The beginning of my last semester at JMU....and the job hunt begins!

Well, I have officially completed my last "first week" of college ever! It's an exciting, yet bittersweet feeling, but I know the battle of conflicting emotions will only increase as the semester progresses and brings about many more realizations of "lasts" as a JMU student. My professors have certainly wasted no time dishing out assignments; I have 6 chapters of assigned reading to complete this afternoon, along with writing a news brief, and getting started on a video project. So much for a gradual transition back into the typical college workload. That's certainly one thing I already miss about my "real world" internship experience in D.C.; when I left the office at the end of the workday, the evening was mine to enjoy (well, with the exception of several reading and reporting assignments for my NJC internship component, but those assignments were nothing compared to a semester full of coursework)! Getting re-acclimated to this concept of having massive amounts of homework is proving to be rough thus far. Then again, I've survived the same transition at the start of every semester for the past 3 years so this should be no different, however, this time there's an added component that I hadn't fully considered until a few days ago: job hunting!

Throughout the summer, I was continuously presented with this seemingly simple question: "So what are your plans for after graduation?" Not being the type of person who plans my life out in advance, I usually responded with something along the lines of "Oh, you know, I'm just gonna look for a job in TV news, or maybe something in politics if the media market still isn't doing any better by then." And so it went that I would provide this rather vague response time after time, taking relative comfort in having the padding of one more semester at JMU standing between me and the real world.

Then, last week, I had a few extra minutes to spare in between classes (but not enough to warrant starting on any homework), so I stopped by the office of someone who has become a mentor-like figure to me over the past year, with the intention of catching up on each other's summer experiences. Well, the conversation quickly turned to him asking me: "So, you're graduating in December...how many resumes have you sent out so far?" I stared back at him with what I'm sure was a comically blank expression on my face. "Well, just one so far," I replied. "But I don't graduate for several months and the jobs that are open need to be filled now; nobody is going to even consider my resume when they see that I can't start working until January!" He then started shaking his head and provided me with some insight that somehow hadn't occurred to me previously: It's better to have your resume on file now so that employers might make note of it if a position opens up when graduation time rolls around, as opposed to receiving and seeing your resume for the first time in January along with 15 others who are applying for the same job. This seemed logical (and I don't have a logical mind, hence why I probably hadn't thought of it before, lol), but despite being the typically relaxed, take-life-as-it-comes-at-me kind of person that I am, now I felt like I was already behind on this whole job hunting process.

Thus, I spent some of my spare time this weekend perusing numerous career search engines and relevant websites, looking for leads on media or political jobs. There doesn't appear to be anything out there currently, unless you have at least 3-5 years of experience, but of course, I'm going to keep looking and praying that the right job will be waiting for me when I graduate. In the meantime, I get to teach myself the art of balancing school and job hunting, without letting senioritis kick in and destroy my GPA. Ha!

Sorry for the rambling personal narrative....I'll aim to post something of actual substance soon! As always, take care and thanks for reading! :)

“From Mean To Green: Why Conservatives Should Conserve”

If you scroll down through my posts to the one about Joe Scarborough’s book promotion event at the NPC, you’ll see that I promised to share my reaction to The Last Best Hope. Well, I know it’s long overdue, but I had a pretty busy summer and now that my internship is complete and I have a few days until classes start up, I’ve had some free time to pick the book back up. Yesterday afternoon, I picked back up where I left off in chapter two, but once I finished reading that chapter and turned to the first page of chapter three I literally started jumping up and down with excitement (this is not an exaggeration, either! LOL). Joe’s clever title gave me the only details I needed to know before reading it that this would be my favorite chapter: “From Mean To Green: Why Conservatives Should Conserve.” Before I read any further, I ran to my desk and grabbed a notebook and a pen. Now, anyone who knows me very well is aware of the fact that I rarely even take notes on reading assignments for my classes, much less on a book that I’m reading for enjoyment’s sake. So, that should give you an idea of how excited I was to learn what Joe had to say about Republicans and the environment. As it turned out, I wanted to jot down nearly every sentence in the chapter and refer to it in this post (yes, it was really that good)! However, that would a) be an infringement of copyright law, and b) take entirely too much time, so I forced myself to narrow down the points/ideas that particularly resonated with me. Alas, here is my summary/review/praise for chapter 3 of The Last Best Hope.

