WJMC Day 4: Capital Idea, eh?
I can't believe how fast the days are going by! It's already Wednesday, meaning the Conference only has one full day left... honestly, I'm not ready for it to be over.
Today was an eventful day, of course. My morning started off very well. Same time as always, same routine---but with a hot shower! I finally figured out what to do so the water doesn't freeze me. (Although the bathroom seems much colder now. I suppose it's my lot in life to be cold one way or the other. :)
The only really notable thing about breakfast was that we were given real plates and silverware, as opposed to the plastic-and-paper-ware we've been using. (They did that at dinner too, by the way) After breakfast, I went on the optional tour of the GMU Fairfax campus. We've been staying here all week, but I never had a chance to do much exploring. I really enjoyed the tour, and the campus itself is very nice. It's not all that large, and there are trees everywhere. Everything is laid out somewhat logically, so I doubt it would be easy to get lost.
One notable thing that our guide showed us was the statue of George Mason. He went on to explain that while stepping on the plaques that name the statue is considered bad luck on campus, rubbing George's left big toe is good luck. Lines are even formed during finals week for the privilege of doing this. It would seem that every campus has its own little traditions and superstitions. Our guide also works in the college radio station, so we were able to see inside it. :)
The morning sessions took place at Gannett Co., Inc. in one of their conference rooms. Gannett is a news, information, and communication company that owns USA Today.
Our first session was a New Media Panel with Jodi Gersh, Patty Michalski, and Vaughn Ververs. It was different from our other panels in that all of the questions came from the "audience" instead of the moderator asking the other two most of them. I liked it better this way because it felt more like we were all part of it. (Actually, it was a lot more like what I expected. Then again, I've only ever seen the Anime-convention-panel videos Cheyenne's shown me on youtube... If one of the panelists should chance to read this, take that as a compliment. I enjoy those videos.) I learned a lot from the panel in regards to how facebook and other social networking sites are useful for journalists and how the media needs to recognize and adapt to modern audiences.
The second session this morning was a mock Press Conference with Michael D. Shear, a White House correspondant, and Nick Shapiro, one of the Deputy Press Secretaries at the White House. The topic of the mock Press Conference was a vacation President Obama took to Hawaii last year. It was very interesting listening to all of the questions the others asked and seeing how a Press Conference works. I also learned more about the President's Press Pool and how they work to keep the different parts of the Media informed of the President's comings and goings.
According to the speakers, the Press Pool was started after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was established because so few of the media services had people with him to cover the event when it happened. I wouldn't expressly refer to them as vultures with note-taking supplies, but the basic purpose of the Press Pool is to hang around the President just in case something newsworthy happens.
The mock Press Conference reminded me a lot of Helen Thomas' book "Front Row at the White House", which I'd almost finished reading before I left for WJMC. At that time, she was still supposed to be one of our speakers, and despite the current semi-scandal with her, I wish she was still going to come talk to us. I'd have loved to have a chance to meet her, because I really enjoyed the book and I think she's an amazing person. I especially liked reading it because I'd never read much about the Presidents before. Her book made them come alive for me, turned them into real people instead of the vague names I've heard all my life. I plan to further research their stories when I have a chance. I may not be fond of politics, but I do find the people to be quite interesting.
Lunch was at the Gannett cafeteria. This was, in my opinion, the best meal of the conference yet!The cafeteria offers a huge variety, and the food is wonderful! (and in perfect portion sizes for little Katies) I had a piece of herb-rubbed salmon with asparagus. Desert? Fresh grapes! Yum! Absolutely the best meal I've had lately---not to say anything bad about the food at GMU's Southside Cafeteria. (It's also amazing, by the way!) Did I mention that the prices were also a lot a lot a lot more reasonable than certain other places I've been this week? :)
After Lunch, we got back on the bus for the trip to the Capitol. Most of the others had scheduled meetings with their congressmen, but I didn't have any such appointment. (It just didn't work out for me to make one.) Originally, the advisers had said that those of us who weren't going to meetings would be taken on a required tour of the Capitol. This morning, and to my utter delight, they said we would be able to go to the other sites around the Capitol such as the Botanical Gardens and the Library of Congress. I instantly knew where I was going.
I know this may sound a little odd, but why would I want to tour a huge building full of politicians... when I had the chance to see one of the most amazing Libraries in the world? The Capitol never had a chance with me --- I'm too much of a book person.
So, I spent almost two hours in the Library of Congress today! I didn't get to go into the reading rooms or see the actual shelves except through a window on a door, but I did get to see the most amazing exhibit of books and artifacts from the early history of America! The special exhibit I visited included the actual journals of several explorers, one of George Washington's diaries, and several beautiful old naturalist's texts. I could have stayed in the Library for days and been perfectly content... All of my absolute things---books, history, artifacts, books, languages, archaeology and books---in one place! The Library of Congress is a cathedral of the written word, a shrine to knowledge in all its forms. I absolutely loved the place, and I didn't even have time to see all of it.
