forecast was not good, but we enjoyed great weather until after lunch. Heavy showers were intermittent during out "auto tour" where we followed a map and saw some of the landmarks around the battlefield. It was cool to see what the area looked like from the Union soldiers' side and then drive around and see what the terrain looked like for Confederate soldiers. The rain didn't permit great opportunities for picture taking.

We really had a great time and were thankful we got a chance to see something so cool that our classmates won't be able to!

The Cherry Blossom Festival Begins

Well the Cherry Blossom Festival is in full swing here in DC and I've already been enjoying some of the activities. Saturday they had a kite festival at the Washington Monument. The weather was not ideal-a slow drizzle all day and very little wind. We saw quite a few kites out, but I'm guessing with some sun and wind it would have been even better.

The cherry trees were a gift given by the Japanese to the US so they try to incorporate some of the Japanese culture into the festival. Saturday afternoon we also went to the opening ceremonies where we saw an incredible dancer and watched a performance of a Japanese women's group doing a percussion and dancing routine-we loved it! Additionally we heard from some local dignitaries-none of which I had ever heard of, and the Japanese ambassador.

The trees are getting prettier each day and I hope to spend some more time outside getting some better pictures of them soon.

New Experiences

Yesterday I had a new experience at work. I asked if I could sit in on an intake interview. An intake interview is what I tell people to come in for when I talk to them on the phone and think they have the right kind of legal problem. So I sat in on two interviews with David one of the lawyers at Legal Aid Society. It was very cool to see the next step of the process and see how lawyers interact with people. One of the interviewees was actually someone I had spoken with a few hours earlier on the phone. After we went through getting basic information, the person would tell us their story and then we would go speak with some other attorneys who specialize in the desired area of law and report back on whether we might be able to help them or if they should seek aid at another location. I almost broke out in laughter during one of the interviews because the woman was talking nonstop and announced to us she was menopausal and was having a hot flash, and she spit when she talked. David did an excellent job dealing. On Monday I will get to see another step of the legal process when I go to court with a lawyer! I'm guessing it will not be anything like the Matlock experience I dream of.

This week I also got another chance to talk to Trish and found out she's a Christian....at least she reads the Bible. We talked a bit and she told me she is collecting money because she needs to buy new bandages for her legs that usually cost about $20 when she goes to buy them. I told her sometime soon I would like to go with her and buy them for her and she seemed interested. I'm more curious about her than ever now that I found out she reads the bible. I hope my being a Christian will make her trust me more and be willing to accept help from me. We'll see!

Yay for Family!

I've finally regained my energy after a full weekend with my family. My parents, Uncle Ken, Tim, Tami and Jericho came on Thursday and left Monday. We did a lot of sight seeing. Friday went to the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. I had never been in the Supreme Court before and we got to sit in the actual courtroom and hear a short speech about it. I found out anyone can go to hear oral arguments so I will have to check that out before I leave. In the afternoon I had class and sent my family off to a museum, where they got a parking ticket and nearly had the van towed.

Saturday we spent the morning at Arlington Cemetary and saw the changing of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In the afternoon we took a drive out to Mt. Vernon even though we knew we were not going to pay the $15 to go through the whole exhibit. We got remarkably far into the grounds though and were even able to walk outside some and try to "get the essence" of Washington's old stomping grounds.

Sunday we went to my church...well part of it. Knowing full well the Baptists are longwinded, we decided to leave after the first hour. We visited the National Archives, had lunch at Union Station and made a brief stop at the Air and Space Museum. The last big thing we did was checking out the memorials and monuments. Unfortunately we chose arguably the worst parking spot in the city and had to walk ridiculously far to get to where we wanted to be. Even though it was tiring I think we all had fun, and were glad that Jericho behaved pretty well.

Today I am working only a half day instead of a whole day because my family is arriving today. I'm not sure what we will be doing today-the weather is once again rainy. This morning part of my duties were to run an errand to another part of down to pick up something from a company that serves legal documents professionally-like subpoenas and child support papers. I really like getting to go around the city to do things like that.

