White House or Bust!

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.

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

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.

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.

Meeting my cousin's baby girl

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: A Rollercoaster Ride

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. Until next time…

.e

Beyond words

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 over 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 head first. 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 way. 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 Virginia, 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 one 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 internship placement I received.

Speaking of placement (thank you, ‘Mr. Segue’), 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'm involved 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's not what you know, but rather who. Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to utilize my time in Washington to put a ‘back-up’ plan into place in case coaching is not meant to be my path. 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 offer 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 and I will have that opportunity. I suppose it's 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 ‘culture shocking,' transition from 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. In addition, you will find your friends and family will also be instrumental to your plans.

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

View of the Capitol Dome down Pennsylvania Avenue

Just a few blocks from The Washington Center's headquarters

Typical row house in the Dupont Circle area

The Washington Center's building