Day 10: A Day in Science and Film by Julia Marquis

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July 9th, 2019

A Day In Science and Film
by Julia Marquis
Today was the final day before our congressional meetings at Capitol Hill. Everyone has been working really hard on their issue papers and their arguments with the hopes of making an impact on their congressperson. We engaged in mock meetings and had our final papers reviewed by our instructors so they will be perfect for our meetings on Capitol Hill. We also had the opportunity to take a tour of the National Science Foundation (NSF), which was a truly incredible experience. 
Early this morning we all piled into Ubers and ventured off to experience NSF. After arriving and making our way through security we met our tour guides and went up to a conference room to learn about NSF before embarking on the tour. The conversation impacted me a lot because I found myself very interested with NSF and how it works. We learned that NSF is an independent foundation that issues grants to science institutes all around the world. This stuck with me because I really loved the fact that NSF is an organization which allocates money to scientists and institutions to discover new research. They are using their government issued money and giving it back to the science community all across our nation. Their impact spreads all across the nation and I thought that was very powerful. 

Julia presenting in the NSF green room.
After everyone was finished asking questions we were directed to the NSF studio. I was not expecting to turn the corner and see an entire studio painted bright green and covered in cameras, lights and prompters. I was in awe. I felt like I was at a TV station. Next we were introduced to some of the workers there and they told us that we would be filming our own little segments in front of the greenscreen. We each received a script and learned about how to act enthusiastic and use hand gestures on camera. This was a very exciting experience for me because I love being on stage so it was interesting to be in front of a camera. I was very excited to read my segment about whales, but one of the challenges was keeping up with the teleprompter. I have never used a teleprompter before so it was certainly interesting trying to keep up with it. After we all finished, we got to watch everyone’s segments back on the TV. Afterwards we filmed short mock talk show segments. My friend Shayna interviewed me about why I was here in DC. I loved this part of the day so much because it incorporated two things I love, science and theatre. We learned how to inform viewers about scientific ideas by using fluctuation of our voice and presence on camera. I will never forget my day at NSF and I can’t wait to see what else is to come at the GELS program.

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