If I were to encapsulate my brief trip with POLIS to Washington, D.C. it would be this: dissecting the brains of the best policy makers with fellow Blue Devils. Upon my third trip to Washington, D.C., POLIS took me and other policy-oriented students on an immersive trip through the halls of Capitol Hill and inside discussions with former Senator Richard Burr and Senator Maggie Hassan. First, we stepped into Senator Thom Tillis, and I was disheartened to hear only one Blue Devil was working in Tillis’ office. We got to walk down the rooms where it happened––the vestiges of discrimination lingering within. I was enamored by centuries’ worth of decision-making. My favorite room was going into the old Senate chambers where Charles Sumner was caned. My favorite odd fact of the tour was the faint cat paw prints on the small Senate rotunda when there used to be rat infestations.

Right after our tour, we had lunch accompanied by a candid conversation with former Senator Richard Burr. Mr. Burr highlighted his views on Duke University’s role in the academic ethos and many salient issues Americans care about in a rapidly changing landscape. He stressed the importance of data and AI’s incorporation into the world. He added that turning intelligence into data that manifests into sound decision-making will also be critical. Throughout the lunch, his nearly two decades of experience allowed him to speak on the implications of Trump’s victory, optimism in cynical times, and lack of curiosity within our government. 

Alongside my colleagues, we got to witness the talk “Bridging the Divide” with Professor Kate Bundorf, Senator Maggie Hassan, and former Senator Burr. Throughout the talk, I was enraptured by the eloquence Senator Hassan spoke with regarding healthcare and former Senator Burr’s commonsensical approach to distilling its complexity into digestible points for the audience to understand. In an era where divided politics run amok, they highlight the reality of strong bipartisanship and stress its political imperative, namely, to have a degree of humility to coexist and compromise. I was fascinated by their conversation about their bipartisan efforts to stop surprise medical bills. They talked about how the legislation worked by bringing in stakeholders and other voices from the private sector. By encompassing all voices in the bill, it humanized the situation at hand and showed how unity can triumph over partisan politics. 

Throughout the second half with Interim Dean Manoj Mohanan, I loved the attention Mr. Burr gave to the government’s blatant responsibility in manufacturing the healthcare snafu. My curiosity made me inquire how policy can make space for markets amid such heavy government regulation. His response on shifting policy mindset towards one incentivizing the needle of market-based innovation and not deterring it was enlightening. This stoked my curiosity and after the talk, I met with Professor Kate Bundorf to talk about my interests in learning and refining my approach to healthcare policy in America. 

My POLIS trip to D.C. was not (just) an aesthetic fever dream my Instagram followers enjoyed, but a world-class intimate, educational privilege. This widened my perspective towards the political avenues that were possible to an immigrant like myself. I am forever grateful for the enduring support of Professor Abdullah Antepli, my endearing colleagues, the amazing Meg Bittle, Matthew Bunyi, and, last but certainly not least, our amazing tour guide Zach. It was truly the company, not the destination, that mattered.