The Best View of Election 2006
Kevin Agnese
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: Perspectives
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Passion, corruption, heroism, laziness, devotion, incompetence, and brilliance are many of the terms that one can use when describing the daily activities that occur in our nation's capital. I tried to portray a balanced view, but hey, if you don't know what side of the aisle I'm on yet, or which public officials I would portray for the negative terms as opposed to the positive, well, then you just haven't been paying attention. Of course, Washington D.C. is the place to be for political junkies like myself, and that's where I am fortunate enough to be this election season. The newspaper staff wanted me to reveal my whereabouts and write about my experiences here in the district, so I obliged, despite the fact that I don't really feel all that comfortable talking about myself.
That being said, D.C. has been quite enjoyable to this point. I've had some really enjoyable experiences, including a class on the floor of the House of Representatives, and a work session with the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean. The daily political buzz in this town is very energizing, and I enjoy the balance between a three-day week of classes at American University, and 2 days of working at my internship with the Democratic National Committee.
As is to be expected, it is not all peaches and cream, which is fine. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning to insert press clips into a computer file isn't exactly rousing, but you have to start somewhere. My fellow Washington semester students and I were all reminded on our first day by the Dean, "Washington is the only place that still has indentured servants." Though, when you get off of work and walk back to the subway (or metro as these strange natives call it), it is hard not to appreciate your surroundings as you look up and see the Capitol building, Supreme Court, and Washington monument in your site.
There are also fun parts to interning. Working in an environment dedicated to securing Democratic victory in November is very rewarding, and it is nice to do my part, even if it is in a small manner. Sure, it may be tough to have to listen to Fox "News" (we have to be informed as to what they're lying about) but hey, when you get to have an informal lunch with a Vermont politician and former presidential candidate that you really respect, it all seems worth it.
That being said, D.C. has been quite enjoyable to this point. I've had some really enjoyable experiences, including a class on the floor of the House of Representatives, and a work session with the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Howard Dean. The daily political buzz in this town is very energizing, and I enjoy the balance between a three-day week of classes at American University, and 2 days of working at my internship with the Democratic National Committee.
As is to be expected, it is not all peaches and cream, which is fine. Waking up in the wee hours of the morning to insert press clips into a computer file isn't exactly rousing, but you have to start somewhere. My fellow Washington semester students and I were all reminded on our first day by the Dean, "Washington is the only place that still has indentured servants." Though, when you get off of work and walk back to the subway (or metro as these strange natives call it), it is hard not to appreciate your surroundings as you look up and see the Capitol building, Supreme Court, and Washington monument in your site.
There are also fun parts to interning. Working in an environment dedicated to securing Democratic victory in November is very rewarding, and it is nice to do my part, even if it is in a small manner. Sure, it may be tough to have to listen to Fox "News" (we have to be informed as to what they're lying about) but hey, when you get to have an informal lunch with a Vermont politician and former presidential candidate that you really respect, it all seems worth it.