Going back to the intern thing, I would love (a million times love) a chance to try interning at the Library of Congress. I wouldn't even mind being somebody's gofer if it meant getting to be there every day.
While I was at the Library, I found my Museum-buddy from yesterday, Kasey. (the one I found when I was lost in the Natural History Museum, and apologies for getting her name wrong before) When the time came for us to leave---Kasey is lucky I don't like being late, she'd have had to drag me out by the ears otherwise---we walked back to the steps of the Capitol together, where the rest of the WJMC people were gathering for our group picture. As a short person, I ended up in the front row. :)
When we left the Capitol and started back towards the WMU campus, our bus got stuck in traffic for more than an hour. I actually drafted most of this entry during that bus ride. (Spiral notebooks are wonderful, and it's a technique I intend to continue using... it makes blogging faster.) Because of the delay, we were late to dinner. I still had plenty of time to eat, though. I must mention my love of the fruit section in the cafeteria! There's an entire serving container of grapes at every meal, and they're ripe and absolutely wonderful! Yes, grapes are one of my favorite fruits. They're also small and round, like marbles only squishy and edible. I happen to like marbles too, but that really doesn't relate to food.
After dinner, we were treated to an amazing talk on college admissions given by GMU's Dean of Admissions, Mr. Andrew Flagel. He told us a lot of things that I hadn't known before about getting into a university, and somehow managed to keep the entire group entertained while he was educating us. My favorite piece of advice from him was along the lines of "Don't give the admissions people power over you. They don't really have any!" Having learned so much from that short presentation, I feel much more confident about applying to colleges later this year. :)
I also had the chance to do a mini photo shoot with one of the guys after the presentation, since he was waiting for a chance to ask Dean Flagel a question and I was hanging around to take pictures of people. Honestly, the boy is the next great comedian of our time. (Personally, I liken him to George Burns, or possibly Johnny Carson. )
Our next activity was to watch the movie "Green Zone" on the lawn. The man who wrote the book it's based on is one of our speakers tomorrow. I actually didn't watch the movie, because the sound was way too loud for my sensitive little Katie-ears to handle. One of the advisers was kind enough to show me a quieter place to sit and work on my blog-writing and getting my photos onto my computer. :)
Incidentally, I filled an entire 2GB memory card today, as well as half of another one! That's over 700 pictures... most of them are multiples because I wanted to make sure I got good shots. My plan is to find a spare hour somewhere and put up a post with the highlights of my WJMC photos. If I don't have a chance to do it tomorrow, I will probably work on and/or post that either during my layover on the flight home... or when I've recovered my lost sleep from this week.
Speaking of sleep, I believe I'll go do that now. :) Goodnight sweet readers!
Today was an eventful day, of course. My morning started off very well. Same time as always, same routine---but with a hot shower! I finally figured out what to do so the water doesn't freeze me. (Although the bathroom seems much colder now. I suppose it's my lot in life to be cold one way or the other. :)
The only really notable thing about breakfast was that we were given real plates and silverware, as opposed to the plastic-and-paper-ware we've been using. (They did that at dinner too, by the way) After breakfast, I went on the optional tour of the GMU Fairfax campus. We've been staying here all week, but I never had a chance to do much exploring. I really enjoyed the tour, and the campus itself is very nice. It's not all that large, and there are trees everywhere. Everything is laid out somewhat logically, so I doubt it would be easy to get lost.
One notable thing that our guide showed us was the statue of George Mason. He went on to explain that while stepping on the plaques that name the statue is considered bad luck on campus, rubbing George's left big toe is good luck. Lines are even formed during finals week for the privilege of doing this. It would seem that every campus has its own little traditions and superstitions. Our guide also works in the college radio station, so we were able to see inside it. :)
The morning sessions took place at Gannett Co., Inc. in one of their conference rooms. Gannett is a news, information, and communication company that owns USA Today.
Our first session was a New Media Panel with Jodi Gersh, Patty Michalski, and Vaughn Ververs. It was different from our other panels in that all of the questions came from the "audience" instead of the moderator asking the other two most of them. I liked it better this way because it felt more like we were all part of it. (Actually, it was a lot more like what I expected. Then again, I've only ever seen the Anime-convention-panel videos Cheyenne's shown me on youtube... If one of the panelists should chance to read this, take that as a compliment. I enjoy those videos.) I learned a lot from the panel in regards to how facebook and other social networking sites are useful for journalists and how the media needs to recognize and adapt to modern audiences.
The second session this morning was a mock Press Conference with Michael D. Shear, a White House correspondant, and Nick Shapiro, one of the Deputy Press Secretaries at the White House. The topic of the mock Press Conference was a vacation President Obama took to Hawaii last year. It was very interesting listening to all of the questions the others asked and seeing how a Press Conference works. I also learned more about the President's Press Pool and how they work to keep the different parts of the Media informed of the President's comings and goings.
According to the speakers, the Press Pool was started after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. It was established because so few of the media services had people with him to cover the event when it happened. I wouldn't expressly refer to them as vultures with note-taking supplies, but the basic purpose of the Press Pool is to hang around the President just in case something newsworthy happens.
