E.Hev

Coming soon!

2011-05-12T18:03:00.000+01:00

Haven't blogged in a while, stay tuned. Got a new iPhone, should make blogging a lot more convenient!

What's really going on at the MT state legislature

2009-02-10T03:55:00.016Z

Today was a first for me.

I went to Helena to attend the state legislative session with a friend of mine. It was a cool experience to see the behind the scenes actions of our state senators and reps and even Lt. Governor. I sat in on a committee hearing regarding an SID bill and one thing struck me as I watched, listened and learned. I'm going to try to approach this from a nonpartisan approach but believe me, it's going to sound like I am clearly biased... please keep in mind that in this circumstance, I'm not.

Obviously the two party system has its role to play in regards to accomplishing agendas. If it didn't, we'd all be Bushocrats or Obamicans. But as I sat in this committee room today, I saw something that disturbed me and made me think. The bill that was being discussed, I was for. There were many people in the room, although probably more for the bill than against. The committee was a 9 man (or person, for all you politically correct) panel, split 5-4 in favor of the Republicans.

I was sitting in the front row of the audience, yet I was only two feet from the nearest state senator (a democrat). I initially took notice to my eventually nausea about 5 minutes into the hearing when two of the nine senators (both democrats) showed up late. In the interest of fairness, a republican also showed up a minute or two late. As the ball got rolling, the sponsor of the bill (a republican) spoke, followed by proponents and then obviously, the opponents.

Throughout the entire hearing, I was continuously distracted by senators getting up and down and doodling and texting. There was one senator, Jesse Laslovich (D- Anaconda), who was constantly getting up to snack on the cheez-its and carrots or chocolate. Then he would stand there behind the panel looking too preoccupied to actually listen. Finally, he dismissed himself privately after appearing to have better things to do than his job. Perhaps the coffee or water took their toll. To his credit, I did later see him in the back of the hearing room.

Jesse Laslovich (D- SD 43, Anaconda)

The senator sitting two feet from me was Steve Gallus (D- Butte). Mr. Gallus said virtually nothing the entire meeting except a bit of moaning when the chairman said that there were a few more questions. "Oh, that's a shame", he commented. And then he continued his pencil drawn 3-D box on his yellow legal pad, followed by a few text messages and chocolates. He too apparently had better things to do than his job of representation. I suppose it's possible that the people of Butte elected him to go to the legislature and eat tax payer funded goodies while providing absolutely no contribution to the discussion other than to whine about the very reason he's there.

Steve Gallus (D- SD 37, Butte)

And then there is Mrs. Kim Gillan, also a Democrat who represents SD 24 in Billings. Mrs. Gillan apparently has a really hard job listening to those pesky constituents. It must be extremely tiring. I mean, why else would Senator Gillan take a nap in the middle of the hearing? Seriously... paid to sleep? I'm in! To her credit, she tired to catch up towards the end of the meeting by asking the sponsor to clarify a few things that she "missed". Mr. Shockley jokingly told her she missed a lot to which she replied that she could probably brush up by listening to the minutes of the meeting. I suppose that's assuming she can stay awake.

Kim Gillan (D- SD 24, Billings)

The fourth and final Democrat on the panel was Senator Ron Erickson (D- Missoula). Mr. Erickson was awake, attentive and didn't appear at all hungry during the session. He contributed by asking questions in regards to the bill and made subsequent suggestions. A good man is he.

Ron Erickson (D- SD 93, Missoula)

What about the Republicans you ask? Well, the Republicans present were Mr. Bruce Tutvedt (SD 3, Kalispell), Mr. Verdell Jackson (SD 5, Kalispell), Chairman John Esp (SD 31, Big Timber), Vice Chairman Jeff Essmann (SD 28, Billings) and Mr. Gregory Barkus (SD 4 Kalispell). In case you were wondering, Mr. Tutvedt got a little thirsty at one point, and Mr. Jackson excused himself briefly during the meeting... returning shortly thereafter in the approximate time it would take a person to relieve him/herself in the restroom.

So... what's the point? Well, I'm glad you asked. The point is that the sponsor of this bill was a Republican. It is my humble opinion that the reason for the the nonchalant-ness is not coincidental on the part of the Democrats. I believe it was partisan based. They didn't appear to want to be there, nor did they appear interested or concerned with their duties. They already knew how they were going to vote. I want to be clear not to over generalize because Mr. Erickson was definitely an exception.

