July 15, 2013
Catie Curry
Columnist
POTUS
From Washington, D.C., Catie Curry, POTUS Columnist
The end of the Fourth of July festivities meant Washington returned to business with Congress continuing to work towards finding a compromise for an immigration reform bill, as well as struggling to decide how much aid to give to Egypt after the military disposed of President Morsi last week. After spending the last couple of weeks traveling around the world, the president stayed close to the White House this week as he attended award ceremonies and discussed the future of America.
President Obama started his week by presenting the new management agenda on July 8. Speaking in the State Dining Room, he discussed ways that technology could be used to bring the government into the 21st century.
As the president spoke about technology, he was able to slip in a couple jokes to lighten the mood. At one point, he mused, “Now, once we got to Washington, instead of an operation humming with the latest technology, I had to fight really hard just to keep my BlackBerry.” Good to know that even the president has a little trouble with changing technology every once in a while.
The next day, Obama made a surprise visit to an event his wife was hosting in the White House. He stepped into the East Room 
of the White House for the Kids’ State Dinner and congratulated 54 children who submitted healthy recipes to the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. The president said a few brief remarks, telling the children that he and his wife “could not be prouder of you.”
The president also praised the children for their talents, admitting he wasn’t a very good cook. He said, “My family, when they cooked vegetables, they were all boiled.” At the end of her remarks, the First Lady gave the children permission to eat the spring rolls on their plates with their fingers, prompting the president to joke, “Michelle never said to me I could just pick up something with my fingers at a state dinner. That’s not fair.”
At one point, 9-year-old child reporter Brett Burch (for our very own DC Spotlight Newspaper) asked the President what his favorite food was. He said thoughtfully, “I really like broccoli.” Those who know the President George H. W. Bush’s administration might remember that Bush famously despised broccoli. The contrast in President Obama’s love broccoli, quickly ignited a media frenzy with claims that broccoli could not be the president’s favorite food. The ordeal resulted in a new phrase coined by the media: ‘Broccoli-gate.’ Looks like the veggie has found itself favored at the White House. (Read more >> Brett Burch and the broccoli question that changed his life.)
Also, on that day, President Obama met with members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to talk about issues such as voting rights legislation and education. The meeting was the first time the group had met for more than two years. Members of the caucus seemed excited about the meeting. Representative Marcia Fudge (D-OH) said, “The lines of communication have not only been open, but we will have a broader and deeper discussion as a result of today.”
The president made sure to take a moment to graciously welcome the new members of the CBC. He also thanked the Caucus for all of the hard work shown by its members. After their discussions, the president ended the meeting by telling the CBC that he looked forward to working with them further.
The next day, President Obama presented the 2012 National Medals of the Arts and National Medals of Humanities. The president was honored to give out the awards, saying, “One of the special privileges of this office is getting a chance to honor individuals who’ve played an important role in my life as well as in the nation’s life.” One of the award recipients that the president highlighted was Frank DeFord, senior contributing writer at Sports Illustrated. He said, “Frank, I grew up reading Sports Illustrated, and I think it was very good for me. I don’t know about you.”
Another recipient Obama was excited to see was “Star Wars” creator George Lucas. The president hugged Lucas and gave him a big smile as he presented him with the award. In his opening remarks, the president reflected back saying, “I remember when I first saw “Star Wars”.” He noted the technological advances made since the first “Star Wars” film was released. He said, “There’s a whole generation that thinks special effects always looked like they do today. But it used to be you’d see, like, the string on the little model spaceships.”
Later on in the day, President Obama welcomed members of the 1963 Loyola University Chicago Ramblers championship team into the Oval Office to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their championship game. The team made a stand against racism in the 1960s by playing four African American players in one of their lineups, which was unheard of in college basketball at the time. The president greeted each of the players warmly with a handshake. He also greeted Judy Van Dyck, the daughter of the Ramblers’ head coach, George Ireland.
The president beamed widely as he looked over photographs of the team and congratulated them for their upcoming induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame as the first team to ever be given the honor. Perhaps the most touching moment was when Van Dyck remembered her father declaring to her that the time had come for change. I’m sure seeing the team in the White House was just the sort of change he would have been proud to see.