Scarborough begins the chapter with a quote from Ronald Reagan, which begins “What is a conservative after all than one who conserves….” One thing’s for sure, there’s no better way to grab the attention of a devout conservative than by mentioning the Gipper. Great way to draw them in to the topic, Joe! Another effective approach he uses is to state up front that he has no intention of taking a stand one way or the other regarding “global warming, carbon footprints, or how human activity is altering geographic patterns.” Scarborough goes on to say that “those debates only distract from my larger point, which is that now is the time for American conservatives to go green” (99).

Joe argues that “despite the misuse of the environment to promote a radical agenda, now is the time for conservatives to claim the cause of conservation….Why? Because it is both morally right and politically smart” (101). I couldn’t agree with him more! This is exactly what I have been trying to tell my fellow Republicans, though mostly to no avail. But then again, I’m just an ambitious college student, therefore I guess they think that I don’t have enough life experience/knowledge to know what I’m talking about. However, since Joe has a pretty impressive resume, including former congressman representing the first district of Florida, it is my hope that our fellow GOPers will read his book with an open mind, consider his points, and finally come to embrace his views on conservation. Regardless of whether or not our political cohorts will actually step up and join our cause, I applaud Scarborough for his well-versed arguments and his efforts to bring others onboard.

On a related note, Joe also discusses how John McCain’s pro-environment values, once reflected in his senate voting record, were forced to take a backseat after he secured the GOP presidential nomination. “When winning the hearts of his party’s true believers required a shift on the issue, John McCain forgot he was an environmentalist” (106). Scarborough urges a need for this to change, and reminds his readers that if members of today’s Republican Party would stop and trace their roots back to the likes of Teddy Roosevelt, they would realize that conservation has not always been an unpopular concept in the GOP. And when it comes to voter opinion regarding the issue, he points to his own experience as a “green” congressman: “I doubt I ever lost a vote on the right for my environmental stance. But I certainly picked up moderate voters en masse” (110).

Well, with that, I'm still not quite halfway finished with the book (although it's going to be awfully tough for the rest of it to compare to chapter 3 in my opinion, but I'm sure I'll enjoy it nonetheless), but I just had to stop and share my excitement/echo Joe's points/cheer him on while the material was still fresh in my mind. Now, I'm off to resume my reading with chapter 4! :) As always, thanks for reading and please visit your local bookstore to pick up a copy of The Last Best Hope, and when you finish reading it, share it with a friend so the message will be spread far & wide, and then we can get our party back on track!

Well-known Economist Offers Advice For “Winning Back Prosperity”

Last evening, Wall Street Journal economist and editor, Stephen Moore, warned a gathering of several hundred college students about the “axis of evil."

However, he was not implicating the threat of nuclear attacks or terrorist activity from Iraq, Iran, and North Korea. Instead, he urged a pressing need to defeat the health care, cap & trade, and card check bills-- “three most dreadful pieces of legislation”--that are presently before Congress.

These keynote remarks were directed at an attentive audience of conservative students that filled the grand ballroom of George Washington University’s Marvin Center. The banquet concluded a full day of events that kicked off the beginning of the Young America’s Foundation’s 31^st Annual National Conservative Student Conference.

The conference brings together college students from across the country, and even a handful of international students, to the nation’s capital in order to train them to uphold the conservative movement by spreading its ideals throughout their respective college campuses. Speakers such as Moore provide critiques of liberal policies and aim to motivate students to action.

In his address, titled “Winning Back Prosperity,” Moore discussed the history and implications of the current economic crisis. He even pointed a finger at Republicans of the Bush administration era for squandering away the $200 billion surplus that had been accumulated by 2000 as a result of the effective budgetary policies of the 1994 Republican Revolution. He suggested that Republicans are in disfavor with voters today because “they were supposed to give us limited government, but instead they decided to spend money like drunken sailors."

Moore also took this opportunity to make a case for tax reform, complementing his speech with various charts, graphs, and economic statistics. In order to provide an illustration to demonstrate his point that the rich pay more than their fair share in taxes, Moore presented a relevant scenario to the students.

