D.C United Game with the Class

Our class got together after our internships for to the D.C. United Game. We met at a classmate’s WISH housing and left as a group from there. When we got there was a huge crowd. Every one was excited for the game to begin. Once we bought our D.C. United apparel from the stadium store, we were ready for the game to begin!

We sat close to the field which was about three rows up from the bottom. Our view was amazing! It was in a fan cheering section so everyone was screaming cheers and pounding on drums. Every one was really excited for the game because the New York team is one of their rivals. The crowd did not stop cheering!

It was an exciting game. You could feel the tension in the stadium as the New York team pulled ahead. Unfortunately, D.C. United ended up losing the game. The score was 3-0. Even though we lost, every one was still in good spirits. Our class was glad to have the opportunity to spend time with each other, especially since there are few opportunities left to do so. We have grown so close to each other. We keep talking about how weird it will be to leave D.C. and to not see many of these people again for a long time. We are all going to miss each other’s company. We spent every day, all day, together for class and seminar. To think this all stops on Monday is depressing. I am sure many of us will keep in touch, and hopefully we can plan a class trip back to D.C. Many of us will probably move here in the future so maybe we will meet up then too!

Lunch with my Attorneys

Because the last two days of my internship are this week, my attorneys wanted to take me to lunch to thank me for my work over the past few months. I thought this was considerate of them. I could not wait for lunch because it would mean a few hours away from my desk!

Two of my attorneys Stefanie and Michael were able to come but the third could not because she is out of town for the week. But, another attorney I did work for was excited to join us! She has also been kind to me so I was glad she came. They brought me to a great upscale Mexican restaurant called Rosa Mexicano. We walk by it in China Town all the time. I was so excited because I heard they had great food.

The food here was fabulous. They have guacamole they make right in front of the table. It was so interesting to watch them make it to see what ingredients they use and how they do it. After lunch, they even took me out for frozen-yogurt! As you could imagine, I was quite full by the time we arrived back at the office.

Overall, I really enjoyed having lunch with my supervisors. They are great people who I have been fortunate to work under. They have taught me much about the mission of CFSA and what it takes to be an attorney. They have guided me with constructive criticism and respect. I am fortunate that I had patient and understanding bosses to work under. This experience would have been much different I did not enjoy my work environment. I highly recommend any future student seeking an internship in the law field to consider a position with the Office of the Attorney General and if interested in child neglect and abuse, CFSA. What a great opportunity I have had! I will always remember my first internship and the experience I have gained from it.

Trip to the Zoo/ Tenley BBQ

Yesterday, our class decided to do another outing together. We went to the National Zoo! At first it was a little disappointing because many of the animals were not out. The Zoo’s main attraction, which are the panda bears, were out but you could not see them because they were sleeping. But, we still got to see other animals that were really interesting. We saw elephants, tigers, monkeys, gorillas, and lions. The lions were probably my favorite because the father, mother, and all the babies were out laying in the sun together. As we were watching them, one of the babies kept nudging and playing with his mom. Eventually the other cubs joined in. It was cute watching them all play together. I have never been to a zoo this large, so it was a new experience for me. I never knew there could be so many animals to see that it would take three hours to go through it. It was a great time!

When we left the Zoo, we were excited to see a Frozen Yo shop right near the entrance. For many of us, this is our favorite treat in D.C. It is the best place to get frozen yogurt because you can pick your own flavor of yogurt and add as many toppings as you like. It’s delicious! Our class was definitely glad to stop there before our walk back.

The fun didn’t stop after the frozen yogurt though! When we got back to Tenley Campus there was a BBQ and many activities. There were two bouncies set up for us to play in. One was obstacle course bouncie and the other was a boxing match. Our class decided to split into teams to see who could win the obstacle course. Unfortunately my team did not win, but it was so much fun! By far the most fun bouncie I’ve been on. It was a great way to end the afternoon. I think everyone in our class had a great day and were happy to enjoy the beautiful weather together!

Nationals Baseball Game!

Our class decided to go to a Nationals baseball game together. We met at Union Station then went over to a classmate’s WISH house before the game. We stayed there for a few hours to get ready, and then we headed out!

It was very easy to get to the stadium and did not take long at all. The Nationals played the Phillies, so we were hoping it would be a close game. It was even more exciting for some of our classmates because they are serious Phillies fans. Surprisingly, many of the people in attendance were Phillies fans.

When we got there, we had to get a hot dog. You don’t get the full experience of a baseball game unless you try a stadium hot dog. It definitely did not disappoint! When we got to our seats we realized they were great as well. We all got to sit together and had a great view of the players. Unfortunately, the Nationals did not play too well and ended up losing to the Phillies. The score was 4-0. Even though they lost, it was definitely worth going to. The tickers were cheap and we had a great time going. It was a great opportunity to bond as a class. If we have more time before we have to leave, I would love going to another game. We have many class outings planned, so it should be an exciting last few weeks!

