The day I learned that Gettysburg was in Pennsylvania...

Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Unfortunately, school has finally caught up with me and I have had two weeks to read a whole book and write a paper on it along with another 7-page paper...surprising to learn that i am not only here to have fun!

Back to my adventures.
I went to go to Gettysburg! It was amazing. I think i have a little bit of a war nerd in me and I have always wanted to visit a battlefield. It is up there on my list with visiting a plantation, visiting "small town America", and seeing a real main street!

Anyways, we got to Gettysburg, about an hour and a half drive from DC, on a field trip-sque thing organized by the UCDC center. Once we got there we watched a movie to give us some background on the three-day battle and turning point. I was proudly able to confirm the two facts I remembered from the 12 times i have learned about the civil war through school, that the union won and that the turn of the battle was at little round top.

(me on top of little round top over-looking the rocky battlefield)

After our video, we got back on the bus and along with us came this retired navy guy to narrate a 2-hour bus tour around the battlefields. We went in chronological order for each of the three days and got out at various spots to see it first hand.

My Takeaways from the day:

• I am thankful for the freedom i have that was fought for on these fields
• they fought on open land that was someone's town. Both sides pretty much just happened to run into each other there
• it does not really make sense the tragedy until you see where the confederates tried, unsuccessfully, to attack the union the last day and the cannon warfare.
• the devastation to the town and area is worse than the war. The town of Gettysburg took in most of the wounded soldiers after the war. The town also was flooded by families looking to find their dead loved ones. We must stop and think about the innocent people war affects
  

Overall it was a great trip and I recommend it for everyone!

(me on another part of the battlefield)

another day on the Hill...

Today I had my first bomb threat. I now feel like a seasoned Capital Hill staffer. All of a sudden around 10:30 a bell went off. Immediately following, a voice came on the loud speaker saying there was a specious package in the vicinity and to stay in your office. I thought, okay it's probably in the Capital or something. OH NO! The voice continues saying the package is located near the south bank elevators on the 3rd floor of Hart building and to avoid that area.

It then hit me...DF’s office is on the 3rd floor of Hart. That doesn't sound good. Of course like good interns, we stuck our head out of the side door that looks out to the south bank of elevators. Our office manager immediately told us to get back inside.

Of course the threat just turned out to be a bag someone left as they were getting on the elevators and all was well.



LATER THAT DAY:
That afternoon was the moment I had been waiting for that entire week. No it wasn't 5pm and time for the weekend...it was 2:30 and the intelligence confirmation hearing for Leon Panetta, Obama’s nominee for the head of the CIA. DF is the chairwoman for the committee and I was very excited to see her in action.

Along with some other interns, I got to the hearing and sat front row behind Mr. Panetta. (we were definitely on CSPAN and in some pictures) What was said at the hearing is of less importance than my takeaway of the general atmosphere.
(picture from the front page of the Washington Times...look to the far right...I am the second person from the edge!)

The way committees work in general:

1. The chairwoman/man says an opening statement
2. followed by a statement by the vice-chair, and in the case of the 111th congress, the highest ranking republican in the committee
3. After that the "witness", Panetta here, gives his opening statement
4. Then every member on the committee has a certain amount of time to ask the witness questions. It starts with the chair and vice-chair and then goes in some kind of order to the remaining members. If the member is not present when it is their designated time, they forfeit their right to ask questions. The questioning can go for more than one round if deemed needed by the chair.
   

Partisanship was obvious in this situation. The Republican senators seemed annoyed that they were not confirming someone nominated from their own party. They asked questions that were unnecessary and designed to make a point and really not question to see if Panetta would be a good choice for the head of the CIA. They picked out every word he said and went in depth about what the closure of Guantanamo Bay Prison and Obama’s pledge to not use torture techniques will do for the United States war on terror. To be fair, the Democratic senators were not much better. All stated their support for him at the forefront and then went to ask pretty pointless questions (in my opinion). I felt like all of the Senators had all the answers to these questions from their previous meetings with Panetta and this hearing was more of a formality to put those conversations some what on the record.

However jaded I sound right now, being present for that hearing was really cool. It was another example of the democratic practice. The Senate alone has the right to confirm all appointments made by the President. This helps to ensure the right people lead our country and also check the power of the President.

(picture of the hearing I took)

Lunch with DF

Today I had "Lunch with the Senator". It is one of the main perks about being an intern for Senator Feinstein. For logging about 36 hours a week for no pay, Senator Feinstein provides us with lunch and we get to ask her questions. It is a very cool event. We were originally promised burritos. Our hopes were dashed when today we were told we were getting sandwiches....and the disappointment on each California kids' face was priceless. Think about it. We are all transplants living in a place with HORRIBLE Mexican food. Now I am on my own to resume my quest for a decent salsa...

