Week 2

Week two in D.C. was a much of a whirlwind as week one. Class continues to only get more interesting and each speaker ends of being as amazing as the last one. Listening to the speakers talk about their professions with clarity and openness has given me more insight into their respected fields and industry. Meeting Bill Clinton’s Press Secretary was one of the most interesting discussions from this past week. It was highly interesting and entertaining to hear the side of Mike’s story with President Clinton. I have a higher respect for Mike after listening to his side of the story rather than the media’s portrayal of the scandal.

This week I have also hit the ground running with my research at the Library of Congress. I am amazed at how much history housed within the walls of these buildings. Looking through Herbert Putnam’s papers has been nothing short from extraordinary. From reading his personal letters between him and Teddy Roosevelt to holding blueprints of the hill in my hand, I am constantly in awe at how much history we have access to, yet we don’t take advantage of it. Meghan and I had a brief conversation about the collection from the current and next generations. It has challenged me to think about how much bullshit is important as a society to preserve. Society, in my opinion, no longer values the correspondence between the Librarian of Congress and other librarians across the states, but rather values the uproar a simple tweet creates. I am curious to see within the next decade or two how different preservation of correspondence will be as new technology and platforms begin to unfold.

I don’t want to harp on negatives too much within my blog, so I will tell you a funny story. Prior to our meeting with Senator Cassidy, Meagan and I were being super productive at the Library of Congress. We both finally felt that we knew what we were going to focus on within our papers. Our meeting with Senator Cassidy wasn’t until 4 p.m., so we knew we had plenty of time to get research in before then. 3 o’clock rolls around, and we decide to start wrapping things up so we can go change and get ready for the meeting. We both wanted to make a good first impression and show up early, looking our best. We change and begin to head over to the Hart building. We make it halfway there, just before the Supreme Court building, and the bottom falls out and we are soaked within a matter of seconds. We begin running towards the Hart building and the weather only got worse. We said the hell with waiting for the pedestrian crosswalk light and managed to not be hit by a cab or two on the way over. Needless to say, my goal of the day was not to meet my first Senator as a wet dog. Long story short, even an umbrella won’t save you from a torrential down pour on the hill.

Until next week, 

~Brit

Week 1

Week one in D.C. has been everything I expected and much more. From day one of class, I am blown away with the speakers we have coming to talk to us. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity to meet prestigious people within the communication field who are making a difference. It has been interesting to learn about where they have come from to get to where they are and take into account their advice from within their field. I find it fascinating to hear how each speaker is combatting this new administration within their respected fields.

My favorite speaker of the week was Dane Strother from Strother Strategies. Target advertising is something I would love to do after I graduate. He disclosed some interesting information that most people are unaware of with different strategies and tactics that I really appreciated. After hearing about how he uses sticky IPs and guerilla targeting, I concluded that in a sense it is fake news. Dane is deliberately misleading people within his geo-fence to see things a certain way. I think this would be a very interesting topic to research and I am considering doing this for my final paper in the class.  

The fieldtrips this week I thoroughly enjoyed as well. I liked going to the Newseum and admiring the different front pages of newspapers. It was by far my favorite exhibit from the museum. Prior to the Library of Congress tour as a class, I went to get my reader card and explore the library. I was taken aback with how beautiful the Jefferson reading room is and being able to see and touch the books I will be using to write my research paper. I have always been someone who loves libraries and appreciates books, but after being in the heart of the library, I have a new found respect for them. The tour of the library was also interesting because I learned about the construction and the artists that created one of the most beautiful buildings in America.

Of course, I have partaken in touristy activities and visited the national monuments, explored a few streets in Georgetown and attended my first congressional baseball game. The Lincoln Memorial was one of my favorite monuments because I have always seen it in movies, but actually seeing the architecture and the size of it was overwhelming in the best way. Exploring Georgetown was nice because it reminded me a little of home being on M Street and seeing all the shops. Every store we went into, everyone was very friendly and very open to offering advice on the best places to go and explore. As for the congressional baseball game, I have to admit I was a nervous wreck going to that, but I am so happy I did. Going to that baseball game felt like it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and it felt like a little piece of home seeing everyone in LSU gear. Being reminded of home made me feel better about being away from it these next few weeks.

As for the upcoming weeks, I am excited to hear from the rest of the speakers and learn more about what amazing possibilities are here in Washington. I have never visited the capital before and it reminds me of the hustle and bustle of New York (which I love). Who knows, maybe after graduation I will move up here in December and try and make a name for myself within the communication field. Politics have never really been an interest to me until I came to LSU, so I am interested to see how I feel about pursuing a career in this city when the program is finished.

Until next week,

~ Brit