Make a Statement at the Capitol

What's the easiest way to make a statement on Capitol Hill? Many suggest starting with an internship and working from the bottom up. But for a weekend trip, the statements made on Capitol Hill all come down to a matter of focus.

Walk past the United States Capitol Building on Saturday and a kaleidoscope of contorted figures, blend together in a scene not normally associated with legislation - until seen through the viewfinder on the camera. Flocks of the young, old, tourist, locals and the curious all have their own way to pose in front of the Capitol, and every pose is worth a thousand words.

Mahendrm, who traveled from India to Washington, D.C. with his family said, when he got ready for his close up it was really more important to capture the Capitol itself.

From another perspective Eliana, Danielle and Brittany say it's all about tagging a fun photo on Facebook.

Turn the lenses toward Dimitry - posing like the top dog in Washington - and all he can say, "why not pose like the President."

Next time you pass the Capitol, give some thought to what your own photo caption might say someday.

Final Cut PRO: My Proudest Moment!

This is the first project of this magnitude that I have made in Final Cut Pro. The thought of the project was intimidating--just a couple of weeks before it was expected to be finished, my friend Thomas comes to me asking for a HP commercial-like advertisement to help his campaign for Georgia State University's homecoming court. I said sure without even thinking! (Might have been because I had a little bit of a crush on him :-) But then after I did think about it...the task was a little daunting. Where could I shoot this? How could I light it? How long will it take me to edit? Will I be able to do everything he asks?
I basically dove in headfirst and just decided to see what I could do. The final product turned out to be an amazing video for which I received praise for weeks after it debuted. I am really proud of this product because it was really the first time that my proficiency on Final Cut had been solidified to myself. I had NO IDEA how I was going to do everything that Thomas had asked, but I ended producing a video better than even he had imagined. Take a look and let me know your thoughts.

What I have learned since arriving in D.C.

D.C. is nothing like I thought it was going to be! Below is a list of things I thought I would share about what I have observed since I came here three weeks ago:

1. If D.C. had an official animal it would be the rat. I have seen so many rats running across the streets. It's ridiculous the size of them too.
2. Avoid driving here at all cost. Walk or take the Metro. It's much more efficient and easier.
3. If you fall in your new shoes and cute dress in the Metro. You won't die of embarrassment. It happens to everyone
   
4. D.C. has a magical aurora about it. You can be completely exhausted and busy or mising sleep and putting in crazy hours at your internship because you are still happy. I wake up everyday smiling because I am here.
5. Most of the guys I have seem in D.C. are super cute in their suits and business wear. Very nice.
6. My internships with The Georgetowner newspaper is the best internship in the city!!! Amos and Susan (the program directors) were totally right when they said this. I have a chance to do actual journalism with this newspaper. I already have clips and am working on more and I have only been here for 3 weeks. You can't beat that.
7. The Lincoln Memorial (or as all of us in the SIWJ Summer '09 class call it, Abe's House) is the coolest place to hang out in D.C. Standing at the top of the steps and turning around to see the Washington Monument in the reflecting pool and the Capitol behind is beautiful. Everytime I go visit the monument I feel so lucky.
8. I have made some life long friends in this program. This really is the best group of people I could have ask for to spend my summer with.
9. I am amazed that I really haven't gotten homesick yet. I thought I was going to miss my family and friends terribly, but so far I have been OK. I miss them, but it's nothing like I thought it was going to be when I left home. I think it has a lot to do with the people I am with and how busy I have been.
10. If the Lincoln Memorial is my favorite place in D.C., then the Newseum is the second. That place is amazing and it is especially great for any journalism junkie like myself. Chanel (the other girl in the program who interns at the Georgetowner with me) and I wrote an article about one of its new exhibits, "Our World at War: Photojournalism Beyond the Front Lines." Let me know what you think!
    
11. Most importantly, aside from learning about journalism, I have learned about myself. I have learned that it's ok to want what I want and to go for it! I learned that if I try I may actually just might get it. I finally believe that now. I think I just needed to get a way from all the distractions and out of my comfort zone to realize it. DC has helped me to see that.
    

I have learned much more than 11 things since I have been here, but these are the only ones I can think of right now and the best ones I wanted to share!

I Know Enough About DC To Be a "Tour Guide?"

This past weekend two ladies that I know from Mexico came to visit D.C. It was the start to their two week long vacation in Pennsylvania. My mom and younger sister drove down from PA to pick them up and bring them to spend the weekend with me at my aunt and uncle’s house. One of the women visited D.C. a long time ago and the other has never been here. Neither had my sister. Even though I haven’t been living in the D.C. area for long, it was up to me to figure out what to do with everyone and where we should go. It was a different place than I have been used to being these last couple of weeks. Everyone else has been giving me tours and teaching me how to get around. This weekend was my turn to show off what I had learned.I started the day by showing them how to use the metro system. Then I had to direct everyone to which station we needed to get off. I decided we should get off at the Smithsonian so we could be in the middle of the monuments and Smithsonian museums. This turned out to be a smart choice. We spent the afternoon in the Smithsonian Castle and Museum of Natural History. Then, we headed back outside to walk down the mall to Abraham Lincoln and his memorial. My friends and family enjoyed the walk and got some fun pictures at the different monuments. It was an exciting weekend for me. As corny as it sounds, I was proud to be considered knowledgeable enough to lead a group of people around downtown!

Hard, ain't it hard

Let's face it, everyone: journalism is stressful. For my job back on the student paper in Austin, Texas, I dealt with serious questions about campus news. I usually wasn't out of work earlier than 2 or 3 in the morning. I didn't get paid very much, and most of the students didn't read what we put out. But if we got anything wrong, the school administration and our professors would come down on us like a ton of bricks.

There are a lot of really sad and depressing news stories out there in the world, and we journalists have to deal with them every day. On top of all that, the job market for us journalists-in-training isn't very forgiving right now, and the few jobs that are available barely pay enough to get by. Sometimes, the stress is almost too much.

Luckily for us, there's cuteoverload.com. When being serious and respected takes it's toll, you can turn here for a little bit of lighthearted stress relief. I know I do.

Excitement! ... of the wrong sort

I have been here in D.C. for just over a week, and it has been all sorts of exciting, wonderful, etc. I am interning at Washington Monthly magazine, which has been great: The work isn’t too hard or too boring (they DON’T have me getting coffee), the people have been welcoming and they gave me my own office, right across the hall from the editor-in-chief’s.

It has been going great … until a few days ago.

Paul Glastris, the editor-in-chief, ducked in Monday afternoon to tell me that someone from the office next door to us has come down with what may be swine flu.

Apparently, one can carry it for about a week before experiencing any symptoms, and it can linger on surfaces

(for example, in the bathroom I just used) for several days. The elevator operators are being tested. A man with a surgical mask just disinfected my doorknob, and I have decided to limit myself to one bathroom stall. Really, though, by continuing to come to work, I might as well be doing this.

Who knows? By the time you read this, I might already be infected.

Live From 510

This is our first session of Welcome to the Blogosphere! take a look at our website to learn more about our program... I know you want to come to DC!