CU in DC @cuindc-blog - Tumblr Blog

Adventures of a Foodie: The Last Adventure

My last week in DC, my heart (and stomach!) began to sink; I can't quite say I'm ready to leave. In an attempt to lift my spirits, I went out to do what I do best.. EAT! For my last foodie adventure I wanted something special, something that epitomized DC food culture, so clearly I went to brunch. Brunch in DC is HUGE. Growing up, brunch always referred to the time of the day when you really should eat lunch, but you eat breakfast food anyway. Which I always loved because, well I love breakfast food! But out in DC brunch takes on a special meaning. Only available on weekends during specific hours (typically around 11am - 2:30 or 2pm) restaurants craft special brunch menus full of delicious breakfasty goodness! Naturally, I hoped on "bitcheswhobrunch.com", the premiere website for brunch reviews, and picked Belga Cafe for its great review and location near Eastern Market (an area I had yet to visit in DC). Now let me precursor this by saying the price range of Belga Cafe suggest this brunch hot spot be saved for a weekend when visiting parents or family will be footing the bill. My dish, while every bit worth it, cost me a whopping $20; a bit excessive for a such a simple order. But I digress. Belga Cafe has a wonderful location with a lovely outdoor seating on the patio out front and the tables on the roof deck. Due to the heat, my friends and I took a table inside and I ordered a Belgium waffle with mixed fruit and a side of scrambled eggs (yeah.. THAT was $20...). Oh my YUM it was good! The eggs were scrambled with a lovely array of herbs and spices which added a rich and delicious flavor. The waffle was airy but thick and the pure maple syrup and thick whipped cream gave it the sweetness I constantly crave. Additionally, I was very pleased to see a decent variety in the mixed fruit (a lot of places stick with just cantaloupe and honeydew because its cheap, but thats boring) and gobbled up what was left on my plate. It was a wonderful brunch to close a summers long adventure of great food!

Until next time, stay hungry folks.

#Jessie Z

Embracing the Free things in life.

So we are in our last week here in D.C. I can’t believe how fast it went. This place sure does occupy your time and keep you busy enough to make the summer fly by. There still is a lot of stuff I want to do before the week comes to an end, but since this place is so expensive my funds have ran short and I can only accomplish the free things D.C. has to offer. I plan to take full advantage of the last week here getting as much pool time as possible as well as just walking the streets taking in the sights, all free of course. I still haven’t visited all the museums yet at the national mall, so most of my time will be there seeing as much as I can this weekend. Honestly I can just walk around D.C. and just view the architecture to see the beauty in this place. Thus revealing this beautiful palace of a place right by the white house!

#Ashley M.

Wrapping Up

As my time in DC is coming to a close, I am trying to take advantage of every networking opportunity that is available.

Yesterday, I took time out of my day to reconnect with my boss, Jeff, from my internship with Congressman Perlmutter last summer. I loved meeting everybody that works in the Congressman’s D.C. office and finally being able to put faces to the names. Jeff gave me an impromptu tour of the capitol and I loved every second of it. Although he doesn’t know a lot of the stories that typically go along with the tour, it was still great to be in a place with so much history. Something he did point out to me though, was how small the House Floor actually is. It looks so much bigger on TV, but even being able to stand in there for just a few minutes was incredible.

After my quick tour (all of the buildings are interconnected underground) we headed back toward the main cafeteria area, and to my surprise there was a Starbucks. We chatted over coffee and I told him about my internship with a PR firm this summer and also about my aspirations to work on the hill after I after I graduate. It was reassuring to hear that I am way ahead of the game in terms of the experience I have. We also discussed the main differences between the D.C. office (more focused on legislation) vs. the district office (more focused on constituent services and how we are able to help them). Although I don’t have Congressional office experience in D.C., he left the offer open for me to intern in their office next summer. I am so excited at the prospect of being able to come back to D.C. in order to pursue my dream.

#Sara W.

Home Stretch

Heading into the final stretch here in Washington, I'm beginning to wonder where the last eight weeks have gone. It's hard to believe it was almost two full months ago that I came out here, but I guess it just means that time does indeed fly when you're having fun! From meeting a ton of cool people (both other students and super-impressive professionals), to visiting all the amazing historical sites around the city, my time in Washington has been extremely rewarding and educational. Just this past week I got to brief a 2-star General in the Air Force at my internship, and afterwards it hit me that these kinds of goosebump-inducing experiences will soon be coming to a close. Hopefully that won't be a permanent close, but nevertheless, I will miss Washington. I am super excited to be going home, though, and I am certainly planning to make the most of these last two weeks. This weekend, since it will be my last, I will try to go check out the National Archives, the Space Shuttle over by Dulles Airport, and the Natural History Museum. I had a fairly uneventful couple days this past weekend, so unfortunately, I don’t have any new pictures to post, but the one below is just a picture I took a couple weeks ago as I was leaving work on a DoD shuttle. It’s the presidential helicopter, aka Marine One, at its home on Bolling Air Force Base.

