My name is Mary Crawford, and I’m currently a sophomore music and religion major. I’m an oboist in the Norseman Band, and one of the program notes writers for the ensemble. In my free time I like to read a variety of books, although I’m usually more drawn to non-fiction than fiction. I’m taking this course because it’s the perfect blend of both my personal and academic interests in the arts, and in politics and government. Although my arts interest is strongest in music, I also have a background in theatre and visual arts which will help me understand and appreciate those aspects of the course. I’m interested in politics and government more personally than academically, although I am used to studying and talking about those topics in my AmCon courses. It’s hard for me to choose what I’m most excited about, but access to the Library of Congress, performances, and meeting with congressional staffers are all pretty high on my list. I think it’s going to be a particularly interesting month to be in DC in terms of politics, which I’m both excited and apprehensive to experience. This will be my first time going to DC, so I’m also excited to get to explore the city in general. The thing I’m most nervous about is honestly dealing with more variable weather conditions than I’m used to, which is a pretty manageable thing to be nervous about. My long term goal is to go into law, which is a field that’s highly influenced by changing political landscapes, and kept stable by governmental and legal structures, so this course will be useful exposure to both of those things.
