Friday, November 30, 2007

Week 13

Hopefully everyone had a safe and fun break! All of us in TWC are back in the city for the final stretch before the end of our semester here and we’re trying to cram as much fun and as much work as we possibly can into these next few weeks. Portfolio deadlines are coming up fast, final projects are kicking into high gear, and I pretty much can’t remember being more stressed out at the end of a semester, ever. But since The Powers That Be told us when we came here that we should consider “fun” to be part of the syllabus, I guess I need to find some way to relax.

I did get to see the coolest thing this week, though. My class went to the National Press Club (where we had seen Katie Couric) for the second time, but this week there was a panel of journalists who had covered the White House over the years. Helen Thomas of Hearst Newspapers was probably my favorite. That woman is almost 90 years old, has covered every administration since Kennedy, and is unbelievably witty and sassy. She sort of stole Dan Rather’s thunder, I thought. I really hope I can come out swinging like that when I’m 87. NBC’s David Gregory and David Sanger of the New York Times were also on the panel. There was a weird generational thing going on between the younger reporters and the older ones because journalism has changed so much. It caused enough tension to be pretty interesting and it totally fit with what our classroom discussion had been leading into, so it was amazing to be able to see it played out right in front of us with these big-shot journalists. What an opportunity.

Even though things are winding down for us interns, I’m loving how DC’s getting all decked out for the holidays. It seems like everything is all wrapped in lights and garland and ribbon. Union Station even has some massive toy trains with miniature villages set up, from what I hear. A week from Saturday, the national Christmas tree lighting will be happening to ring in the official holiday season. I didn’t get any tickets for that, but my sources tell me I can go by and see it later on once the crowds have thinned out. That’s usually how most things go around here.
I guess that’s about it for this week.

Keep the questions coming!




David Gregory and Helen Thomas in a rare moment of peace.








Lobby of the National Press Building. What can I say? We like to
know what’s going on!





Really fun performers at Metro Center. These guys are always there entertaining the masses, but this is the first time I’d seen them decked out for the holidays!

2 comments:

Amanda said...

hey! I'll be attending the Washington Center in the spring. Just wondering, are all of the classes we have to take held on one specific night of the week? or do they vary? Where do you live, do you like it? PLLLLLLEASE tell me if there are washers and dryers in each apartment? If not, yeah that would be interesting lugging all of my laundry around!! :) Thanks!!

Somethin' to Write Home About said...

Thanks for the question! Your class schedule depends on which class you take, but each one only meets one night a week, and that night shouldn’t change. If it does, you’ll get plenty of notice. I live in the Meridian at Courthouse Commons, and it’s absolutely FANTASTIC. Plenty of room, nice place, friendly staff, and right in the middle of everything. All of TWC’s housing is right near a Metro stop, so you can get anywhere you need to go. And yes, we do have a washer and dryer in our apartment, though I can’t speak for any of the others. Hope that helps, and good luck!!