#Ryan S.

Jamie Smith

Here are some of the pieces of advice I remembered from Deputy Press Secretary Jamie Smith:

1. No one will ever remember what you said. They will only remember how you made them feel.

2. People working here have a sense of humor, and that's not a coincidence. You need it to survive this kind of job.

3. If you can come to work here [at the White House, etc] without feeling a shiver at working here, you should get out, and let someone else take your job who really wants it.

Of course, the first quote is especially relevant, since she basically used that strategy to con us into being content with her non-answers to our specific questions. Yep, she definitely earned her position as press secretary. I realized that I just don't have the smooth-talking skills needed for that kind of job. I guess I've always been a behind-the-scenes person. Being an introvert on top of that makes me think that DC isn't really a good fit for me, at least not in the long term. I couldn't imagine working days that long only to come home and not be able to see your family. It seems like practically everyone here is married to their work. As much as I might love my future job, I can't see me ever being like that. I guess DC is full of overworked, underpaid, sleep deprived 20-somethings with no time for a social life. No wonder they drink so much! (http://www.washingtonian.com/blogs/wellbeing/health/dc-has-one-of-the-countrys-highest-binge-drinking-rates.php)

#Caroline H

Random Acts of Kindness

Have any of you ever gone out of your way to do something nice for someone you didn’t know? Even at no benefit to yourself? Well, I recently had such an experience that gave me confidence in such altruistic action. Thanks to a Latino man on the Metro this last week, my hope has been restored in our ever criticized humanity. We are constantly told that people are selfish, only looking out for their own interests. In a sometimes heartless and ruthless city, such as D.C., where people are endlessly trying to outdo those around them, it is hard to question such a claim. I beg to differ; let me tell you why. It began as any normal day would. It was cloudy and slightly humid (already sweating walking to the Van Ness Metro) when I grabbed my Daily Examiner and headed down the escalator to wait for the next train to Union Station. I dibbled, I dabbled, I dibbly-dabbled on my iPhone pretending to do something of importance while I facestalked friends I hadn’t seen or talked to in awhile. With some kind of delay on the red line, I waited impatiently and began searching my bag for gum. Finally, the next metro car arrived. I headed to the closest open door when I heard it. Someone was violently tapping on the window. I didn’t understand until he kept pointing. I looked back and there lay my white IPhone on the metro bench only a few feet away. I quickly ran back and grabbed the phone which I have only had for 2 months now. Thank you Sweet Jesus; this man literally just made my entire day. So in this often times harsh world, lend out a kind hand, it might just make your day. “We think too much and feel too little. More than machinery, we need humanity. More than cleverness, we need kindness and gentleness”—Charlie Chaplin

#Quinn G

Ending the time here

Week 9 recap

My friend Isaac got to have lunch with Ken Salazar. He said Ken worked as an intern before coming into Colorado politics. This gave me hope that being an intern can help more than most people think. While walking into the office today, I talked to a Legislative Correspondent, who guessed that over 60% of the people in the office had worked as interns before coming into ther own as employees of the Senate. Sometimes it is easy to feel lost in the crowd here and think you are just a number. But if you have a good work ethic and are passionate about what you do, you will succeed. More than anything you need a will to continue, you have to live, breathe and be invested in your issue. That is the way it seems like most people make it in Washington. Because if you are not, then you are not going to make it, I have really enjoyed my time here and am hoping that when the time comes I will take my opportunity to excel at whatever career I choose.

#Eric C.

Congress Man!

