ORKILA ALUM @ STATE OF THE UNION

This past Wednesday (Jan 27th) Jared Axelrod had the honor of being in the House of Representatives during President Obama's recent State of the Union Address. Not only was he there, but he was also prominently visible in a cool panorama picture taken by the New York Times. You can view the image (a panorama picture is comprised of a series of photographs taken over a short period of time) and explore it here.

Jared was a camper and staff member at Orkila, and he had this to say about his experiences - both at the State of the Union and at Camp:

Last week, I got to see something that I have only seen on TV before. And you know when it's on TV, because it is on every channel. Yes, I got to attend President Obama's State of the Union before a joint session of Congress. As a Legislative Aide to Senator Patty Murray (who often goes home to nearby Whidbey Island), and after winning the office lottery, I found myself directly facing the President as he gave his speech (OK, so I was in the balcony, but I was still looking straight on.) Although I have been working on Capitol Hill for about a year and a half, Orkila is my home away from home, and I'm looking to get back soon. So a word of advice: you can, and should, go anywhere you want in the world, including the State of the Union, but be sure to make it back to Orkila at some point. ~ Jared Axelrod

This is a freeze frame from the panorama photograph, and you can see Jared. He's the one circled. Lucky guy!