My concern is not with the dissent of the dissenters, but rather their manner of doing so. They are there to serve the people who elected them to office. If they are hungry, grab some cheez-its or chocolate... before the meeting. If they are tired, take a nap... sometime other than the meeting. Every Republican in that room appeared engaged and willing to work. Every Democrat... well, you get the picture.

I'm certain there are other committees where the reverse is true and the Republicans are the ones not interested in the Democrat-sponsored bill and that further illustrates my point. How are we supposed to solve the large problems when we can't even bring ourselves to listen and talk to each other about the small ones. I can only imagine this is worse at the federal level... and that really concerns me.

The Capitol, The White House & Serena

2008-07-12T05:29:00.001+01:00

******PHOTOS FOR THIS POST ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST*******

This week I chose to delay my post a bit because of my schedule. I had so many exciting activities to do that I wanted to be able to share all of them with you. This has probably been my most productive/exciting week or ten days in Washington. As I mentioned in my last post, I traveled to Ocean City, NJ for the July 4th weekend, which was an awesome experience. I found myself thinking about how we get too caught up in our day-to-day lives to appreciate our friends and family let alone the historic places in this country. During our trip to O.C., we passed through a very small town in Delaware where they were having an Independence Day parade. This was definitely small town America as the parade consisted of no stoplights, a fire truck, a police car (possibly 20 years old) and some horses. However, [apparently] the whole town turned out for the five-minute trip down Main St. For a moment I honestly forgot what it was like to be from (at least for the summer) a thriving metropolis.

Monday I completed a portion of our TWC requirement by conducting my informational interview. For those of you who are just considering The Washington Center, you will have to do the same. Through a friend of mine (who used to work at the White House), I was put in touch with Margaret Hoover who is the great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover. If you wiki Margaret, you will find that she has served as a deputy press secretary for a Florida Congressman, worked for the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and is a Fox News contributor. Margaret was more than kind as she took nearly an hour to speak with me about my potential career and the steps that she has taken to get where she is today. I came away from the interview with a firm understanding of the path I may need to take should I choose a similar career. Needless to say, the interview was extremely beneficial.

Tuesday, I went with Kelly, my boss Swanson Communications to an event in downtown D.C. One of our clients, The Southeast Tennis Learning Center had teamed with World Team Tennis for the inaugural season of The Washington Kastles. The Kastles are the newest franchise in the sport where tennis meets football or soccer. The fans are encouraged to cheer and make noise, which is different from your grandfather’s tennis. Serena Williams is the most notable player for Washington and again, it was quite the experience to stand on the same court as her. While I did not get to meet her, a ball from her hit me. She knocked the ball across the court; the other player missed it, and it bounced off a planter and nailed me in the leg. Of course I kept the ball, I find it to be quite the conversation piece.

Wednesday, I attended a breakfast with my Senator, Max Baucus, on Capitol Hill. You may know that back home I interned for Senator Baucus and while I had met him before, it was definitely an experience to be able to speak one-on-one with him. If you are into politics at all, I would urge you to do the same. It is my understanding that every U.S. Senator has these breakfasts and all you have to do is call their office a few days prior.

Following my breakfast with Senator Baucus, I went on a group tour of the Capitol Building, which was completely captivating. We were not able to go into the chambers because at the time of our visit they were in session, but we were still able to see quite a bit. En route to Capitol Hill, I passed the Supreme Court and the Library of Congress. They sort of snuck up on me and I found myself fascinated at their size and design.

Yesterday, I finally was able to take a tour of the White House, which has turned into the highlight of my summer thus far. Again, if you are interested, just contact your Senator’s office but you should do so quickly because often you may have to wait three to six months. While you really do not get to see that much of the White House, it is still quite the experience to walk down the same hallways and through the same rooms as our Presidents, past and present. You are not allowed to take cameras into the White House but cell phones are allowed so of course I had to bend the rules a bit and was able to snap a quick picture on our way out.

Finally, my placement with Swanson Communications has been interesting this week. Our work on Affliction: Banned has been fairly intense and seems to be coming to a head as the event is now less than a week away. Unfortunately I will not be able to go to L.A. for fight week but I have been told that we are about to begin another project. While I am not exactly sure what the new project entails, I am told that a media tour is involved. It looks as if I may be able to go to New York but am still unsure about the other cities. As my time here in D.C. winds down, I am constantly looking for ways to remain as involved and relevant as possible. I want to make the most of the next four weeks and build on the knowledge I have already gained.

