I wish I would have...

As the semester winds down several of us are beginning our "I'm sad to leave, but happy to home" talks. Which naturally inspires the "I wish I would have..." conversations. Ironically, I think back to our on-campus orientation with K.Mallory and it seems like the Spring DC Class of 2013 wishes they have done a lot of the same things as our predecessors wished for.

Looking back on the semester, I can say I really had an exceptional experience. In addition to the regular program requirements, my 'extra-curricular' activities included chatting with governors, meeting journalists, publishing articles in Forbes, volunteering with the Children's Defense Fund, and attending hearings at SCOTUS and Hart about issues I really care about. While these are all incredible experiences there are a few things that I wish I would have known coming here and that I would have done differently.

I wish I would have...

• spent more time with the group - outside of class. Just as there is no other place and learning experience like CMC, there is no other place like DC or experience like the DC Program.

Coming on this program as a junior, I somewhat felt like my friend group at CMC had already been established and I didn't really need to branch out. Although I was able to make friends with the other interns in my office and I had a great time in DC, I wish I would have formed more lasting friendships with the people who will be going back to CMC with me. After all,  when we do get back to campus these are the people who will really understand the impact of this experience because we shared similar struggles throughout the program. 

• lived in DC. It seriously made a difference for me. Even if rent in Virginia and Maryland may be cheaper, you'll end up paying the difference in taxi rides, social life, and most of all your time. 

For me, the biggest issue with living in Virginia was transportation. I lived in a nice Arlington neighborhood, accessible by bus, and I worked in the building above the Rosslyn Metro stop.While getting around from work wasn't an issue having to rely on the buses from home was a horror. I spent hours of my day commuting and waiting for buses - it was seriously awful. *In DC (and especially in VA and MD) the buses run late and/or early, sometimes they don't come, and waiting for buses in the winter is no fun.**There are some cool places around the Courthouse/Clarendon area if you want to try something new

Similarly, I wish I would have lived with other people on the program. Lesson learned: live with people who you can trust, who you will enjoy spending time with, and people who understand the program. This directly relates to the points listed above, but in short I wish I missed my C-mont community and having friends nearby. Also, I decided to live with random people I found on Craigslist (because it was cheap) and they ended up being psychos who made me move out during the middle of finals. 

• taken advantage of DC events. No matter what your in to DC's got it. In fact there is so much, you may want to plan it out 

Don't get to the end of the semester and realize there are lists of things you wanted to do. If you have to, commit time on the weekends to exploring the city and the neighboring areas. And don't just stick to the National Mall or the really big museums/ attractions. Some of my personal recommendations:

• Go to a concert: some of my favs are the 9:30 Club (bit of a range), Black Cat (Indie-ish), or the U Street Music Hall (founded by two prominent DJs) ...these happen to all be near U Street 
• See a sporting event: Watch a hockey, baseball or basketball game *People from the NOVA/DC/MD area love the Capitals and the Nationals and they will take over the Metro before and after the games
• Attend a lecture at Busboys and Poets and Prose and Politics. Think-tank talks and hearings are great and all but its fun to mix it up occasionally. Busboys is a bar and restaurant attached to the a small bookstore. During the day its a great place to hang out with other college kids, drink coffee and do work; by night it's a busy restaurant /bar; on the weekends there are socially minded groups that meet in the lounge, and sometimes speakers are invited to host small events. Prose and Politics is a bit more like Montely meets the Ath. It is a huge bookstore and coffee shop that frequently hosts a range of speakers and sometimes musicians.    
• Music/ Art/ Food/ Film festivals: There are a lot. I recommend the Sweetlife Festival (Music), DCIFF (Indie Films), and Filmfest DC (International Films)
• Volunteer: Some of my more interesting and inspiring moments this semester have stemmed from my volunteer experiences here. Although I wasn't able to make regular volunteer commitments I was able to spend a day volunteering at different organizations and festivals. Along with giving me an opportunity to help out the community, I was able to engage with organizations that interested me and network with new people. 

