Feeling like a grown up
Isn't that funny, when you feel like you are getting older. A couple of days ago, I wore a full-blown suit, with button-up shirt, heels and pearl necklace for a press conference I had to cover before heading to work. I felt so corporate. I was like all the other suits walking in and out of the metrorail in DC, sans-Blackberry of course.
The point of the whole thing is I have been busy and I do have to dress up everyday for work, which I'm not used to. I work in a college newsroom with a few kids who can barely dress themselves (ok, that was mean, but it has gotten a lot better versus this past year). It's taking some getting used to, but it's all worth it. This week alone I have covered:
The Senate immigration bill, involving press conferences with the National Council of La Raza and the New Democratic Network, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and a number of other leaders in various Latinos organizations. I got to go into Capitol Hill yesterday and in the "official business" parts as well. A tour guide can't show you that.
I also went to a press conference Bill Richardson, the governor of New Mexico, had on Iran. It was hosted by the Center for National Policy. It was weird seeing him in person. He is a really good speaker and I'm glad I went. It was standing room only, which was tough especially since I was wearing heels, but he made some good points regarding Iran and how we should attempt a diplomatic resolution with no pre-conditions, which is a completely opposite strategy from the one the Bush Administration is using. Once I learn a little bit more about the other Democratic presidential candidates, I think I can make a decision as to who I would want for president in '08. He does have a lot of experience in diplomacy, so that gives him a boost.
Speaking of governors, I also went to see Janet Napolitano, governor of Arizona, at the National Press Club. The Press Club is the giant building glorifying all things journalism. It's sort of safe haven for journalists from the outside world. Anyways, that press conference was kind of a bore. It was about how Napolitano was working to fix immigration problems in her state. Nothing new.
Finally, I wrote a story on Yaderlin Jimenez, a Dominican Republic native who is married to Army Spc. Alex Jimenez, who is MIA in Iraq. She apparently came to the U.S. illegally and she's had a deportation case against her for a couple of years, but they are working to keep her the states. I had to call Sen. Ted Kennedy and Sen. Kerry's offices a million times to talk to a spokesperson. I finally got one on the line and managed to squeeze out two sentences.
Not bad for my first week actually writing. I was in the office last week, but our editor was still out in California, and an issue wasn't going to be published that week. So I was really bored and contemplating this whole internship, but that changed quickly. I'm really excited to see what will happen next week. I suspect we will have Fourth of July off. We will also be getting our press credentials for Capitol Hill. I had to wear a little sticker name tag yesterday, which took about three layers of bureaucracy to get. That's the U.S. government for you.
I have a ton of photos to share, which I will upload soon. The Internet connection at my apartment is pretty bad. I've got pictures of pandas and the Natural History Museum.