While next week does not look as packed, I think it will still be rewarding mostly because I will be participating in my civic engagement. I have decided to volunteer for John McCain headquarters. I do not want to get too into depth about my political beliefs in this post (that post is coming soon), but I consider myself to be an independent and that being said, until recently I was undecided on whom to support. In the past couple of weeks, I have developed some serious concerns and issues with Obama and unless those are resolved before November, I cannot see myself voting for him. But again, more on this soon… now is not the time, although I will give you one tip; you know how they say, politics and office do not mix? Well there is a reason they say that, I would definitely heed those words. I look forward to sharing with you next week and hopefully you are gaining something from my experiences here in Washington. Until next time…
.e

A few recent DC photos

2008-07-12T05:27:00.001+01:00

We the people

2008-07-05T17:31:00.000+01:00

I do not want to make this week’s post about my internship but rather about the city that came to inspire me this week. I will briefly discuss the weekly topics just to give you an idea of my progress, but I want to focus mainly on the spirit of this Independence Day week.

In my earlier posts, I mentioned that Swanson Communications has been retained to promote the Affliction: Banned MMA event July 19th in Anaheim. Our progress on this event has allowed me to gather a more firm understanding of the behind-the-scenes action in the making of a “mega-event”. I have come to learn quite a bit in the last week or so; there is so much more than I could have ever imagined. My main task has been compiling a media list for the event so that we can inform the appropriate contacts around the country of Affliction: Banned in order to receive coverage. Sometime this week we will send out a press release to this list and then the real fun begins. I am excited for the week of the fight because it is jam packed full of interviews, conferences and promotional activities that I can only hope will reflect the hard work and effort we have put into this.

Back to D.C. itself. Appropriately enough, this week has further inspired my American pride. I do not think there is anything quite like D.C. and Independence Day. Unfortunately I will not be in Washington for the 4th as we are going to Ocean City, New Jersey, but just walking around town this week, I have seen an abundance of American pride and love of country that I do not think I have seen anywhere else.

Of course you can tell the tourists who are here for the celebration because they are all wearing American flag shirts or a red hat, blue shirt and white shorts. As corny as that may sound, you cannot help but smile when you see it because it is definitely quite the demonstration. Everywhere I look, I see something that reminds me of the history of this city and this great country. After visiting the Department of the Interior earlier this week, I walked a few blocks over to The Washington Monument where I got a crazy awesome view of the city.

After visiting the Monument, I walked up 15th ave, past the Treasury and many other historic building. I ended up stumbling on the site of the very first political campaign which made me think about all of the people who have passed through this same vicinity only years before. Certainly my path has crossed one they once took. Surely I have been standing in a place they once stood. If you care to think about that sort of thing, it is quite the thought to ponder.

Moving on, this next week promises to be absolutely chaotic… in a good way. Tuesday I will be conducting one of my informational interviews with Margaret Hoover (President Herbert Hoover’s great-granddaughter). Wednesday I am having breakfast with my Senator, touring the Capitol building and having dinner at The Washington Center. Finally, Thursday wraps up the excitement with my long awaited, much anticipated tour of the White House. I am expecting next week to be a blast. I look forward to telling you about it. Until next time…

White House or Bust!

2008-06-27T03:36:00.000+01:00

One of the requirements for my internship through The Washington Center is to set a realistic set of academic, professional, civic and personal goals. I will not bore you with the details of all of my goals, but I will share with you that one of my personal goals was to get to visit The White House. I have been trying and trying to get my family and myself a tour and finally on Monday, I received a call that we will be able to tour 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. on July 10! I am extremely excited about this opportunity because the waiting list can often take up to six months to be approved. Luckily for me, I was able to utilize my connection from my prior internship with Senator Baucus’ office in order to cut the timeline nearly in half! I only wish I could take photos inside The White House for all of you to see.

Continuing on the political scene, this week I was able to participate in a networking event for Senator John McCain. You should know that I consider myself an undecided, right-leaning moderate, independent. That would be the politically correct way to say that I am not certain about who I will support for President but as of right now I am leaning towards McCain. The reason I say ‘leaning towards’ is because I like to keep an open mind about this sort of issue as I have found that when you truly keep a ‘open mind’, there are a wide variety of things that can influence your stance and help you make the right decision.

I am not the type of person to jump on the bandwagon or follow the rock star movement because everyone else is. I believe in educating myself rather than listening to someone’s opinion or general consensus. Given this standard, I have been committed to making my vote on the issues and currently given John McCain’s experience and voting record, he has it.

