"But Nobody Told Me That?" A Senate Intern Guide

“But Nobody Told Me That?”- A Senate Intern Guide

By Averi Townsend
Illustrated by Snapchat

 

1.     Everyone knows everyone.

The Senate is often compared to a high school. While you’re interning in the Senate, you will inevitably hear staffers and other interns share stories about other offices, staffers, or the members themselves. As an intern, it’s extremely important that you remain positive. You never want to find yourself in the awkward situation where someone in the room used to work in the office that someone else is disparaging. It’s important to remember that you are trying to make the best possible impression, and that includes recognizing that as an intern, it is not your place to engage in these conversations.

 

Mountains & Clouds in the Hart Senate Office Building *Fun Fact the "clouds" were removed because staffers would try and toss things onto them

2.     Avoid the “Senators Only Elevator” at all costs

Yes, there are Senators Only Elevators and that is a very real, observed practice. Some Senators could not be less bothered if an intern accidentally finds themselves in that elevator- they may even be amused. But some Senators have been known to ask you to exit, and at worst, will contact your office to report it. I had a brief run-in with a very kind Senator after I almost stepped into the elevator but caught my mistake in time. It made for a great story, but it could have gone very wrong very quickly. 

 

The Old Senate Chamber *The Senate was not nearly as formal or revered back then, they definitely would've let you ride the elevator with them if they had elevators. 

3.     Introduce yourself to everyone and follow-up

In a Hill office, you will have a direct supervisor, but just about everyone in the office will give you tasks. Make sure you complete every task, big or small, as best as you can, and follow-up as soon as you’re done. Sometimes someone who gave you a task will forget they did or even forget who they asked to do it. The best impression you can make in the beginning of your internship is making sure as many people as possible know your name, and know that you can competently and quickly finish the tasks given to you. That way, when it comes time for the fun stuff, you’re their first choice to do it!

 

I was given a task that involved me taking the tunnels all the way to the Library of Congress on a Monday afternoon. One of my favorite places in D.C. 

4.     Everyone is important

In most Senate offices, people stick around for a while. Most people in my office  (more than 70%) were interns for my Senator, then staff assistants, then Legislative Correspondents, Legislative Assistants, so on and so forth. If they weren’t interns for my Senator, they were interns on the Hill elsewhere. A Staff Assistant may be an LA in just a few years! It’s important that you connect and network with everyone. Also, they are frequently consulted when a hiring director wants to hire an former intern. Whether or not they enjoyed working with you could mean the difference between job and no-job post-graduation.

5.     Appreciate your time

You are so fortunate to work on the Hill. You will meet so many amazing people, and do amazing things every day. Not only is the setting beautiful (the Russell Senate Office Building is my favorite, next to the Capitol Building of course), but you get to see the behind the scenes of some of the most important work in the country. Being a Senate intern can quickly become exhausting, but take a second every day to remind yourself of the opportunity you are so fortunate to have. On that note: take advantage of your nearly unlimited access to the buildings.  I personally love giving Capitol tours and have learned so much about the buildings and the history of the Capitol just from wandering the halls, talking to people, and reading all of the inscriptions. Take pictures when you can!

 

I took this picture after dropping something off at the Democratic Cloakroom in the Capitol building. #littlesenateinternthings

Fun Fact for your tour: One of Hawaii's statues in Emancipation Hall is King Kamehameha. He weighs 6 tons, with a solid granite base. Per tradition, any statue of King Kamehameha must be the biggest statue in the room- therefore, his is the largest statue of all the statues in the Capitol building. 

QUICK TIPS

1.     The Longworth HOB cafeteria has an amazing buffalo chicken salad.

2.     No one calls the café in the Dirksen-Hart Ground Floor Connecting Hallway “American Grill”, they call it Chef.

3.     Make friends with the security guards- they are the nicest people in the Capitol and will always help you out when you’re lost.

4.     Write down your senator’s coffee order so you don’t have to ask every time you’re asked to grab him/her coffee.

5.     I maintain that Cups in the Russell Tunnel is worlds better than the Dirksen Coffee Shop.

6.     If you need to use headphones for your computer, only put it in one ear. You don’t want to be the intern that missed the Senator because you couldn’t hear him/her behind you.

7.     The walls in Hart are practically paper- be aware of your volume!

Getting the Most out of a Single Weekend in D.C. - Evan Pfeifer

As I reflect on my experiences in Washington D.C., I am astonished by the fact that only 7 weeks remain. When I read the activities checklist this past week, I was surprised by the number of items I completed in a single weekend when my girlfriend, Kaitlynn came to visit. Given that it was her first time in D.C., I wanted to be sure to give her a combination of both typical and unique experiences. On her first night in D.C., I immediately took her to visit the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II memorial. Afterwards I took her to a historic D.C., restaurant called Martin’s Tavern. This restaurant, located over in the Georgetown area, was frequented by many high profile Americans including Presidents Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. President Kennedy even proposed to First Lady Jackie Kennedy there! On our second day, we visited the Postal Museum (way cooler than it sounds!) and the Holocaust Museum. I was also able to give her a personalized tour of the Capitol building, something I had looked forward to since I began my internship with the Office of Congressman Lowenthal. That evening, we had dinner at a nice steak restaurant called Charlie Palmer Steak, recommended to me by a family friend and New Jersey 2^nd District Congressional Candidate, Will Cunningham. On her third day, we went to Arlington National Cemetery to witness the changing of the guard. We then rented out bikes from the bike share (something I had never done) and rode to the White House and to the Jefferson Memorial. On her last day, we made our way to the Smithsonian American History Museum, tried out one of the flight simulators in the basement, and concluded the weekend by visiting somewhere relating to her own academic interests by taking the metro to Maryland to visit the National Museum of Health and Medicine. It surprised me how much more sightseeing and unique dining experiences I engaged in during that single weekend compared to the others I have spent here so far. I have since discovered that it is much easier to set aside time to get the most out of your D.C. experience when you have guests and loved ones to share the experiences with. I hope to finish out the remaining weeks of the semester completing as many of the remaining checklist items as possible. :) 

-Evan Pfeifer

Spring in Washington D.C.

 My time in D.C. has been an amazing adventure. A path that has been so enlightening and valuable. As a passionate young Latinx, proud of her roots-D.C. has become home to my dreams. I have established a passion for public service and I continue to be grateful for every opportunity that God has allowed me to take advantage of. Springtime in D.C. is magical as its cherry blossom trees start to decorate the city with its sweet smells and colors. As the new year commences it brings new opportunities in D.C. as everyone is looking to get a head start on their new year's resolutions. D.C. is full of desire for prosperity and energy. During the Springtime, one can expect rainy seasons followed by warm weather later on as summer awaits. In addition, living in the country's capital allows you to witness all the action first hand. WAIP allows you to take partake in the action. By participating in internships that range from the hill, federal departments, to nonprofit organizations allows students like me to contribute to the future direction of this country.

Taking part in WAIP during the spring term allows you to take advantage of countless opportunities. Personally, I have had the privilege of attending the UNA-USA Global Engagement Summit in NYC. This was an ABSOLUTE AMAZING experience that allowed me to engage with students from all around the world to discuss issues that affect the future of the world. My biggest advice to any student interested in WAIP is to look into the possibility of attending additional experiences as you are in the nation's capital. Also, DC is one of the lucky cities that is surrounded by so many other historic cities like Boston, New York, and Pennslyvania. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT ALL!