A Slower, More Somber Week

After seven weeks here in D.C., I finally had a slower, less hectic week, which allowed me to relax a bit. Unfortunately, however, the shooting in Aurora quickly shattered any sense of calm that existed at the start of last weekend. As exciting as it should have been to visit the West Wing of the White House a second time last Friday, that day was of course very somber and stressful, and a terrible way to end last week. The movie theater is located just 20 minutes from my home in Denver, and while I have only gone there once or twice and usually go to other theaters, the fact that such a tragic, violent incident occurred so close to home, and with so many people I know from high school who were either there or very closely connected to those who were, was a terrifying reality. In a state that has already dealt with such tragedies as the Columbine shooting, this incident is unfortunately too familiar. At least in Colorado, I truly hope, maybe a bit naively, that this event will help awaken the public to the need for better gun control. Whether that means enacting new laws or improving existing laws and enforcement is the answer, I don't know, but what I will say is that there is absolutely no reason why common sense, centrist approaches, like stricter background checks and limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines that have no legitimate sporting purpose, can't prevail over petty partisan politics, especially in a moderate state like Colorado. I know it is inevitably futile to say I hope to never see another incident like the Aurora shooting occur again, but at some point, I hope it becomes less and less naive to at least hope that the prevailing passive attitude toward trying to prevent such heinous acts will evolve into more fervent, collaborative efforts to keep our public safe moving forward.

For the sake of not adding to the media clutter of images regarding the Aurora shooting, the picture below is one of the Capitol from the Pennsylvania Avenue Terrace of the Newseum, which I very much enjoyed this past Tuesday:

#Ryan S.

The White House

This past Friday was the craziest/busiest/coolest day I have had. My work week was extremely busy and I had not anticipated that at all. It was a good feeling that I was given the responsibility to work on multiple projects, especially for clients that I have not worked with in the past. On top of the weekly media monitor I produce for the advocacy wing of a pharmaceutical company we work with, I created a media list for a client that will be implemented, and also assisted with a media analysis for a government account. Although it was stressful at times thinking that I might not finish all of my work before I had to leave, it was an oddly energizing feeling trying to do my best under pressure.

Leaving work early on Friday to go to the White House had to be the highlight of my week and possibly the highlight of my summer. Although we had to wait in the Roosevelt Room (adjacent to the Oval Office) to speak with the Deputy Press Secretary, it was totally worth it. Being in the West Wing was amazing, knowing that I was so close to where it all happens. I loved hearing about how she got to this point in her career and knowing that she started off in a similar situation (not having a clear cut idea of what to do with her life) was very reassuring. One thing about her that was very impressive is that she wove an amazing story for us while telling us very little about what her actual day-to-day job entails. I loved the advice that she gave us at the end – if we are interested in being in the business of politics, get on a campaign and network. This piece of advice is so valuable to me and it was so reaffirming to hear this from her, especially after many other people I have talked to told me the same thing.

I am so happy everything is coming full circle and that we had this amazing opportunity.

#Sara W.

My trip to the Newseum.

So yesterday I went to the Newseum with Vicki and the CU gang. It was such a creative way to show how the news can tell a part of the history with journalism, and photography. It created a different spin on how major events are taken in by the public and the forms that it comes in. The Newseum had newspapers as old as the 18th century and as fresh as yesterday’s newspapers. It was such a cool museum I am so glad I was able to go before leaving.

The view from the balcony of the Newsuem was amazing! It looked over Pennsylvania Avenue; the balcony also had a brief history about the major events that occurred on the avenue, a great touch. I would have to say my favorite part of the museum was the campaign section that revealed how the candidates use the papers and television to get the vote. There is so much to take in at that museum I was there till closing and I still felt there was so much I missed.

The coolest part was the section of the Berlin Wall that they had, it was a total shock to literally see a part of the wall just chillin in the museum. The art on the wall was pretty epic the vibrant colors were what caught my eye. It was like the colors substituted for the harsh gray reality of why the wall was really there. All in all the Newseum was an awesome experience and I can totally cross it off of my D.C. bucket list.

Berlin Wall

#Ashley M.

Crazy how its already week 7

Week 7 recap.

This weekend I saw the new batman movie. We saw it in Chinatown. I was very impressed with the film and all that went into the production of it. However it begs the question of how related the shooting in Aurora were to the film. I can’t understand James’ reasoning for it, but seeing films like this could begin to help understand his reality and reason for doing it. Right now the Denver Post is reporting sky high gun sales due to this incidence. Many Americans feel that they want to protect themselves by carrying a weapon. This is terrifying. Although I can’t say “no” to people buying guns right now, I can urge them to be mindful that the more weapons we have in our country the more possibility they have of being used. While the NRA released a statement saying that a finger still has to pull the trigger, it is unfortunate that it came this far. People now feel the need to carry firearms to their local cinema to feel safe. We can’t begin to start healing the hurt that people felt from the Aurora shooting without addressing the fundamental dilemmas of our society. We have a world that can easily dismiss people for gone if they aren’t participating actively in society. The case of James Holmes isn’t different he needed help. There needs to be less disconnect between people, less separation and someone to talk to could have helped James, but maybe he was just lost and couldn’t seek help. Whatever the case, we should all try to talk to those people we find who we think we should help, but always walk past.