Here you can get an idea of how many blocks were closed for the BBQ Battle. And for all of my co-workers back home, Famous Dave's was there! I have pictures to show!

Moving away from politics, the workplace got a little more interesting this week. Over the weekend I was able to attend the Safeway BBQ Battle, which was possibly the largest block party BBQ I have ever seen. There were roughly 10 blocks of Pennsylvania Ave. blocked off for BBQ restaurants competing in the “Battle”, as well as games and vendors. I got my goatee trimmed by a master barber from Chicago, ate at Famous Dave’s and brushed my teeth at Aquafresh… all on Pennsylvania Ave. It was crazy! All of this was to benefit one of our clients, The Boys & Girls Club.

Saturday I was introduced to another new aspect of work with Swanson Communications. We are now working with Affliction clothing and their upcoming MMA (mixed martial arts) event on July 19 in Anaheim, California. My current job is to pitch the event to the top newspapers, television and radio stations in the country. This event is arguably the greatest MMA event ever to take place as six of the fighters are among the top ten in the world! As if that is not enough, Donald Trump has partnered with Affliction and is actively promoting the event. Be sure to watch July 19; I think it will be awesome!

Well, that basically sums up my week. Hopefully next week I will have more exciting information for you…we are nearly half way through the summer and it is starting to fly by! Check back soon…

Until next time.
.e

Calm, Cool and Collected

2008-06-27T03:31:00.000+01:00

Week three in D.C. has been one of a completely different theme than my first two in the city. I finally feel oriented, prepared and best of all, cool! I have begun to establish a consistent schedule from week to week, which if you are anything like me, is pretty important to my productivity. This week has also seen nicer weather than the previous two. Being from Montana, the 94+ heat mixed with the humidity was really not up my alley! Last week while the ‘feels like’ temperature was 103, Montana was getting snow! Can you believe that? Snow, in mid-June! In that respect, I really wanted to be home. Luckily Mother Nature has let up and this week has been extremely comfortable and actually quite nice outside.

The buzz around D.C. (and probably around the country for that matter) this week has been the sudden death of NBC News and Meet the Press Chief Correspondent Tim Russert. I have personally found it astounding to see the outpouring of affection around the District and country in the wake of his passing. I find myself captivated time and time again by all of the tributes, he truly seemed like an honest journalist.

Speaking of captivating, the office has kept me busy this week, as I have begun work on a few new projects. We are still waiting to hear who will replace Floyd Mayweather in what will be Oscar De La Hoya’s final fight. Therefore, we are also still uncertain about any possibility of a press tour this summer (although, I am holding out hope, as I believe the experience would be invaluable). In the meantime, today I began work on a potential list of sponsors which Baltimore Ravens running back, Willis McGahee could use to partner with. This glimpse inside the NFL has been interesting to say the least.

Meeting my cousin's baby girl

In regards to my course with The Washington Center, Intercultural Communications: How Washington-based Organizations Prepare for A Global Marketplace, is a course which will be focusing on globalization of our economy and the impact it will have on America and the world. The one thing so far that has surprised me, and to my delight, is that this course offers a different approach to the learning atmosphere. My classes back at The University of Montana tend to be a lecture format with little interaction, which can sometimes restrict the potential for conversation. I really enjoy the fact that this course uses a more discussion-based format where we have the opportunity to learn from and debate each other. I feel this will help the course be more enjoyable over the summer.

As far as the weekend goes, I did not do much sightseeing; instead I went on a ride-along with my cousin who is a police officer up in Germantown. As I am sure you can imagine, that was quite the experience. Although he said it was one of the slower nights in his beat, the night was highlighted by an attempted burglary call. I tell you what, there is nothing quite like flying 90 mph in a 40 mph zone in a police car. I may have to do that again next weekend.

I am looking forward to the rest of this week as there are many events taking place that I am going to try to attend. I will be sure to let you know about them.
Until next time…
.e

Week Two: Rollercoaster Ride

2008-06-27T03:20:00.001+01:00

Wow! What a week it has been. So many of my initial perspectives of D.C. have changed, and some have even changed back again. The remainder of my first week on the job and front portion of this week has truly been like a rollercoaster ride. I am sure that during parts of this post, I will sound like I am whining but truth be told I am not bitter at all and only intend to portray the lessons I have taken away from these events. With that said...

Last Wednesday evening I attended my first class session with The Washington Center. The course I am taking is Intercultural Communications: How Washington-based Organizations Prepare for a Global Marketplace. The course itself seems like it will present me with a generous amount of information while the professor and my classmates really seem eager to interject politics into the mix. I will not lie, I am equally as eager; after-all, this is Washington, D.C.