“Let’s use tonight’s dinner as an example. So let’s say I split this room in half and everyone sitting on the left side of the podium makes up the rich 1% of the tax bracket and all of you on the right side are in the bottom half of the tax bracket. Then, if I divided the bill between you based on the current tax system, the group on my left would have to pay 97% of the tab, while those of you on my right would only have to pay 3% of the whole bill.”

He wrapped up his speech by offering three suggestions for fixing the economy. He called for an 18% flat tax in which everyone, regardless of income bracket, would pay a fixed rate of 18% on income. Second, he encouraged a cap on government spending, and his final proposition—followed by cheers from obvious Ron Paul supporters in the crowd—is for the US to return to the gold standard.

Attendees showed their support with a standing ovation following his remarks.

In addition to Moore, other notable speakers scheduled to address conference attendees this week include Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), Rich Lowry, Monica Crowley, and Ann Coulter.

Coming Down to the Home Stretch...

It certainly doesn't feel like 2 whole weeks have passed since I wrote that last post, but alas, my summer in D.C. has dwindled down to its final week. As far as progress on my list goes, my biggest accomplishment has been finally venturing to the Newseum. As expected, this news junkie was not disappointed! It was definitely worth the $18 admission fee (with valid student ID).

While many of the goals on my list remain unfulfilled, here are a few activities that I've completed over the past 2 weeks in addition to the ones I had originally intended:

• Dined at Froggy Bottom

• Enjoyed a late dinner at Utopia Bar & Grill while soaking in the ambiance and listening to some phenomenal live jazz musicians!!!

• Dined at Jackey Cafe in Chinatown
• Nats vs. Cubs game (7/19/09)
• Went dancing at Lima and Lotus
• Dined at Capitol City Brewing Company
• Attended Michelle Malkin's book promotion event at the NPC
• Dined at Mayur Kabab House
• Attended a service at Reston Bible Church
• Dined at Lucia's Italian Ristorante in Herndon

Despite the way that it looks, I promise that my life doesn't entirely revolve around eating out, but it's so hard to resist when there are so many enticing options to choose from! Anyway, as far as this week goes, tonight's plan is to walk over to the Mall with friends to Screen on the Green where On The Waterfront will be playing. I'm pretty excited as I hear that it's quite a classic movie (not to mention the fact that it will be one more thing to mark off my list! :) Well, on that note, I guess it's time to get back to work. Have a wonderful week ya'll! :)

Only 3 Weeks Left?!?!

It almost doesn't seem possible that I have lived in D.C. for exactly 2 months now! That being said, I only have 3 weeks left as a resident of Capitol Hill. Before I moved up here, I made a list (which I've frequently made additions to as the summer has progressed) of things that I wanted to do/places I wanted to visit/restaurants I wanted to try/etc. I've fulfilled quite a few things, but still have quite a few left to do.

Here is a condensed version of that list for anyone who might be interested in what I've been up to aside from my internship. Also, if anyone has any suggestions for things that aren't on my list that I should do or see before I leave, please feel free to share your ideas! :)

Fulfilled:
• Go to a Nationals game (Nats vs. Pirates 5/19/09)
• Go to a real Irish Pub w/ a live band and dancing (The Old Brogue in Great Falls=great fun!)

• Visit the Library of Congress

• Visit the National Harbor
• Visit the Museum of American History

• Visit the Supreme Court and sit in on a ruling

• Visit the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum

• Go see Night at the Museum II at the Air & Space Museum IMAX theater

• Visit the National Zoo (x2)
• Visit the U.S. Botanic Gardens
• Visit the WWII, Lincoln, Washington, Vietnam, and Jefferson memorials/monuments at night

• Attend a service and intern Bible study at Capitol Hill Baptist Church

• Attend National Community Church services at the Union Station Phoenix Theatre

• Enjoy coffee at Ebenezer's Coffeehouse (they brew fair-trade coffee, the atmosphere is very chill, it's only a 2 minute walk from my building, AND all of the proceeds go toward church missions....can't beat that!)

