This fall break 19 sophomore EC Scholars and two junior EC Scholars traveled to Washington, D.C. for the annual sophomore EC Scholars fall trip to the nation’s capital that also included an Alternative Break Experience.
The trip allows scholars to reflect on their role as an EC Scholar and think about ways they can lead social change. The scholars connect with professionals who serve at the Pentagon and Capitol, some of whom are ECU alumni. The trip also included an Alternative Break Experience at the Community for Creative Non-violence—a 1,350-Bed Federal City Shelter that is the largest and most comprehensive facility of its kind in America with the mission of, “ensuring that the rights of the homeless and poor are not infringed upon and that every person has access to life's basic essentials—food, shelter, clothing and medical care.”
Find the sophomore EC Scholar’s reflection on the visit to CCNV below.
Other highlights of the tour include: a tour of the Pentagon, brunch at the Army and Navy Club, a tour of Arlington National Cemetery, dinner with ECU Board of Trustees member, Vince Smith, a tour of the U.S. Capitol Building with Senator Richard Burr’s aides, and a meeting with Tremayne Smith, Special Assistant to Representative G.K. Butterfield, who is an ECU alum and former ECU Student Government Association President.
Powerless People in a Powerful City
EC Scholars Class of 2020 ABE—Washington, DC
“This We Believe” Essay
Washington, DC: A marvelous city filled with classic architecture and modern business. We were all taken aback by the awesome power centralized in Washington, DC. Gilded statues adorned the tops of massive buildings and dotted the landscapes of city parks. On the streets of our nation’s capital, business people clad in expensive suits and leather shoes reaffirmed the stereotype of the federal bureaucrat who resides there. From the pomp and glamour of the city’s main attractions, DC does not disappoint. But just like the underside of those gilded statues, a grimy underbelly of the city’s wealthy facade is revealed by the vast number of homeless people in the metropolitan area.
While DC might be the most powerful city in the nation, an extensive population of powerless people is on the rise as the rate of homelessness increases. The Center for Creative Nonviolence (CCNV) is the largest and most comprehensive community shelter in the nation created to serve the city’s homeless, sleeping upwards of 1,200 people per night. Established in the 1970s, it is situated just two blocks away from the Capitol building. When we arrived at the CCNV, most notably, our senses were overwhelmed. The sight of innumerous bunked beds was staggering, the odor of trapped cigarette smoke and aging infrastructure was overwhelming, and the eerie silence of the crowded halls echoed an unspoken hopelessness amongst the residents there.
We began our day by meeting with one of the Center’s long-term employees/administrators, Donald Page. Through this collaborative and somewhat uncomfortable conversation, we were informed of the complex and systemic problem of homelessness in the DC metropolitan area. Rent is on the rise as government employees, business professionals, and elite plutocrats flock to the city center. The average rent in a modest neighborhood is well over $1500 according to the CCNV, and an employed individual earning minimum wage in the city cannot afford to pay for basic necessities such as food, water, and shelter. That means employed people are often forced out of their residences when faced with the decision of paying for their family’s meals and health care or paying for a roof over their head. In fact, 2/3 of the shelter’s permanent residents are employed persons. All this information really turned the homeless person stereotype on its head; these are hard-working people who are put in impossible circumstances not beggars looking to scrounge your pockets for a freebie.
After hearing from Mr. Page, we got to work cleaning and preparing the shelter’s 100+ bed hypothermia clinic as winter approaches. As we swept, scrubbed, and swabbed the facility, we were overtaken by the contrast of our own fortunes compared to the shelter’s inhabitants who lived out of suitcases and grocery bags. It is not a subjective argument that education is the best way to combat homelessness, and as EC Scholars with secured funding for a 4-year college degree, we believe it is our duty to give back to our community, especially by serving the underserved. While we practice this motto daily, we need to incorporate more intensive service projects into our college careers, and pay forward our blessings and fortunes to those who are not as fortunate. We believe hope is one of the most basic human rights, and no one should rest until everyone has it.
Credits:
Photos by EC Scholars and Honors College staff.