On the work front, the tail end of last week was not nearly as elegant as were the first few days but this was no fault of anyone with whom I work. Remember that boxing fight I mentioned in my last report? The one between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather? Well on Friday of last week, Mr. Mayweather retired rendering our press tour obsolete. There will be no fight and there will be no press tour. Needless to say I was beyond disappointed. To this moment, I do not think a single hour has gone by that I have not thought about the opportunities and experience that flew out the window with the three simple words—“I am retiring."

One part of me feels selfish for thinking of my own aspirations and missed experiences while the other part reminds myself that Floyd just did what was best for him. It is no secret that Golden Boy Productions (Oscar De La Hoya’s company) would like to fill the date with another fight, however the potential for that remains to be seen. I was reminded of my earlier thoughts before leaving home when I thought and expected something to halt my plans or something major to occur which would prevent this summer from becoming reality. As it turns out, it was not until I arrived that reality set in. So here I wait, pondering the fate of my summer all the while urging myself to continue to make the most of my 10 weeks here.

After I took the weekend to allow everything to sink in, I decided that I would face this week like any other and try to let the past be… well, the past. What is that old saying? No sense crying over spilt milk?

This week has been quite productive; on Monday I learned many new aspects of PR that I never would have thought to be related to the business. And then just yesterday, I was able to take off work early to attend an event at the Newseum (no, that is not a typo) on Pennsylvania Ave.

The Newseum is (no surprise here) a news related museum with six or seven floors of the most extensive compilation of news related memorabilia you have ever seen. I was definitely intrigued. The September 11th exhibit brought me back to that day and I swear to you, I felt the very same feeling I felt nearly seven years ago.

Newspapers' front pages from every U.S. state and a few foreign countries

Part of the September 11th exhibit

Lightning rod/antenna from the top of one of the World Trade Towers

The event that took place was a taping for a television show with former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. Partisan politics aside, I always enjoy hearing from an accomplished, well-known public figure such as Mr. Gingrich. I was also able to attend an event with our company last week where rapper T.I. spoke against violence. The event took place at the Boys & Girls Club on the southeast side and the former Mayor of D.C., Marion Barry was also in attendance. Although this was not nearly the scale of say, traveling to New York to close the stock exchange, it was still a pleasure to meet him.

So basically that is my week. I did some tourist-like events over the weekend and basically absorbed all of the information I had taken in over the last week. Can you sense my information overload? Until next time…
.e

Beyond words

2008-06-26T01:09:00.000+01:00

Nothing that I am going to type on this blank page will be able to do justice to the true magnitude and impact that my journey thus far has had on me. Realistically, I should not be in Washington right now and the mere fact that I am tells me that the astonishment that I feel now will only be magnified within the next 10 weeks.

I arrived in Washington 10 days ago, which was about four days earlier than we were required to be here. I purposely did this because I wanted to allow myself time to get acquainted with D.C. before I was thrown in headfirst. Truth be told, the four days was plenty sufficient. The transit system here is sophisticated and easy to navigate, and for the most part, it is easy to find your foothold. I am staying with family in Maryland about 25 minutes outside of D.C. and I have found getting a grasp on that area is more difficult than the District itself.

I will be honest with you; prior to my coming to the Capital I had some reservations about my decision. The application and placement processes were smooth and painless, but up until the moment the wheels of my plane touched down at Dulles Airport in Maryland, I truly was expecting something to alter my plans. My faith definitely was not as strong as it should have been over the course of those five months, but looking back on it I could not have been better prepared.

Writing this today, no on

e has told me what to say, what not to say or how to articulate whatever it is I feel so you can be assured that what I write is genuine and from me and only me. I say that because I want to commend and thank the staff at The Washington Center who were beyond excellent in preparing me for each step in the process and prior to taking that step, I would always have the best, most accurate information I needed to make that move the most successful. I credit them a lot with my ability to be writing this today as well as the excellent placement I received.
Speaking of placement (thank you ‘Mr. segway’), let me give you a little background about myself and what I will be doing in D.C. I am a senior at the University of Montana in Missoula and I am a Communication Studies major with a focus on Organizational Communications. Basically that is a fancy way of saying ‘public relations’. I work with the football program at UM and really have a passion for working with the team. Before my father passed away he recognized my passion and told me he felt I should pursue coaching as a career. For the longest time I have wanted to coach college football and that is what led me to work for the program.
Football is an especially tough career to break into and like any other career, it is not what you know but rather who. Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to utilize my time in Washington to put ‘back-up’ plan in place in the instance coaching is not meant to be my way. Back home I also worked with Senator Max Baucus and gained an interest in politics. I guess in that sense, D.C. is the perfect city for me. It seems there is always someone here who wants to tell you why they believe a certain candidate is the best and how they arrived at that decision or why a certain issue is more important than another.

