Memorial Day gave Catholic University students a holiday from classes on May 25, but in Washington it did not feel like a day disconnected from learning. The city became quieter in some places and more crowded in others. Veterans, families, musicians, volunteers, and visitors gathered around memorials that many of us pass during ordinary trips downtown. This time, everyone seemed to walk more slowly.
I began the morning on the National Mall, where “Taps” was played at memorials and sites honoring those who died in service. Later, Constitution Avenue filled for the National Memorial Day Parade. The ceremonies were public and expansive, but the most memorable moments were small: a family tracing a name, a veteran explaining a photograph to a child, and strangers pausing together without being asked.
My summer course resumed the next day. I noticed that the readings felt different after spending the holiday among the memorials. Studying in Washington often works that way. Leadership, service, history, responsibility, and the city places a monument, museum, institution, or public ceremony in front of you and asks whether you have understood the concept fully.
The week ended with two lighter reminders of what summer in the region offers. The National Museum of Natural History scheduled a bird walk on May 30, while the Netherlands Carillon presented one of its free evening concerts overlooking Washington. After a week of assignments and internship hours, hearing music outdoors and seeing the city from across the Potomac felt like a reset button.
Summer study is sometimes described as a way to get ahead. That is true: every completed course moves a student closer to a degree. But a summer at Catholic University also makes room for another kind of progress. The campus provides the structure, faculty guidance, and academic resources; Washington provides an extraordinary setting in which the subjects we study become visible. Even a holiday can become part of the education.