Ali on the Hill: A Report

Hello!

Here are some things that I have noticed (in no particular order) in my first week working at the capitol:

1. The Capitol is gorgeous inside and out. And the skies have been very clear this week.
2. Some bills move very quickly without much discussion while others move very slowly with lots of discussion (cough cough, Eagle Forum or Senator Christiansen)
3. There are a lot of men. Old, white men. Today in the Government Infrastructure meeting this morning I counted the people in the room (legislators, public, interns, everyone) and found that there were about 100 (104?) people in the room. 7 of them, including myself, were women.
4. Everyone has an ipad and or iphone. Few people simply listen and observe committee meetings without typing emails or scrolling through twitter. It is kind of funny that through high school, teenagers aren't allowed to have any cell phone even out while their representatives and leaders in their community sit through a 45 day session constantly with an iphone, ipad, or computer in their hand.
5. Speaking of twitter: I joined it! Feel free to follow, but don't expect anything too exciting other than me passing along important news (I'm not really sure what I would tweet about otherwise).
6. My heels are my best friend. Every day we scurry up and dozen of flights of stairs and twice this week I managed to have a little sprint in them to get to two meetings. I even kicked a dropped apple out from below another car. That's right.
7. Its exhausting. I should sleep more.
8. Interns are very nice (most of them). We figured out this week the other interns that attend all of the education meetings and we are starting to get to know each other.
9. ASUU Government Relations Board Meetings are a lot funnier when about half of the board members are exhausted after days interning at the legislative session. We laugh a lot.
10. On Wednesday morning in the Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee, the speaker explained the development of the Steel Mill Industry for about a half an hour to explain the future of higher education. My advice? Only use metaphors if they clarify the situation (a lecture on the Steel Mill Industry didn't exactly help). And keep them short.
11. You never know what a committee discussion will turn into. A simple education bill with the phrasing "using the common core standards that Utah and other states follow" (or something like that) may result in a discussion over how Utah can't take funding from the federal government since then "they" will put "research questions" into our children's exams and will destroy Utah's family values. I'd like to know what those "research questions" are.
12. And you know what is very good stress relief, driving and rolling down the windows to yell about what a wonderful life you have: "We are making an impact! I live the good life!" I did this twice this week with another intern. How often to people yell such positive comments?

I'm not sure whether the session will be very long or whether it will be very short. Either way: one week down. Six to go.

I'm back.

Sorry that I haven't been better about blogging, but enough about that.

I am going to make this quick but I want to give you all an idea of what I did this week:
Early Assurance Program luncheon
Board of Regents meeting at the Commissioner's Office
Representative Matheson interviewed for documentary
Danced with Prof. Abby Fiat (Flocked!)
Government Relations Board Meeting - planned launching the 66% Campaign
Met with Linda Dunn (President of Bennion Center) will work on recruitment for Bennion Center
Met with Courtney of the Hinckley Institute about Truman Scholarship (strong potential candidate)
Attended U for Higher Ed meeting
Became ASUU Government Relations liason for the U for Higher Ed (the only student there!)
Swam
Legislative Preview Session at the Capitol
Ran and Biked
Team Leader at the YWCA for the MLK Day Bennion Center Saturday Service Project
Ran again
Swam again.

Not yet in a rhythm - the rhythm should start with the legislative session - but it was a wonderful week: still relaxing and yet busy.