Prior to my arrival here in D.C., I accepted a placement with a public relations firm which while small by design, handles some big names. When I took the internship, I was told the project I would be spending most of my time on would be the Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya rematch. This reason, and the opportunity to travel with the press tour led me to decide on Swanson over some other big names like Fox News Channel. When making your decision, I urge you to consider where you will be able to get a better feel for the job. A big name company is not always best because often the smaller company will off a more hands on experience

I believe I received one of the best placements with The Washington Center. Not many other interns are going to be able to travel around the country and promote a mega-event that I am going to have the opportunity to do. I suppose it is all relative to your desires but for me, the fit is perfect.

Finally, within the 10 days I have been here, all of my concerns and uncertainties have already been resolved. I consider myself lucky to have received the placement I did and I am grateful to the staff at The Washington Center for helping me make the smooth, often ‘cultural shocking’, transition for Montana to Washington, D.C. Despite all of my planning, preparing, and paranoia the venture could not have gone better. When you get ready to make your journey, I am confident all of these people will do the same for you as well as your friends and family, which have also been instrumental for myself.

As I look forward to the weeks to come, I know there will be many exciting things to report and I look forward to letting you know about my experience and hopefully better preparing you for yours. Until next time…

.e

Bad timing for bad news...

2008-06-07T01:45:00.000+01:00

Bad news came today... My entire reason for accepting the internship I did was because I thought I would be able to travel around the country on this mega press tour to promote the big fight between Floyd Mayweather and Oscar De La Hoya. Mr. Mayweather retired today in a statement issued through our office, thus canceling the press tour, fight, and my one 'known' reason for being here.

Needless to say I am bummed beyond words and still weighing my options. I am proceeding slowly as to not make any rash decisions but obviously I am anxious. Respectfully, I did not leave home to do office work all summer so I am incredibly torn when it comes to how to approach this situation. I am going to take the weekend and perhaps a few days beyond that to reassess my situation and establish a course of action with a clear mind.

I feel selfish for even considering my alternate options but when you are doing something of this magnitude that costs roughly $8,000-$9,000 to do, it is hard to not focus on what is best for you. Although I am honestly trying to figure out how I can do what is best for me while not souring any relationship that I have begun to develop. Please keep me in your thoughts and if you have any ideas feel free to share them. Now is obviously a time where the more ideas, the better. I will keep you updated... all the best. Until next time...

Official TWC Blog

2008-06-06T02:58:00.000+01:00

The Washington Center has set up the official page for my blog through them.

The address is:

http://mydcexperience.blogspot.com

or you can go to their website www.twc.edu and click on the 'perspective students' tab in the right hand column. That will take you to a page with my, and the other 5 blogs. I will continue to blog on here as well but the TWC blog is only to tell perspective interns about the things they may or will experience should they come to D.C.

Until next time...

It's official!

2008-06-03T05:00:00.000+01:00

Today was the first day on the job and let me just tell you, although it was only a couple of hours, it could not have been better! You may recall me speaking of a press tour that I might possibly be able to take part in; well today, I was told I would. The tour begins around July 1, and is approximately two weeks long. The kick off is in New York City and goes to various cities around the country. It looks like right now some of those are... New York, Philly, Atlanta, Miami, Grand Rapids, Chicago, L.A., San Fran, Vegas, Dallas/Forth Worth, San Antonio, and I feel like there is another one that I am missing. Anyhow, it is likely that I will only go to half of these as it will be split among several people. As I understand things right now, we will all be attending the kick off in NYC. This is what I am most excited about! But enough about that...

Today I also was able to meet most of the people I will be working with this summer and I just would add that it looks as if I could not have gotten a better placement. All of the people seem so friendly and fun, I honestly feel like we have been working with each other for a few weeks now. My boss seems like a blast and has been very eager to help us become settled in.

After the two hour work day and what turned into a working lunch, we headed over to CBS News studios here in D.C. to hear from, and meet Bob Schieffer. This was quite the way to begin the summer! Mr. Schieffer was the nicest guy and seemed genuinely interested in sharing his 50+ years of journalism knowledge with us.