#Eric C.

Passion in the summer air.

No one really knows where they will end up in life, it’s pretty much unpredictable. A person can have their whole lives planned out and one little thing can change everything. It’s crazy to think no matter how much preparation you do for your future it’s not guaranteed, this is all obvious to everyone but it really didn’t hit me until I came here to D.C.

Recently I met a woman that has been living a life of protest. Her name is Concepcion Picciotto she has been protesting at Lafayette Park, right across from the white house for over thirty-one years. She is protesting against nuclear war and genocides. She Lives in a tent even in the cold winters, and harsh summers every year, still holding dear to her beliefs. What was unbelievable to me was that she never planned this out she came here from Europe trying to make a living for herself working as a secretary for the Spanish consult. Mrs. Picciotto even started a family and lived the American dream for a while, but then one little thing changed and triggered everything. She lost her family to a divorce and fought seven years for custody for her estranged daughter. Her fight for custody lead her to Washington, it began with her fighting for her rights to be a part of her child’s life into fighting for mankind’s right to live without the fear of nuclear war or mass genocides.

I was able to talk to her for a brief moment and the first thing she got into was why she is protesting and why the issue is so important. With her thick accent she shared her beliefs and filled the hot summer air with hope and passion. Mrs. Piciotto fights by standing her ground no matter the weather or even the threats to her livelihood. The Signs stagger at her side broadcasting her message, well her tent stands its ground symbolizing that she is there to stay till she is heard. A true advocate dedicating her life to her beliefs, an inspiring existence I must say.

#Ashley M.

July 20

I think I speak for most, if not all of the CU in DC students when I say that we had a tough last week after waking up on Friday to the horrific news about the Aurora shooting. Even those of us who were not directly affected were deeply hurt and sickened to hear about such a heartless act of violence committed so close to home.

It has been a difficult summer for Colorado—first with the wildfires, and now with the theater shooting. It’s strange to be so far away. I talked to some of the other students, and a number of us have felt disconnected and uncomfortable when trying to sort through our feelings. It is difficult working in an office with students and staff members who have no connection to Colorado. After briefly talking about the breaking news when first coming into work and expressing their concerns, they went on with their days, while I spent most of mine staring at my Twitter feed and checking Facebook to check on friends and monitor what was happening.

The evening after the shooting was more heartening. At our scheduled West Wing tour—which, by a stroke of luck, was in the Roosevelt Room—we met with the Deputy Press Secretary, Jamie Smith. In addition to answering our questions, Ms. Smith explained to us how the news of the shooting rocked the White House staff and completely altered the course of their day. She briefly explained how they were addressing it and expressed her condolences. Her sincere sympathy and the knowledge that the shooting had also consumed President Obama’s staff helped reduce some of the detached helplessness I had been feeling all day.

The U.S. flag was at half-mast on top of the White House.

#Morgan F.

Adventures of a Foodie: A Week of Comparisons

Coming to the sad realization that my time left in DC is limited, I was inspired to find the best of the best in DC; which brings us to a week of comparisons from cupcakes, to pho and finally to crepes.

Let’s start with the cupcakes. With my sweet tooth aching, I looked over the list of cupcake shops in Georgetown. Sprinkles is a popular spot in Chicago (my hometown) so I crossed that off the list. Additionally, I crossed off Georgetown Cupcakes because I heard their cupcakes are characteristically dry... ew. That left me with Baked & Wired. The storefront had an artistic lounge vibe that I liked, complete with an entire wall of napkin doodles (I for one am a huge fan of doodling on napkins). The cupcakes and other baked goods were all displayed at the front counter which only prolonged my already lengthy decision making process. They all looked BOMB. I ended up choosing the dirty chai cupcake and absolutely loved the mix of sweet and spice!