• Attend a service at the National Presbyterian Church

• Go kayaking in Maryland

• Dancing at Third Edition
• Visit Eastern Market (x3)
• Go shopping in Georgetown
• Walk around Georgetown University’s campus
• Get cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes (sooo yummy!)
• Go to “A Capitol Fourth Celebration” concert on the Capitol lawn (Barry Manilow!!! need I say more?!?!)

• Visit the National Gallery of Art

Restaurants I've Been To:

• Rosa Mexicano

• Ardeo

• The Dubliner
• White Tiger
• Union Pub
• Kelly’s Irish Times

• Eat First in Chinatown

• Jaipur Royal Indian Cuisine in Fairfax (delicious and the decor was all PINK!!!)

• Peacock Café in Georgetown

• The Reliable Source at The National Press Club

• Banana Cafe

• Armand's

• Market Lunch (for the infamous "blue buck" pancakes!)

• Mediterra

• Clyde's of Chevy Chase

• Cafe Luna

• The Cheesecake Factory (kahlua cheesecake=AMAZING!)

• Chadwick’s by Georgetown Waterfront

• Station Grill at Union Station

• Rock Bottom Brewery in Ballston

• Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe in Dupont (cool atmosphere with tasty coffee drinks)

Things I Still Need to Accomplish:

• Go to the Newseum

• See a show at the Shakespeare Theatre
• Go see “Spring Awakening” at the Kennedy Center

• Visit Old Town Alexandria

• Take a Ghost & Graveyard tour in Old Town Alexandria

• Spend an evening at a piano bar

• Find a fun karaoke bar and sing there! :)
• Go to Screen on the Green

• Go out in Clarendon

• Visit the Museum of Natural History (it's been several years since I've been there)

• Go hiking/have a picnic at Great Falls Park

• Take a day trip to Baltimore to see an O's game and visit the Inner Harbor (one of my fave places to visit!)

• Visit Annapolis

• Put my detective skills to good use at "Spy at Night" at the International Spy Museum

Dine at:

• La Loma Mexican restaurant
• Kenlaya Thai Cuisine
• Mehak Indian Cuisine

• Thai Coast

• Cactus Cantina

• Old Ebbitt Grill

• Busboys & Poets

• Teaism

• Tortilla Coast

• Nirvana

All in all, I feel that I've had a wonderful city-life experience with a decent mix of touristy adventures combined with a taste of what it feels like to be an actual resident of the nation's capital. Now, I just have to make sure that I squeeze in as many things from my list as I can before August 9th!

Have a wonderful weekend ya'll! :)

“Saving Freedom” From The Hands of Big Government

In the aftermath of our country’s largest government bailout, the concept of big government is an evident reality to many Americans.  In his new book, “Saving Freedom,” Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) sends out a “cry for help” by offering advice and a call to action for his fellow Americans to join the fight against big government.

On Wednesday evening, DeMint promoted his book by addressing a crowd at The National Press Club.  Attributing the title of his book to an inspiration from the award-winning film, Saving Private Ryan, the senator emphasized the importance of ensuring that our freedom is maintained.  “It’s key for younger generations to understand where our freedom comes from.”

DeMint claimed that many Senators today are failing to uphold the oath that they affirmed upon taking office, in which they each swore to ”support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” He pointed out that the founding fathers intended the document to limit government, but that intention is being compromised by the government’s “death grip” on healthcare, transportation, energy, and other prominent issues. “You’re delusional if you think we’re following the Constitution,” he said.

The senator also pointed to religion as a driving force for freedom. “Democracy doesn’t work without Judeo-Christian values.” He explained that the values of early America created the principles of freedom that our country is built upon. “We don’t want a government that is trying to purge religion.”

Again making reference to a Hollywood classic, the senator stressed the important role of every American in preserving the freedom of our country.  For the younger audience members, he briefly recounted the plot of It’s A Wonderful Life, in which James Stewart’s character, George Bailey, believes the world would be better off without him.  Then, his guardian angel shows him the negative effects his town would suffer without him in it, and helps him realize that he has indeed touched lives and made a difference in his community. 

 

Similarly, DeMint believes that individual Americans have a responsibility to get involved in the government process.  “We can’t look at the problems in Washington and say ‘someone needs to fix it.’ It starts with the individuals.”