The mock Press Conference reminded me a lot of Helen Thomas' book "Front Row at the White House", which I'd almost finished reading before I left for WJMC. At that time, she was still supposed to be one of our speakers, and despite the current semi-scandal with her, I wish she was still going to come talk to us. I'd have loved to have a chance to meet her, because I really enjoyed the book and I think she's an amazing person. I especially liked reading it because I'd never read much about the Presidents before. Her book made them come alive for me, turned them into real people instead of the vague names I've heard all my life. I plan to further research their stories when I have a chance. I may not be fond of politics, but I do find the people to be quite interesting.
Lunch was at the Gannett cafeteria. This was, in my opinion, the best meal of the conference yet!The cafeteria offers a huge variety, and the food is wonderful! (and in perfect portion sizes for little Katies) I had a piece of herb-rubbed salmon with asparagus. Desert? Fresh grapes! Yum! Absolutely the best meal I've had lately---not to say anything bad about the food at GMU's Southside Cafeteria. (It's also amazing, by the way!) Did I mention that the prices were also a lot a lot a lot more reasonable than certain other places I've been this week? :)
After Lunch, we got back on the bus for the trip to the Capitol. Most of the others had scheduled meetings with their congressmen, but I didn't have any such appointment. (It just didn't work out for me to make one.) Originally, the advisers had said that those of us who weren't going to meetings would be taken on a required tour of the Capitol. This morning, and to my utter delight, they said we would be able to go to the other sites around the Capitol such as the Botanical Gardens and the Library of Congress. I instantly knew where I was going.
I know this may sound a little odd, but why would I want to tour a huge building full of politicians... when I had the chance to see one of the most amazing Libraries in the world? The Capitol never had a chance with me --- I'm too much of a book person.
So, I spent almost two hours in the Library of Congress today! I didn't get to go into the reading rooms or see the actual shelves except through a window on a door, but I did get to see the most amazing exhibit of books and artifacts from the early history of America! The special exhibit I visited included the actual journals of several explorers, one of George Washington's diaries, and several beautiful old naturalist's texts. I could have stayed in the Library for days and been perfectly content... All of my absolute things---books, history, artifacts, books, languages, archaeology and books---in one place! The Library of Congress is a cathedral of the written word, a shrine to knowledge in all its forms. I absolutely loved the place, and I didn't even have time to see all of it.
Going back to the intern thing, I would love (a million times love) a chance to try interning at the Library of Congress. I wouldn't even mind being somebody's gofer if it meant getting to be there every day.
While I was at the Library, I found my Museum-buddy from yesterday, Kasey. (the one I found when I was lost in the Natural History Museum, and apologies for getting her name wrong before) When the time came for us to leave---Kasey is lucky I don't like being late, she'd have had to drag me out by the ears otherwise---we walked back to the steps of the Capitol together, where the rest of the WJMC people were gathering for our group picture. As a short person, I ended up in the front row. :)
When we left the Capitol and started back towards the WMU campus, our bus got stuck in traffic for more than an hour. I actually drafted most of this entry during that bus ride. (Spiral notebooks are wonderful, and it's a technique I intend to continue using... it makes blogging faster.) Because of the delay, we were late to dinner. I still had plenty of time to eat, though. I must mention my love of the fruit section in the cafeteria! There's an entire serving container of grapes at every meal, and they're ripe and absolutely wonderful! Yes, grapes are one of my favorite fruits. They're also small and round, like marbles only squishy and edible. I happen to like marbles too, but that really doesn't relate to food.
After dinner, we were treated to an amazing talk on college admissions given by GMU's Dean of Admissions, Mr. Andrew Flagel. He told us a lot of things that I hadn't known before about getting into a university, and somehow managed to keep the entire group entertained while he was educating us. My favorite piece of advice from him was along the lines of "Don't give the admissions people power over you. They don't really have any!" Having learned so much from that short presentation, I feel much more confident about applying to colleges later this year. :)
I also had the chance to do a mini photo shoot with one of the guys after the presentation, since he was waiting for a chance to ask Dean Flagel a question and I was hanging around to take pictures of people. Honestly, the boy is the next great comedian of our time. (Personally, I liken him to George Burns, or possibly Johnny Carson. )
Our next activity was to watch the movie "Green Zone" on the lawn. The man who wrote the book it's based on is one of our speakers tomorrow. I actually didn't watch the movie, because the sound was way too loud for my sensitive little Katie-ears to handle. One of the advisers was kind enough to show me a quieter place to sit and work on my blog-writing and getting my photos onto my computer. :)
Incidentally, I filled an entire 2GB memory card today, as well as half of another one! That's over 700 pictures... most of them are multiples because I wanted to make sure I got good shots. My plan is to find a spare hour somewhere and put up a post with the highlights of my WJMC photos. If I don't have a chance to do it tomorrow, I will probably work on and/or post that either during my layover on the flight home... or when I've recovered my lost sleep from this week.
Speaking of sleep, I believe I'll go do that now. :) Goodnight sweet readers!