This is where the magic happens!

Quite literally.

We've probably seen the MTV Cribs episodes that have shown countless starts proclaim that "this is where the magic happens". Well, although this isn't MTV Cribs, this (DC) is where the magic happens!

As a student in the Journalism Program, I really didn't think I'd be visiting the United States Capitol as a student. I'm quite aware that journalism really focuses a lot on politics, but I just didn't expect it. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE politics (which, FYI: AU is constantly ranked the most politically active school in the nation), but I just didn't see it happening.

One highlight of the program, specifically journalism because I can't speak for the other ones, is that your professors will have countless connections. They've worked in the industry for many years and know many professionals that are still working in the industry. Today, we started off the day with a visit from Tom Rosenstiel, the co-author of the book you're assigned for class The Elements of Journalism.

Having the author of an assigned book visit the class to discuss it was a first for me. In my experience as a college student (I'm a Junior now), I've never had the opportunity to have a 'round-table' discussion (minus the round table) with the person that actually wrote the book. Didn't understand something in the book? Who better than the author to ask?

So, after a discussion with the author, OFF TO THE CAPITOL! Coordinate with your peers, jump on the subway, and meet at X-spot at Y-time. Pass security and all of a sudden you find yourself in this beautiful building that pictures cannot do justice. Everything from the floor, artwork, walls, telephones, and just plain old signs was beautiful. We were then shuffled into the press offices of the Capitol, which looks just like any other press box. This was about as far as I expected to go, thankfully I was wrong. We threw off our coats and were escorted into the Senate chamber.

In the chamber, we met with the top journalists on the hill, Thomas Ferraro and Joe Keenan. They explained what their job usually consists of and how crazy the press offices can be at times, especially when a major bill, such as healthcare, is being decided upon.

Upon leaving the Capitol, we were immediately reminded about how many things happen in DC. Walking away from the compound, only a couple hundred feet, the entire class encountered about 100,000 pro-life protestors marching on the 38th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision. It just reiterated how in DC anything can happen at any time and you'll never know who or what you'll run in to. Don't ask me how we managed to cross a 100,000 person crowd, but we all got back to campus safely.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that would have probably never happened if it weren't for this program. Unless you're a journalist, politician, or staffer, you're really never going to have the opportunity to actually go inside of the Senate chambers. It gave us a small taste of what it was like to actually be a journalist covering the Senate. As a memento of this experience, I managed to keep my United States Senate visitors pass which was to be returned in order to be "recycled". Instead it will be put to good use and will hang from my bulletin board :)