Taxation Without Representation

Meredith Chaffin
Aug 26, 2017
5 min read

I've almost been at NYU D.C for a week now, and boy do I have some stories for you.

Last Saturday morning, my family made the trek to the District and helped move me into the greatest University on Earth. For those of you that know me well, you know that NYU has been a dream of mine for a while now and I can officially say that it continues to exceed my expectations. The first night in our new home consisted of awkward conversations and game playing for most, meanwhile my roommates and I clicked immediately and have yet to have a boring moment (thank God). Day two was bitter sweet, from watching my Dad, Jamie, and Benjamin leave the building to seeing my Mom head across the street a few hours later, also without me. I love my family more than anything, but nevertheless, I knew that I would be just fine. After figuring out the differences between a Circulator and a City Bus and discovering a SuperTarget with a ChickFilA next door, my class mates and I settled down in the reading room overlooking the Washington Post building and lively streets of NW D.C and proceeded to stuff our faces with Georgetown Cupcakes and dive deep into the depths of Cards Against Humanity.

After many had gone to bed, myself and a few others-as well as the staff- were the only ones left in the room; as a student fresh out of high school, I saw the staff get up to leave and assumed that they would send us on our way as well, but then one of the RLA's walked over to us. Instead of sending us to bed, she offered us her speaker and smiled and just left..... like what?? We danced and talked and laughed and then eventually after claiming to have heard someone yelling for an hour, everyone believed me and we saved a terrified quiet girl from being -stuck in a stairwell. I know what you're thinking, and yes, we are THAT awesome.

Most of Welcome Week has consisted of orientations and a constant disappointing search for some decent sweet tea, however I have also gotten to experience some of the most incredible things with some of the most incredible people. My roommates, myself, and a few other friends biked to the National Mall, White House, and Department of the Treasury at night and it was life-changing. Albert Gallatin, the man who started NYU, stands in front of the Treasury building, so it was surreal to see our founder represented in such an important way. The crazy thing about D.C compared to other large cities, is that rather than staying busy and loud, the District streets empty and the monuments go quiet. At one point, I was the only person on the entire planet to stand in the Lincoln Memorial and look up at one of the most impactful men and Kentuckians to ever live. For a moment, I was the only person to stand where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his "I Have a Dream Speech" while looking out over the reflecting pools and the Washington Monument. My American pride was raging so much, that I even tried to FaceTime my dad at 2 AM just to show him. I literally had the West Wing theme song and the "I Have a Dream" speech on repeat for the entire time that we sat there. Yea- I'm THAT person.

The next day, instead of doing a scavenger hunt to the places that I'd already seen before (mind you, it was 90 degrees and more humid than Kentucky), my roommates and I went into town and visited the Holocaust Museum. I've always wanted to experience the museum, but it was heavier than I ever could've imagined. In all honesty, words cannot accurately explain just what it feels like to see the artifacts, videos, and pictures in person, but the two things that stood out most to me were both the video of a Nazi rally/march, and a dark, silent room filled with nothing but the shoes of those taken to concentration camps. The video itself looked almost exactly like the recent rally in Charlottesville; I could go on about that situation, but the fact that it looked identical to an actual Nazi march during the rise of Hitler speaks for itself. The room of shoes... I found that the moment I saw the room from the hallway, my feet turned to cement. I quite literally could not bring myself to walk into the room. I somehow broke off from the masses of people at the museum and happened upon this particular section when there were zero other people around. Tight-chested and very reluctantly, I made my way into the room... You can smell the loss and hurt and division and hatred in the room- every inch of the place was sad and dark and further reminded me of the horrors that these millions of innocent people experienced, purely for the fact that they were different than what someone else considered normal.

After leaving the museum, I got to make it to the Jefferson Memorial and to the Potomac for the first time ever, went on a great journey to find some good Chinese food, tried my first Shake Shack milkshake, and then, per the request of my Dad, I got some sleep (thanks Dad...I feel better). Yesterday, NYU DC held an event that hosted local politicians and activists to just discuss a little about DC politics specifically, rather than national politics like most associate with the District itself. I had never really learned much about the fight for Statehood in D.C, but after last night, I'm 100% behind the fight to make Washington the 51st state in the U.S. The movement is continuously growing, and if you haven't heard about Washingtonians and their lack of representation and denial of otherwise normal rights in this country, I highly suggest you check it out.

To wrap up the bulk of the first week, I got to watch the NYU reality show that is preformed on my home campus in NYC and finished out the day in Georgetown! I bought my first pair of reading glasses, so yes, I'm old now. Also, I'd like to add this part for my parents, I joined a gym AND started taking vitamins. You're welcome, I'm not completely ignoring my health and body.

I got to connect with other college students during networking night, and topped it all off with a combined Oscar and Grammy worthy rendition of Super Bass (while in costume) with my roommates for Karaoke Night...Yep. That happened.

At this point, simply put, there is no doubt in my mind that attending NYU was the perfect decision.

Until next time,

Mere