Following the CBS tour and meet/greet, I headed up to 'The Hill' for the first time. I could not believe how giant the Capitol Building was! I was blown away. We did not go in the building because we were going to attend a banquet/forum in a different area for oceanic awareness... something-or-other. Basically we ate, mingled and networked for an hour. Interesting...

Finally, I made my first mistake of the trip today! I thought my 3 hour course was on Monday nights rather than the actual Wednesday evenings so I went to the classroom only to find the wrong class. Nothing major, but a mistake none-the-less. Of course, I just told myself, I have done the same thing in Montana so it's no big deal! I just headed home where we went out to dinner to celebrate my cousin's birthday! What a day!

Tomorrow brings the first full day on the job, I cannot wait to tell you about it! Until next time...

Ready... Set... Where am I?!

2008-06-01T06:17:00.000+01:00

I am pretty impressed with myself thus far. I have yet to do something extremely stupid like ride the metro the wrong direction or miss my stop (knock on wood). Just give it time right?!

But honestly, I have heard horror stories about interns traveling in groups to TWC only to have one of the group left behind on the platform as the train leaves. I seem to have picked up the big city rules fairly quickly and that is something I am happy about!

Perhaps I belong here, but on the other hand, maybe I should just give myself sometime before patting myself on the back. I have on occasion found myself taking 'the long route' from point A to point B, but that is mostly thanks to google maps! So far I am really enjoying the fast paced,

big-city atmosphere.

Thursday and Friday were orientation days and were packed with all sorts of meetings, events and getting-to-know-you type events. I will not bore you with the details, but I will tell you that I keep reminding myself that I am only here for 10 weeks and that in order to make the most of my experience, I am going to have to come out of my shell a bit.

I have been forcing myself to speak to random interns and other people I may meet in order to

begin this 'networking' of which everyone speaks! Honestly, I have kept something in the back of my

head that a friend of mine told me before I left Montana. Truth be told, it is something simple but it really has resonated in my mind every day thus far. My friend told me

to enjoy myself, have fun, and make the most of my experience. Simple right? Maybe, but when you combined all three of those, it is easy to make them more of a task than an experience. I keep telling myself to make the most of this time because who knows who I will meet, or if I will every be able to return. It is such simple advice but so far has been the best I have been given.

As you may recall if you have been following my adventure so far, I will begin to be paid to blog for TWC beginning this Wednesday. The blog address is different than this one, but I will post the new address when it becomes available. Also, if you go to www.twc.edu , and click on the 'prospective students' tab in the right hand column, you will be taken to a page which will feature my blog (among the other 5) beginning next week.

Well, tomorrow is Sunday so I will going to church with family and then most likely relax as Monday will bring the first day "on the job". I look forward to reporting all the good details. Hope all is well with you. Until next time...

Stroll around the Capital

2008-05-28T23:32:00.000+01:00

Today it really sunk in. I am in D.C. and finally was able to do some meandering around town. I woke up this morning for a trial run of my morning commute which is only 25 minutes via the Metro. I took the opportunity to locate all of the buildings I will need to visit tomorrow and the next day which, as it turns out, are nearly all within 5 blocks of each other.

This photo is The Washington Center

Headquarters where I will report tomorrow to begin orientation.

After I located all of my buildings, I took a walk along 16th street and ended up stumbling onto the White House. I honestly was not expecting to 'sight see' today but after finding myself at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., I decided to take a look around the corner. I found the Dwight D. Eisenhower Administrative offices, The Washington Monument, and the Department of Treasury. I was also able to see Capitol Hill from a distance but I decided I was not up for the hike!

I finally headed home a bit assured of my understanding of the streets of D.C. The weather was very nice for my day on the town but as I was warned, it was quite humid!

I am excited about beginning the program tomorrow and being let loose on the town. I will let you know how it turns out! Until next time...

The White House, North Lawn

A Shot from Penn. Ave, Capitol Hill in the distance

DC or BUST!

2008-05-28T07:13:00.000+01:00

***I am sorry if this post seems a little bland, it is 2:35 am and I have not had much sleep in the last 3 days. I promise to try to spice it up next time!***

My trip to DC could not have been more smooth or more hectic. Explanation? I was supposed to be free from work the day before my departure but ended up working a double. I eventually got off work about 10 pm with a 5 am date at the airport! Of course, I had yet to pack so I decided to stay up all night taking care of the things I needed to get done. I finally finished packing right at 5 am. Luckily my apartment is nearby the airport so I was able to get there by 5:15 and had plenty of time before our 6:20 departure.