 

The senator recently attempted to put those words into action when he became the first Republican to support S. 604, The Federal Reserve Sunshine Act of 2009.  S. 604 is the companion to H.R. 1207, legislation introduced in the House of Representatives by Rep. Ron Paul, calling for an audit of the U.S. Federal Reserve.  However, on Monday, Democratic leaders in the Senate blocked DeMint’s proposed amendment to the annual spending bill based on procedural grounds.

 

Despite this bump in the road, he is not backing down from his fight against big government.  He acknowledged that U.S. spending is following an unsustainable course that requires action.  “I do think it’s the eleventh hour….and if we continue to vote with our hearts instead of our brains this November, we’re going to lose our country.”

I'm Back! and "The Last Best Hope"

Well, after three straight semesters of being required to maintain this blog for my political communication courses, I'm finally home free! However, tonight I realized that I actually kind of miss blogging and want to pick it up on my own again. So alas, here I am!  For those of you who are not aware, I'm interning in D.C. this summer, which gives me lots of opportunities to attend events and find some decent content for blog posts. 

This evening, I was very excited to attend Joe Scarborough's book promotion event at the National Press Club!  Joe and his co-host Mika Brzezinski made a stop in the nation's capital today as part of their book tour to promote "The Last Best Hope."  Scarborough and Brzezinski kept the audience entertained with their friendly jests back and forth.  They fielded questions from the audience ranging in topic from gay marriage to whether Joe has ever considered running for president, in response to which he made a witty remark about working his way up the offices of Rotary Club.

At the close of the Q & A, I hopped in a rather long line to get 2 copies of his book autographed. The wait was quite lengthy, but it was totally worth it!  Joe and Mika both took extra time to engage in personal conversations, pose for photograph after photograph, and write personal messages in books.  I found them both to be refreshingly delightful!  They even told me that I have a lovely name (thanks Mom & Dad!). LOL.

As I was waiting at the Metro station following the event, I read a few pages of my freshly autographed book. On page 6, I read the following:

Because of Burke--and the words of Russell Kirk and Ronald Reagan--you'll also discover another area where I believe conservatives can make great gains, and that's the environment. To my friends on the Right I say, "Hear me out. It's the job of conservatives to conserve."

Amen to that!!!  Thank you, Joe!  Finally, a fellow conservative who is willing to take a stand when it comes to the environment!!!  That statement perfectly conveys the point that I've been trying to make to other conservatives for quite some time now.  How can we call ourselves "conservatives" when we don't make an effort to conserve the earth which God left to us to preserve for all of the generations after us?!  What if our ancestors had been as careless toward the environment as so many of us are today?  It's a scary thought!

Obviously, I was completely thrilled when I read Scarborough's take on this issue, and I'm sure there will be plenty more "ahh yes! well said!" moments as I read the rest of the book!

On that note, I'm off to pack for a weekend trip back home! :)

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

The poli. sci. major who took this pic didn't do the best job with the framing, but we can't all be SMAD majors after all :P

"Brew 4 JMU"?

Last Thursday, I stopped by the Commons to check out an event sponsored by a few of my fellow classmates. These guys chose to advocate an open discussion about bringing alcohol to JMU's campus. While JMU has an ABC license and is allowed to serve adult beverages at catered events, there is no place where students can hang out and enjoy a beer with friends. Apparently, George Mason and several other universities across the country have such on-campus pubs, which prompted my classmates to explore bringing a similar facility to campus. A handout that they provided outlined several reasons why we should consider bringing a bar to campus. These included: providing "revenue for the school during difficult economic times," providing a "much safer and supervised environment for students 21 & older to drink in," possibility of promoting "positive drinking habits," and "strengthening connections between JMU and the local community" by selling beers from local microbreweries. This is certainly a controversial topic, but the guys were out on the Commons, handing out pizza, stickers, and flyers in hopes of engaging others in conversation about the idea. I was there early on, and at the time, while lots of flyers were handed out, few people actually stopped to discuss the matter, but this may have changed as the evening progressed. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the idea of a bar on campus. While it is widely known that college students drink, I am unsure as to whether the line should be crossed between the behaviors we engage in off-campus and those that are promoted/allowed on-campus. "Brew 4 JMU" certainly has the potential to spark arguments from both sides, and the result should prove to be quite interesting.