Now, in my previous post about Pho 14 I was pretty disappointed. Determined to find a pho restaurant to satisfy my cravings I went to Pho 75 in Arlington, VA (I know it’s not technically DC but it’s on my way home from work so I’m counting it). In comparison to Pho 14, the restaurant interior was bland and barren (what I'm used to in Pho restaurants), aside from an entire wall boasting “Best of...” awards in multiple categories each year dating back at least a decade. And boy those awards weren’t kidding. The service was unbelievably fast (literally a minute after I ordered they walked out with my meal) and the pho was pho-nomenal (get it?! =P) Nothing extra was in the pho chay to take away from the rich flavors of the broth, and it was also far less expensive than Pho 14. If you’re looking for a good Vietnamese restaurant, Pho 75 is the place!

And finally, crepes. Growing up one of the first recipes I learned to make entirely from scratch was crepes. I used to love waking up early on Saturdays and putting together delicious strawberry nutella crepe after delicious strawberry nutella crepe. Thinking back to my stop at the crepe shop in Chelsea Market last week, I began to crave the sweet taste of nutella again and looked through Scout Mob for any deals. Side note here -- the app “Scout Mob” is an absolute necessity in DC and gets you all the best deals on yummy food (my primary use), shopping and activities in the DC metro area. Okay back to the story -- DC Scoop Café came up and so I hoped on the metro over to U Street for a taste. The presentation was surprisingly nice and I appreciated the extra nutella on top! The crepe was warm, sweet and had a perfect combination of fruit to chocolate (although with my sweet tooth it could be all chocolate and I’d still have been a happy camper!). If you’re in the area or craving delicious crepes, they have a wide selection from savory to sweet that I highly recommend!

#Jessie Z

City 6

During my stay in DC, I have enjoyed the lush greenery here. This morning like a number of mornings before, I went on a run through the Rock Creek Park trails system. At 6:15 am and before anyone else is up, it is ideal to be amongst the massive trees and lush vegetation here. Born and raised in Colorado, this world of deciduous trees and greenery is a very new thing to me. Often times, I run through the Flatirons, where it is a semi-arid desert and green plants can be hard to spot. Here though, I feel like I am in the 100 acre woods. Dashing across the streams throughout the park makes the morning feel as though the importance of life lies in these woods. There are always one hundred and one things to do at the internship once I arrive, however out here in the mornings the world is free and humans are few. Coming to the Senate building after the jaunt in the park provides a drop back into the politics of reality. Here in the halls of the Senate is where we appropriate money to the department of the interior to continue the preservation and conservation of our parks. I understand the importance of the protection of resources. However the idea that men in suits and ties are working everyday to defend or destroy our public lands based upon the voices of their constituents seems absurd. In Rock Creek Park; suits and limousines here are foreign. The will of the park seems is decided by the changes weather not a far distant bureaucracy. I am excited and overwhelmed for the day when I will have the opportunity to participate in the discussion about the preservation of our public lands.

#Eric C.- Keepin it real

A Patriotic Weekend

This weekend I was reminded why I have so much love for this city. It started on Friday night. My Mom came to visit and my main goal was to show her my version of DC. One of my favorite places in this city is the White House. I have been to both the Jefferson and Lincoln memorials at night, but never the White House. It was illuminated by a bright light while the rest of the grounds remained dark. It had such a majestic quality to it and made the mystery of what goes on inside even bigger. I thought this was going to be the best part of my night, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. As we were walking over to the side where the ellipse is, all of the sudden a helicopter appeared and landed on the grounds of the White House. Was it the President? I’ll probably never know, but for now I am going to tell myself that it was.

Saturday afternoon we visited the National Archives which is home to one of four copies of the Magna Carta, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. What an amazing building on both a physical and intellectual level. I am a huge history buff and love American politics. Visiting the Archives reaffirmed why I am here. Politics excite me and to see the documents that are the foundation of this country was a great reminder of why I am so interested in our nation’s governing bodies. On a less serious note, I was like a kid in a candy store when we walked in and saw the Magna Carta, exclaiming “this is SO cool!!” and it just kept getting better as we walked through the Rotunda that houses the Charters of Freedom and saw the rest of the documents that were on display.

Everything really came full circle for me when we visited the Newseum (a museum dedicated entirely to the news) and the first amendment. It reinforced the themes of the documents at the National Archives and was a great reminder of all of the freedoms we have that others are not entitled to.

I am so lucky to be able to spend my summer in a place that speaks to me on so many different levels. I am learning to love the people, different neighborhoods, and especially the food culture that is here; but I am also reminded (at least once a week) of what my career goals are (in the near future working for a Congressman or Senator on the Hill) and that I am able to turn my passion into my job.

#Sara W.

Trending Blogs

Recently Viewed Blogs

CU in DC