Spring Break in the District

Experiencing SCOTUS

The Supreme Court of the United States, like most offices within the federal government, offers free entrance and tours to visitors. And, as part of the CMC Program Orientation, Dr. Spalding typically arranges an opportunity for the class to visit the Court and meet with some of the clerks during the visit...

Some of the more touristy features of the Court include touching the foot of John Marshal in hopes of gaining some good luck during law school. 

... however, no tour or visit to the Court can match experiencing the Court in action especially during controversial cases dealing with the Constitutionality of legislation like California's Prop 8 and the US Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA). 

Getting In

Most people, as I've come to realize, are not aware that the Court hearings are open to all members of the general public. This is probably because the majority of the seating in the Court is reserved for lawyers and witnesses of the case, members of the Supreme Court Bar and member of the press. As a result, the 'gen pop' must often wait in long lines and sometimes even camp out for several days in order to gain a ticket. 

Day Two of my urban camping adventure. Credit for this photo belongs to the European Pressphoto Agency.   

On Sunday night, after the line (which began on Thursday night) had extended for more than one block, reporters from around the world became eager to understand why people were so interested in waiting in line. After all wait really was insane, not to mention cold, wet, and dirty. 

Through the misery of waiting in line, I became friends with the people around me. Among them was a law student from Boston, Massachusetts who was there because of his interest in Constitutional Law and to show support for equal rights. Also present was an Army veteran and equal rights activist from Mountain View, California who wanted the right to marry her longtime partner; and, a couple from New York City who had been following the DOMA case since the District Court hearing. Like the woman from California, the New Yorkers also wanted the right to marry and enjoy the federal benefits of married people - including the right to sponsor a person for citizenship. 

In the time we spent waiting in line, we chatted about where we came from, why we were there and our predictions about the Court's ruling. While I could have stayed home and read about the different stakeholder groups that where interested in the cases and I could have read incredibly intelligent people's predictions about the cases, I chose to camp out during some of DC's worst winter weather alongside a group of strangers; because I personally felt that this was an important piece of my understanding and promotion of civil rights. The people I met in my time camping out were all there for different reasons and they each uniquely affected my understanding of the impact of  Prop 8, DOMA, and eventually the Court's ruling on individual people - which was probably the most incredible and valuable piece of my experience.

 

I've got the Golden Red Ticket

At seven thirty Tuesday morning, after having camped outside the Court since Sunday afternoon, a Supreme Court officer distributed the long sought after tickets. 

After waiting in line for 3 days, I was given ticket number 38.
This picture was taken as the first 50 people waited to enter the Court.  

The excitement of entering the Court didn't really set in until I stood at the top of the marble staircase in front of the Court holding my ticket - at which point the group of friends I had made cheered and hugged.

Once inside, we had an opportunity to have breakfast in the SCOTUS cafeteria and freshen up before we went into the Court room.

In side the Court, I sat in the first row reserved for the general public - just across from the Lt. Governor of California ;) 

As I do not mean for this to be a political post, I won't discuss the argument details of the hearing (a full transcript can be found at the Supreme Court's website). However, I will note, one of the more interesting insights that I had was of the Justice's themselves. Prior to attending the hearing, I gave little consideration to who the Justice's were and how even in a removed context, each one of them seemed to represent certain groups/ factions of America. Additionally, I never expected the Justice's to have nearly as much personality or sharp humor as they expressed during either of the hearings.  

Leaving the Court

At the end of the hearing, I walked out the center doors of the Court and stood in amazement as I looked down on the crowd that had amassed during the hearing. 

Demonstrators outside of the Court on March 26. 

While my mind was busy trying to process the Justice's concerns and the arguments being made, I decided I needed to take a moment to de-brief and process what had just happened. Instead I walked down the steps of the Court and was immediately swarmed by reporters wanting a personal perspective of the case and activists who wanted to know what just happened. One woman in particular was not shy about her demands to know if the Court would grant the case Cert and make a decision (a common fear among those who support marriage equality). 