Yesterday I had another chat with Trish the homeless woman. I want to find out a more about her story but I figured it would be weird to go up to her and ask her all my questions in a row-so now I work on getting bits and pieces. She told me she has been homeless for a long time, many years, and that she doesn't have any family. Supposedly, her social worker is working on getting her a place to stay and it should be soon. I wasn't sure whether that is true or if it's something she just keeps telling herself. It would be great if she could get someplace to stay.

Tonight one of my friends and I are trying to gather a small group together to talk and pray with each other. We're not sure if it will turn into a Bible study or if people will even want to come, but we hope so!

I can see I've been neglecting my duties of enlightening everyone to the marginally fascinating life I lead in our nation's capital. Inclement weather has prevented us from taking full advantage of city life lately. We've been having rain for the past five days, but tomorrow we hope to see the sun again.

Last week was fairly slow, not many academic responsibilties. We heard from a panel about gender in the workplace, which quickly ignited discussion among some of my roomates about men and women-a topic frequently discussed in the apartment. I am now learning to keep my non-feminist opinion to myself.

I made a solo trip to the Smithsonian Postal Museum on Friday morning-I couldn't convince from anyone else to accompany me to learn about the greatness of the postal service. I actually enjoyed it quite a bit. The museum was not very busy (is anyone surpised at that?) and I got the idea this was a low security threat: I caught one of the security guards ambling through a dimly lit exhibit sending text messages on her phone. Saturday we spent some time at the Museum of American History, but learned rainy days are not good days to go to museums-it was incredibly busy. We were only able to see maybe half of the musuem, including an exibit on the presidents, one on the first ladies, the Ruby Red slippers from Wizard of Oz, original Kermit the frog and Oscar the Grouch puppets, and my favorite-the one that displayed the "Puffy Shirt" worn by Jerry Seinfeld haha.
The other hours of the weekend were filled with exploring new areas and restaurants with friends, going to church, eating, and napping.

This week I am especially excited because my Dad/Mom, Brother/Sister/Nephew, and Uncle are coming to visit. I will attempt to play tour guide for the weekend to show them as much as possible during their brief stay (as well as take full advantage of the use of a vehicle and a larger cash reserve).

Back in Washington

My week break in Michigan had to come to a close, but I didn't really it want to. Yesterday and today it was back to Legal Aid for me and both days were fairly busy. Today I spent most of my day travelling around the city, including to the Southeast quadrant of the city which is known to be home to most of the poor in the city. I guess its the "hood" of DC. I only came across one rather shady character with a Jamaican like hat aimlessly wandering around with a tall squeegee.

I also had another encounter with Trish, my homeless friend. A couple of weeks ago I had asked her if there was anything I could do for her or get for her. She thought maybe some sweatpants and a shirt. Unfortunately, my trip to Michigan prevented me from getting anything to her last week. I happened to get in on a good deal at a West Michigan Walgreens and picked up some sweatpants and sweatshirts for really cheap. So I brought them back and yesterday I was able to give them to Trish. The ironic thing was that it was about 65 degrees when I brought her all that warm clothes. She was very appreciative and said she would wear them anyway. I learned a little bit more about Trish, she said she had some surgery done on her legs because she had cancer. In order for her legs to heal she is supposed to wear loose fitting pants like sweatpants. She seemed kind of hesitant to tell me about it, but I hope to find out more soon.

Family, Friends and PIZZA RANCH!

I have really enjoyed the past couple of days here in Michigan. Yesterday was a pretty relaxing day. Tami and I went shopping in the morning and at night we had a Breen Bash at the Veldkamps'. Typically these get togethers are quite loud and boisterous and last night was no exception. Many of us cousins enjoyed a rousing game of telephone pictionary which was only enhanced by the colorful (though at times mildly inappropriate) vocabulary of some of my cousins.

Today I got to see two very good friends. I had breakfast with my friend Katie from Camp Geneva and this aftenoon I met up with my high school friend Stephanie from Calvin. I had a lot of fun catching up with them.