I slept all of the first flight, the whole hour and fifteen minutes. The wheels hitting the tarmac woke me and I sprinted to the next flight because I only had a 15 minute layover. Of course, this obviously narrowed because of the time it took to open the door and de-board the plane. With a little luck, I made the flight and was off to sleep again for 4 1/2 hours.

I was pleased to wake up prior to landing in the next city because I was able to see a few of the sites of my favorite city in the world! We landed at New York- JFK about 20 minutes early but there was not a gate available so we ended up waiting on the plane for 20+ minutes. This made me recall those horror stories of people stuck on grounded flights for 9 hours! I have no clue how those people managed, I believe I would have absolutely flipped.

My layover in NYC was a bit longer (50 minutes), which was nice because I needed to get something other than peanuts to eat. About 4:22 I boarded what I believe to be the smallest jet in the world! I swear I must have whacked my head about 10 times getting settled and I was not even able to manage my carryon under the seat in front of me. I was uncomfortable to say the least!

After finally landing in DC, I had the pleasure of meeting a very nice woman from Germany named Margaret. She was a friendly woman who runs an IT company in Virginia. Margaret had many questions about my trip to DC and what I would be doing. Lucky for me my answers lead to much valuable advice with I anticipate I will be able to incorporate over the next 3 months.

After collecting my baggage, I met my family and headed back to the house to see the aunt, cousins and new baby. It was exciting to see everyone and have the good 'ol family back yard bar-b-que's that I remember from years ago. However, I am afraid that I was not a very pleasant guest because I was so tired. I imagine everyone found me quite dull.

Today, I was able to catch up on my sleep and took much advantage of that! By the time I woke up, it was nearly noon but I excused that by saying that it was only 9:45 in Montana! Nana, Mom-mom and I went into Rockville and Gaithersburg for lunch and some errands. Then we checked out the route to the Metro which I will take into the District tomorrow.

I am excited about what tomorrow will offer as I have been looking forward to walking around DC since January. I will let you know how it turns out! Until next time...

3 Days and a party!!

2008-05-23T09:06:00.000+01:00

---All of my friends are invited down to the Iron Horse Saturday evening for a get together before I head to DC. I work Saturday so it may be 10 or 11 before I can be there but I'd like to be able to see everyone once more before leaving Montana! Hope to see you there!!---

Hello everyone! The truth of the matter is I leave in just 3 days and I'm no where near ready... I should probably get on that! Anyhow, I'm getting excited. It's starting to set in that I'm really going to DC. Just today I mailed two small boxes of stuff to myself (in DC) and realized that the next time I saw those items would be on the other side of our country. I'll arrive on Monday evening and spend Tuesday and Wednesday getting acquainted with the city and my routes and such. Thursday will be our orientation with The Washington Center which will introduce us to our courses and what to expect from our time in DC.

Thursday or Friday I will also head over to Swanson Communications to introduce myself to my new colleagues while Monday, June 2nd will actually be my first day on the job. I really can't wait to get lost in DC! Should be fun! Until next time...

10 days until DC!!

2008-05-15T08:07:00.000+01:00

With 10 days to go, I received news today that I have been chosen to be a blogger for The Washington Center. This is in addition to my internship. I will be paid to write a once-a-week account of my DC experience. This position will help offset some of the additional expenses I will no doubt encounter in DC. Until next time...

One Month Until DC!

2008-04-28T18:32:00.000+01:00

With one month to go before my 10 week trip to D.C., I have decided to set up a blog for my friends and family to keep track of my experience. I am anxiously counting the days until I get to depart for our nation's capital city!

If you would still like to become a sponsor, you can contact me at e.j.heverly@gmail.com for further information.

I realize only a few of you know where I will be interning so I will briefly tell you about that.

I was brought on as an intern with Swanson Communications. Swanson is a small PR firm in DC that is the lead firm for Boys and Girls Club of America, Salvation Army, HBO Sports and many others. They were also the lead firm for the Oscar De La Hoya v. Floyd Mayweather boxing match last summer and we will be doing the rematch this summer. This will be the largest project that I spend my time on. Apparently there will be a press tour consisting of seven cities in ten days to promote the fight. I'm looking forward to this.

Thank you very much to everyone who has already made this possible. I look forward to keeping everyone up to date on my activities. Until next time.