Round Two - DOMA

After collecting all my stuff on Tuesday afternoon, I needed to sleep in a proper bed and I really needed a warm shower. So, I headed for home knowing that I'd return early the next morning to watch the Court hear the DOMA case. 

Waiting in line to enter the Court on Wednesday, March 27. 

 Like the Prop 8 case, as I waited in line (although this time for a much shorter time) I chatted with the people around me. Additionally, on Wednesday I had the opportunity to enjoy more of the outside demonstrations.

Although I was unwilling to camp out another

night, I was able to get into the three minute line 

and see some of the DOMA case.

In addition to offered tickets to listen in on the entire hearing, there is also a 3 minute line for people who cannot afford to wait in line or people who merely want a glimpse of the Court at work.

After having a chance to hear the cases and see the Court in action, I was eager to go home and begin a much needed relaxing Spring Break filled with sleep, TV, delivery food and more sleep. 

It's like the Ath...

DC  Talks and Special Events

For me, finding an internship that would allow me to attend special events in DC like conferences  think-tank talks, Supreme Court hearings and Senate hearings was really important. And, while I may have stuck gold with finding a flexible and understanding internship supervisor, there is really so much going on in DC that there will always be an opportunity to attend interesting events - and if you develop a strong enough reputation in your office you may be able to ask for a morning off.  

There is a lot to learn in DC and a lot of brilliant people wanting to share their knowledge. In addition to listening to great speakers, DC events are great networking opportunities. When you do meet great people, don't be shy about being a CMC student - DC maybe the only place outside of Claremont where CMC is a recognized and respected institution. 

Photo with Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont after he spoke at the annual States-Solutions Conference in DC sponsored by Microsoft-POLITICO. After making at least 5 Ben & Jerry's plugs during his conversation the Governor spent some time in the lobby chatting with guests before meeting with the other Democratic governors and Pres. Obama for lunch at the White House.

Students: Sign up for all the wonderful DC list serves and event notifications you can find (linktank is a great starter) and attend events - some of them have free food...

Supervisors: Be flexible? 

The Nine-to-Five, Professional, Interning Part of the Day & Recommendations for Future Students

The Nine-to-Five, Professional, Interning Part of the Day 

In the Spring 2013 group we have a internship placements ranging from non-profit organizations, embassies and government offices to policy advocacy, think-tank and campaign finance groups. 

• Non-profits: Ashoka, Children's Defense Fund and Human Rights Watch
• Government: Embassy of Canada, National Endowment for the Arts, and White House
• Lobbying groups: No Labels and Wexler & Walker Public Policy Advocates
• Think-tanks: The Atlantic Council and The Heritage Foundation
• Campaign Fundraising: Angerholzer Team (a super secretive Dem. campaign finance group). 

Although we haven't been in DC long, we have had sometime to enjoy the perks of interning here. Eating free dinners at The Heritage Foundation, getting paid at Wexler & Walker, receiving airtime at the White House, and traveling to NYC with No Labels all add to make interning in DC unlike an internship anywhere else in country. Along with the awesome perks, many of us have also had some interesting projects. Reyn, for example, says the "most interesting project [at Wexler & Walker, so far] was working with my boss to help a client with a public relations issue." Although vague in his response, we trust he's enjoying his work. Henry, who is working for the Atlantic Council, was able to provide a bit more detail about his favorite assignment: 

My favorite assignment so far was drafting a memo on a corporation with whom the Council wishes to initiate a substantive partnership. It was fun to learn about the corporation and tease out its reasons for being interested in the Council's work. I have also enjoyed helping out with event preparation, mainly by composing bios on the keynote speakers (who are always fascinating figures in US foreign policy) and drafting invitations.

Like Reyn and Henry, Elena has enjoyed "the opportunity to be able to participate in research and events that remind Americans of our founding principles and their continuing importance in today's policies" while interning at The Heritage Foundation. Unlike most years we do not have any interns working in Congressional offices and we have chosen to break tradition in our living arrangements.