Something I have been missing being away from Northwestern is working at Pizza Ranch. Believe me, no one is more suprised than I. Tonight, at long last, I had my first taste of Pizza Ranch since January. Thank goodness for the Hudsonville PR! It was so good! (But it pales greatly in comparison to its Northwest Iowa counterparts. Particularly in the clientele-as I drove in, some police officers zoomed up to some exiting patrons and got out their handcuffs to arrest the men.)

Tomorrow I have to head back to DC. I suppose it's time, but I have really enjoyed a week away from the city!

Visiting MSU

Today was my visit day at Michigan State College of Law. Last night I drove to East Lansing, which is about 90 miles from Tim and Tami's in Hudsonville. I stayed with my friend Abbey from Camp Geneva who goes to MSU. It was very fun to see her sleep on her air mattress and hang out with Zac Efron.

I really liked MSU a lot. It was fun to be an admitted candidate they are trying to cater to, rather than just someone who is applying but might not get in. I enjoyed getting lots of free things (or "SWAG" for my Office fans) like this bag and water bottle and pens, and chocolates and other delicious food. They won me over right there. We did the usual visit day acvitities-hearing from faculty, attending a mock class, listening to a student panel, taking a tour, talking financial aid, etc. I really liked the emphasis MSU put on community and the quality of teaching students recieve. The students also talked about how law school is not as scary as people often say and that there is definitely time for fun. MSU law students also enjoy season tickets to sporting events and have a designated area on the 30 yard line at football games. I figured the males in my family would be especially supportive of me if I became a Spartan for that reason alone.

The low point of the day was when I went back to the car to drive home and discovered a ticket on the windshield, despite a clearly displayed parking permit I'd been sent in the mail. I went back in to the law building and complained that they parking directions I had been given were terribly vague and that I just followed the signs to visitor parking. I guess kicking worked because they took my ticket and said they'd take care of it.

But despite the parking fiasco, I had a great day. I'm not making any decisions yet though. I'm avoiding that as long as possible.

Beauty Through Pain

A lot has happened since last I wrote, and I apologize this post may be long. Last Friday my Grandpa Harold Roedema passed away. So rather than waiting until Wednesday to fly to Michigan (as I was planning for my law school visit), I flew in to Grand Rapids Saturday. I’m so thankful that everyone was so flexible with me. I had a great experience on one of my flights. I sat next to two women who were Christians, Brenda and Nina. Nina Fuller is an author of some books about children with special needs and also speaks at conferences. We talked about life and faith and my grandpa’s death for almost the whole flight. After getting off the plane they wanted to pray with me.

Our family definitely experienced sadness in these past days. This was the first time my parents and brothers have lost anyone close, so it was a learning experience for all of us. We spent plenty of time crying and hugging one another. We spent most of Sunday at the funeral home and then yesterday was the funeral. I had the privilege of singing with two of my cousins. We sang “There is a Fountain”, a song Grandpa had wanted at his funeral. Though I was nervous about singing at a funeral and did not want to start crying, everything went very well and I was even able to look at my family and my grandma without crying. It was probably one of the most meaningful performances I have ever done. My brother and Dad also took part in the service and everything was beautiful.

Despite the sadness, our family experienced much joy over the past days. We were able to have our whole Breen family together, and almost every member of our extended family. I met Jericho for the first time and to have my parents, brothers and sisters, and babies together all at once was so wonderful! My grandma got to meet Jacob and Faith for the first time too.

The fact that Grandpa was no longer suffering was wonderful for us to know. He had such a strong faith and every time I talked to him he said he told me he prayed for me every night. I think he was always a little nervous about my interest in politics and talked about how corrupt it all was (though he had very specific political views of his own). The last time at Christmas when I was talking to him though, I told him how I was interested in doing family law and helping people in need. He seemed much more excited about that. I admired him for so many reasons and hope that when I am his age my faith will still be the most important thing in my life and that it will be evident to others.

So it’s been a roller coaster of emotions over the past couple of days. Most of the family has gone home now. I have the rest of the week here with Tim and Tami, so I’m going to try to rest, spend time with family and friends and check out a law school.