Secretary of Transportation- Ray LaHood

We had another great week of speakers! This week we had the honor of meeting the Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood. He was a great speaker that dedicated a significant amount of time out of his schedule to talk to us. He spent forty-five minutes answering our questions. Yes, I know forty five minutes does not seem like a lot of time, but for a person of his importance, it is rare to have this amount of time to spare.

Ray LaHood walked in with a group of people, introduced himself, and then asked what questions we had. He was concerned with our interests rather than lecturing us on issues that we may not be as concerned with. This was a great opportunity for everyone to ask a question. Our whole class was able to ask him questions, and some asked more than one!

Many of the questions asked were about the Department of Transportation’s mission and what projects they were working on. He spoke about the distracted drivers project, that is working to eliminate accidents due to distractions while driving. The use of cell phones is a big concern of the Department of Transportation. Recently, they have been conducting experiments in certain cities where police officers sit on corners and catch drivers on their phones. They heavily ticketed people for about a week, and as a result people stopped using their phones while driving. They believe laws that limit phone use can be successful if they are heavily enforced. This was also proven with the Click-it-or-Ticket program that was implements years ago. As a result of heavy enforcement, most people use their seat belts.

Another topic he spoke about was building high speed rails in the United States. This was very interesting because the plan is to have high speed rail available to eighty percent of the population. This project will cost billions of dollars and will take many years. I am curious how this will be funded considering many projects are losing funding because of budget cuts and the country’s debt. It will be interesting to see if the Department of Transportation’s plans are successful.

Cherry Blossom Parade

This weekend was a great weekend to explore more of D.C. On Friday, some friends from class and I went to a seafood restaurant at The Fishermen’s Warf. This restaurant was so nice. It was on the water overlooking the river and the docked boats. It would have been a great place to go if it was warmer because they had a deck where we could have sat to enjoy the view. There are many restaurants that overlook the river throughout the city. Before I have to leave, I will hopefully be able to go to one and enjoy the beautiful scenery and the warm weather.

Today was the annual Cherry Blossom Parade near The Mall. My friends and I were so excited to go watch it because we heard how great it is every year. This festival draws in over a million tourists every spring, so we knew the parade had to be extravagant. When we got there, the crowds were lining the streets. It was difficult to find an open spot on the side of the road, but luckily we squeezed ourselves in to get a good view.

I never really attend parades except for local smaller parades such as the one for St. Patrick’s Day. So, it was interesting to get the opportunity to see such a popular parade that draws tourists from all over the country. The parade included the winners of the Cherry Blossom Festival Pageant, Miss Rodeo, a former American Idol finalist, and many people from local institutions. Some of my favorite marchers were the unicyclists. I would never have the coordination that they do to ride a unicycle. I give them much credit for riding throughout the entire parade. Another group of marchers that I liked were the Japanese dancers and drummers. It was nice to get the Japanese cultural experience that is associated with the Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. They wore ornate clothing and played interesting cultural music. It was a cultural learning experience to watch the parade and to appreciate why the festival even occurs. Hopefully next year I can take a trip to D.C. to see it again!

Last Few Weeks for the Research Paper

Because the semester is coming to an end, it means that the research paper will be due soon. For many of us, this is a scary thought! We have worked so hard all semester to ensure that we do a good job on it. Right now, I am working on the analysis and conclusion aspect of my paper. This part has been very difficult and I am nervous that I will not write it thorough enough.

The analysis and conclusion are so difficult because you have to rely on the interviews you have conducted with people knowledgeable on the subject area. Once you connect with these people and they are willing to speak with you, it is not too difficult to interview them and get the necessary information for the analysis. But, it is the contacting part of the interview that is hard to achieve. Many of these people have busy work schedules that often conflict with our schedules for the Washington Semester Program seminars and our internships. The seminars and my internship consume much of my day from the early morning to sometimes 5:00pm. Therefore, it is difficult to set these meeting times. Even if we do have spare moments in our schedules, some of these people are unwilling to speak to us. I have noticed this with my topic because it includes information that is considered confidential for many police departments. Many are hesitant to discuss reforms they have implemented and how they feel about the system.

I spoke to a teacher here at American University who was very helpful and provided me with relevant information on my topic. He has written a book on the subject I am studying, so it was helpful that he had done much research himself. It was even more beneficial because he provided me with additional sources to read to learn more. This part of the analysis should be a solid inclusion to my paper. This weekend I will spend most of my time writing the paper, so I hope the weather is not too nice where I feel like I am missing out on a great adventure throughout D.C.!