Welcome to DC!
After an early flight out of DFW, we landed in the Capitol and hit the ground running! Upon arrival, we took the DC metro to the Ballston Comfort Inn and rested briefly, then headed to the Library of Congress, grabbed our reader’s cards, and toured the stunning Main Reading Room in the Jefferson building. No pictures were allowed (as the chief librarian sternly reminded us!) but the decor and scale of the reading room were incredible – and inspired me for the work ahead! At Dr. Kobylka’s recommendation, we walked to the nearby “We the Pizza” for a few slices of gourmet ‘za – and it did not disappoint! As an experienced pizza connoisseur (I run a small food account on Instagram) I was very impressed with the ricotta and parmesan pizza and the crispy basil on the margarita slice. Understandably, I think the whole team was pretty tired from the travel day and called it an early night once back in Ballston.
6:30 am – Day 2
My alarm BLARES earlier than it has in months. I’m a second-semester senior and I’ve gotten used to class starting no earlier than 11 am! My eyes are almost glued closed and I struggle to blink them open. Barely awake, the roomies (Ellie and Zoey) and I throw on our outfits and organize our bags, throwing computer chargers, notebooks, and snacks into our bags haphazardly. We march downstairs to enjoy breakfast, meet the group, and hop on the metro to Capitol South station – today is the big day.
After checking in at the Madison reading room, the librarian hands me a call slip to fill out, requesting my first boxes of papers. “Where to begin?!” I suddenly feel like my topic is so broad and I’m filled with anxiety and doubt, second-guessing the plan and prospectus I spent hours designing in the weeks preceding our trip. Exhaling, I open the excel spreadsheet which lays out all of the cases I’ve bookmarked for review, including their respective Justices and box numbers. In the early stages of my research planning, I’d always felt very compelled by Justice Jackson’s opinions, especially his philosophical style and bold assertions in dissent/concurrence. I pencil in his name on the slip, selecting boxes with his key civil liberties pieces – Terminiello v. Chicago, West Virginia v. Barnette, Kunz v. New York. The carts are rolled over to our desks and time seems to fly by as I scan through Jackson’s drafts and letters, attempting (and sometimes failing) to decipher his horrendous cursive handwriting, collages of ripped-up and repasted pieces of notebook paper, and notes to other Justices. His opinions are full of crossed-out and redrafted commentary and negotiations between him and the other Justices. At 4:45 sharp, a bell rings, signifying the end of the day. I only finished two cases! We pack up, eat dinner near the Library of Congress, and head back to Ballston for the evening.