A Trip to Our Capitol

A goal of education and remembrance

Poli-Lit CEO and Founder Adrian M. Gonzalez and Poli-Lit volunteer Isak O. Selliseth traveled to Washington, D.C. the weekend before the 2026 midterm elections. Their trip centered on a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery, honoring the service members who gave their lives for this country. Along the way, they visited the nation’s most important monuments and institutions to learn more about its history and to ground themselves in why civic knowledge matters.

Laying the wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier honors American service members who died in war and were never identified, and it has been guarded around the clock since 1937. To honor these fallen soldiers, ‘Known But to God,’ Adrian and Isak joined members of the California Upsilon chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) to lay a wreath at the Tomb. Soldiers guided the ceremony as members of the public looked on.

DC Insights

Adrian and Isak then toured the White House, visited the 9/11 memorials at the Pentagon and in New York City, and stepped inside both chambers of Congress. The goal of the trip was to remember the freedoms this country holds, how those freedoms work, and how people hold the power in a democracy.

Their biggest insight was how much of the American government is open to the public. The White House, the halls of Congress, and the nation’s historic sites are not reserved for officials. Visitors can request passes to congressional chambers from the congress person, showing the duty of our representatives to serve the people.This is a reminder that in our country, the process of government rests in the people’s hands.