June 24, 2013
Catie Curry
News Writer
POTUS Column
From Washington, D.C., Catie Curry, POTUS Columnist
Washington, D.C. metro residents enjoyed mild temperatures and beautiful weather as the official start of summer ushered in a wave of outdoor activities and amazing sunsets. With more secrets allegedly set to be revealed about NSA surveillance programs, along with government officials continuing to settle the IRS controversy, President Obama made sure to enjoy his down time with his family and have a laugh or two during the week.
The president started off hosting an event to celebrate LGBT Pride Month in the East Room of the White House on June 13. The president entered the room to a round of applause after a memorable introduction by a pair of 9-year-old twins _______ and _________. “I will not beat that act,” he said with a smile and a chuckle.
The event included a number of government and army officials, including Under Secretary of the Air Force Eric Fanning and many members of the House of Representative. The guest list also included Jane and Joseph Clementi, parents of Tyler Clementi and Stuart Milk, the nephew of the late Harvey Milk, the icon of the LGBT movement. The president had the chance to discuss the issues, as well as be the perfect host to the families of the historical figures.
The next morning started on a lighter note when the president took a moment to celebrate Father’s Day on Friday June 14, by hosting a Father’s Day luncheon in the State Dining Room for invited fathers and their children. The president entered the room smiling casually and yelled, “What’s going on everybody?” After finishing the meal, President Obama walked around the room to meet his guests individually. At one point, he asked a young boy about his plans for the summer. Later, he complimented a child for getting straight As on his report card.
The president teased the kids with the possibility of ice cream at the end of the event. He joked, “The idea that we might get afternoon ice cream is always good,” making everyone in the crowd laugh.
Later on in the day, the president hosted another group of guests in the White House, WNBA champions, the Indiana Fever. The president said to the audience, “I told them, if you’re from Indiana, you better have a good basketball team.” He also wanted to show off some of his sports knowledge as he noted that this was the first pro basketball championship title for an Indiana franchise since 1973.
The team presented Obama with a jersey with the number 12 on the back, along with an autographed hat. The president also got a special little surprise at the end of the visit when the coach of the team, Lin Dunn gave him a kiss on the cheek.
The president was able to enjoy a relaxed Father’s Day in Washington by staying close to home and spending time with his family. Obama, his wife and his girls ventured out to Strathmore Music Center, just outside of the city in North Bethesda to watch his daughter Sasha in a dance performance. He walked into the center with an arm lovingly wrapped around his other daughter, Malia.
After the show, the president and his family headed home to the White House without Sasha, but I’m sure she had an extra special surprise when she returned home that night after a great dance performance.
On June 17, Obama had the chance to take the family to work with him as he flew to Europe for a few presidential business matters. One of them was a visit to a school in Ireland with England’s Prime Minister David Cameron. After talking to the children about some of the G-8 topics, the leaders were able to visit some of the students in a small group as they worked on a painting.
The president approached the kids and asked jokingly, “Do you trust me with this paintbrush?” After the kids laughed at his joke, they allowed the leaders to join in as they worked on the painting. The cheerful Obama really got into the art project, taking it pretty seriously, at one point remarking, “I think I just went outside the lines.” When he finished the paint, the kids all cheered.