Internship Recommendations for Future Students

Finding an internship:

1. Stay in constant contact with Dr. Spalding and Professor Pitney 
   - DC Survival Tip: Stay on Prof. Pitney and Dr. Spalding good-side. They are both very well connected and knowledgeable about DC life, internships and housing.
   
   
2. Use Professor Pitney's website and get on his internship email list serve
   - Before meeting with Prof. Pitney, be sure to take a look at his DC Internship and Housing Website. Getting on the Pitney Internship Email Serve will also provide you with updates on new internship postings
   
   
3. Talk to anyone and everyone who has knowledge of DC
   - "Professors and program alumni can help you come up with ideas about the types of places you might want to work or help you narrow down your options. Talking to multiple people about their experiences or their suggestions can help you see the situation from a different perspective or learn about great opportunities you had not originally considered." - Elena

Keeping your internship: 

1. You are one of many DC interns
   - There are a lot of interns who come through DC semester after semester, if you want to make an impression work hard, stay humble and be professional

2. Take pride in all the work you do, even if, you are just stapling packets together
   - No matter how meaningless a task may seem, there is a reason for doing it so do it well

3. Always use the 15 Minute Rule & Arrive at work ready to work
   - Be mindful of commute time: the metro is not perfect and buses are even less perfect.

4. DC's a small and highly connected city - Be careful of what you say in public
   - “Don't say anything in public that you don't want printed on the headline of the Washington Post, with your name next to it” - Dr. Spalding

5. Have something interesting to say when your stuck in the elevator with the executive members of internship place

- In the past week, I was caught in the elevator three times with the founder of the organization I am interning with. While most people at the organization would envy the precious 45-60 seconds I had with him each time we were in the elevator, I was mortified. On the first elevator ride, he stared at me waiting to hear something profound and enlightening (as he does to all people). In stead I panicked and we talked about the potential later that night snow. The next morning, to my luck, we shared the elevator again; and, again we chatted about snow. (Just to note, this was in February and there hadn't been snow on the ground in weeks.) Thoroughly embarrassed, I told my supervisor about my dilemma. After laughing at me for a few seconds (maybe a few minutes), he let me in on a secrete: everyone struggles with the infamous quest-for-enlightenment stare. Although I didn't get much useful advice from my supervisor, I decide to take a stand against shameful elevator rides. Thankfully, later that day I was invited to sit-in on a board meeting in the Founder's office. The meeting not only allowed me to gain insight into the direction of the organization, but I also got to glance around the room and learn a bit about who our Founder is beyond his title. On our third elevator ride, we discussed hiking (one of his favorite pastimes), which he seemed much more engaged in. Although I haven't had my moment to say something inspiring, at least we weren't talking about snow.

Bursting out of the Claremont Bubble (In a Good Way)

Bursting out of the Claremont Bubble (In a Good Way)

Initially, the fear of leaving the friends, dining halls and Sushi Cruise can be overwhelming. The combination of emotions that go along with moving to DC, getting an internship, and joining real-life build into a sort of finals-week-esque mixture of excitement, suspense, and sleepy-eyed frenzy. Thankfully, with the support of friends, parents, CMC staff and a jam-packed Orientation Week program participants soon find there is no time for looking back. 

(Distance from Green Beach to the National Mall 2,638 miles)

Leaving for CMC and Pomona in order to work a full-time internships and attend class full-time may seem ludacris to some students, but for the Type-A students the program attracts it's a perfect fit. Knowing that we would be embarking on the busiest semester of our undergraduate years, we had a verity of reasons for wanting to come to DC. Some of us wanted to explore a new city and network for post-graduation. Henry, a junior at CMC, says he came to DC because he "was very interested in learning the role played by think tanks and learning more about the world". While other DC interns wanted to find out if politics, government, think-tanks and non-profits were career options they could seriously consider after graduation. Ultimately, we were driven by a desire to take part in something new, challenging and fun. 

Although the semester is only about one month in, many of us have already become comfortable with grocery shopping, paying bills, getting to work each morning, and occasionally having a 'Washington Moment'. 

Stay tuned in for more on our DC lives: Upcoming blogs include where we work, live and spend our free time.