It all worked out for the better, of course, because we were all too nervous to eat our sandwiches in front of her any ways. It was not out of fear....more out of pure "OMG, she is really sitting right there asking me my name...wait..what is my name?!?!"

(all of us interns after the Senator Left)

We went around the table and introduced ourselves. The all of the interns got to ask her a question. Most asked about her positions on certain issues, but I figured all of those things could be looked up. I asked her, "Senator, what was the best piece of advice you received in your early career that helped you in your transition into a male-dominated working world?"

As I paraphrase her response: She said it wasn't necessary advice she was told, but something she learned. She said she learned that she needed to specialize her interests to give her something she was credible to talk about. Especially in a world dominated by men, this made her someone people wanted to talk to about issues. She took up crime, which made her tough and as she said "everybody wants to be tough on crime".

Every time I have an interaction with DF (the office nickname), or see her interactions with others, makes me realize how amazing she is and how much more I admire her. This is a 75 year old woman who works longer days than me and knows how she stands on every issue with facts and figures to back them up. People do not push Dianne Feinstein around! I would not call myself a feminist in any sense. Obviously, I want women to be equal to men, but I am not a women elitist. ANYWAYS, Senator Feinstein makes me proud to be a strong woman. For example: the other day she had a meeting with all the Sheriffs of California. All of these men in uniform surround the table and there is DF sitting at the head in a pink jacket with all of these large men looking and listening intensely to her every word.

Other things DF talked about:

• She thinks the tide of public opinion against Proposition 8 will change as people who oppose it see the joy and happiness gay couples enjoy in their life because they are "allowed" to marry. She also thinks it was never an issue people should have voted on in the first place. In her words, "People can not decide rights...that is what the Constitution and subsequent laws are for."
  
• Whoever runs for the next Governor of California needs to bas their platform on how they are going to fix the financial situation of the state...if they don't, we will not get out of this situation
• She became a Senator to ensure the freedoms that she was born with as an American...she loves that she gets to use her power in order to help others and that is her first priority
  
• America is an amazing place...in her words, "Yes, we have our warts"....but America is the most wondrous place
• Everyone NEEDS to see Slumdog Millionaire
  
• Schwarzenegger did a good job with the environment in his term, but has done a horribly irresponsible job with the economy especially in borrowing with bonds and with the future profits of the lottery

DF also is having a intern field trip organized to Antietam, a civil war battlefield in Maryland. She feels that since most interns come from California, we do not have a grasp on the intensity of the Civil War and all that was fought there. To her, being near the South is a very important resource for us to get perspective on what our country has gone though. She wants us to take a day from work and see an open field where over 20,000 young men died in one September day....I really respect this about her.

I left lunch with an increased morale and excited to go back to the grind working for the real definition of a "REAL. STRONG. WOMEN." and just everything I hope to be when I am 75 (without the whole US Senator thing)

Steelers WIN!!

Okay, I'm not that big of a football fan so this game really didn't mean that much. However, I will PROUDLY say I was rooting for the Steelers (all because of you Adam..well and also since the Cardinals benched Leinart). To me this game was all about it being my first real party (not that kind of a party....like a football game party) at my own place. For those who know me, being a hostess is a real love. I like to put up a front so people don't know about it and have high expectations but I am secretly very domestic......(SHHHHH!)

Me and my roommates had over some friends from Michigan to watch the game. We made it easy and cheap by buying some frozen food from safeway. I also made homemade guacamole for the occasion because I am always trying to culture the midwesters to the joys of being from California....just as they do to me. As I hear, Michigan is cold, even though they stink Detroit fans are very loyal to their sport teams, University of Michigan hates Ohio State, and Ann Arbor is basically the best place to go to school. And as I tell them, Southern California is better than nor cal, ucla is an extension of CAL, our produce last longer, it really is sunny majority of the time, we have real Mexican food, and its okay to be completely jealous of the perfect lives we live.

Anyways....it was really nice to "entertain" in my own place. I completely became my mother (in the best way possible of course) and everyone had a good time. I was happy that the Steelers pulled it out in the end and was only impressed by the Bob Dylan/Will.I.Am Pepsi commercial (posted below). I was very disappointed in the rest of the commercials...

Strange feelings from the night:

• That the Super Bowl began at 6 o'clock at night when it was dark and not in the afternoon...WEIRD. I am used to it being: A) warm and B) day light when enjoying a nice BBQ
  
• I have work in the morning. Double weird. I finally now understand why my parents like to leave early from family parties when they have work the next day....it is A LOT to mentally handle

Also here is a treat. Below is my favorite commercial from the night. Enjoy!