BEAR BULLETIN
PAINTING D.C. BLUE AND GOLD SINCE 1965 - FALL NEWSLETTER 2013 What is Cal in the Capital?
The 2013 CITC participants at our annual barbeque at Dr. Michael McGinnis’ home
A Letter from the 2013-2014 Directors It seems like all eyes have been on Washington D.C. lately and this summer was no exception. The nation was abuzz with talk about the defining Supreme Court decisions regarding the future of gay rights, affirmative action, and voting rights. Everyone turned to Obama and Congress for thoughts on the next fiscal year’s budget, healthcare reform, immigration, and the state of foreign policy. CITC interns were in the thick of it, monitoring these topics at their internships in prestigious locations including Congressional offices, government agencies, NGOs, think tanks, museums, newsrooms, private companies, and more. Interns took full advantage of their time in D.C. and participated in the annual Service Day and the BBQ at Dr. Michael McGinnis’ home. Students also took advantage of a new alumni mentorship program connecting them to Cal alums working in their interest area (p.4). CITC continues to leave its mark on D.C. as many interns go on to full-time jobs in the city. With your continued support, we can keep strengthening the Cal community in the capital and make D.C. Bear Territory. Check out the newsletter and our website for updates on the program’s goals, new projects, and ways to get involved. Go Bears!
Melissa Carlson
Alumni and Employer Outreach
Charlie Gebhardt
Recruitment and Marketing
Thomas McClure Academic and Events
Cal in the Capital is a student-run internship program housed at the UC Berkeley Public Service Center. Founded in 1965, Cal in the Capital prepares over 75 UC Berkeley students for challenging summer internships in Washington D.C. each year from early June through the middle of August. Cal in the Capital interns are in demand across Washington D.C., in Congressional offices, federal agencies, think tanks, nonprofits, private corporations, government agencies, and research institutions. In this issue: Stating the Case for CITC 2 Student Experiences 3 CITC Mentorship Program 5 Annual Service Day 5 A Success Story 6 Meet the Directors 7 Get Involved 8
Your support makes this program possible. Give to Cal in the Capital here To date, over
2,314
CITC interns have performed more than
948,800
hours of service!
Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 1
STATING THE CASE FOR CITC The Financial Facts: • It now costs each student roughly $4000 for the summer, just to pay for housing at the UCDC Washington Center, travel to DC, and basic living expenses. • Very few internships are paid and spending a summer in DC becomes a large financial burden for the majority of students
What are employers saying about CITC interns?
“She brought ideas and energy to our team and came up with creative ways to solve problems.”
Why give to Cal in the Capital?
“I received an alumni scholarship which allowed me to participate in Cal in the Capital. Without the generous support of alumni, I would never have been able to intern with the Smithsonian Institution. By experiencing daily life in D.C., I learned more about public service, politics, and global issues than would have ever been possible anywhere else in the world. Cal in the Capital was the perfect preparation I needed to be successful in my next chapter: graduate school.” - Aly Neumann, CITC intern
“In a very short time, I came to rely upon her for her resourcefulness, initiative, tact, discretion, How can you support an intern? • Contribute to the Cal in the Capital Endowment and integrity.” ($10,000) “In short, he met and exceeded all expectations.” • Sponsor one student for the entire summer ($4,000) • Cover one student’s summer housing expenses at the Washington Center ($3,000) “Her unique graphic design and creative skills were an extra bonus that we utilized for our • Contribute to the CITC Alumni Scholarship Fund (any amount) work. She was respectful yet not intimidated to contribute to project meetings and presenta- • Support our general programming (any amount) tions.” Annual Fundraising Need: $200,000 Cal in the Capital is the result of an ongoing collaboration between alumni, students, and other members of the community. This year, we are placing an emphasis on strengthening the ties of Community Wisdom, a Public Service Center Core Value, that keep this program running. Our goals include: • Expand the Alumni mentorship program established during summer 2013 • Strengthen Alumni participation via events such as Alumni panels and the mentorship program, and leverage their wisdom by inviting guest speakers to the DeCal course • Increase the number of scholarships to ensure access for students of all financial backgrounds • Empower students to know that they can make a difference during their time in D.C. and encouraging both an ethical approach and collaboration with local communities. • Spread awareness about the program on campus and focusing on outreach to underrepresented popula=sure a diverse, passionate group of interns who can learn from and support each other Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 2
STUDENT EXPERIENCES IN D.C. Nikta Daijavad, Congresswoman Lowey’s Office
I think we can all agree that Bert and Ernie are pretty cool guys. So when I was working in Congresswoman Nita Lowey’s office this past summer, I jumped at the opportunity to inform a man waiting for a meeting with the Congresswoman why there were Bert and Ernie puppets in our reception area. You see, in the 1990s, Mrs. Lowey invited the characters to a Congressional hearing at a time when House Republicans wanted to eliminate PBS and her actions are largely considered to have saved the agency. After the Congresswoman took the man into her office, I noticed Secret Service waiting
for him outside and realized that I had just had a conversation about Sesame Street with Anthony Foxx, the Secretary of Transportation. It’s a moment that captures my summer perfectly: the combination of the administrative with the enthralling, always with a splash of networking. Being a Congressional intern isn’t always the most glamorous job in the world, but the environment it puts you in can’t be matched by any other. Every single day, I was surrounded by people I read about all the time, people who are fighting for what they believe in and those behind the scenes helping them do it. As a Political Science major, it’s sometimes easy to forget the big picture of why I’m studying what I’m studying when I’m stressed about a midterm the next day. But being on the Hill, that big picture had never been so clear. It’s an image that will be in my mind when I’m working on my next poli-sci paper, when I’m handed my diploma on my graduation day, and when I’m finally fighting alongside the people I was surrounded by everyday this summer.
Wil Mumby, Environmental Law Institute
My Cal in the Capital experience offered me countless opportunities to learn, develop connections, and discover new realms of professional interest to me. The program kept me busy throughout the summer as I interned at the Environmental Law Institute, engaging in research and contributing to seminars within a sector of work that strongly appeals to me. I came in knowing that I wanted to pursue environmental law in the future, and I was looking for chances to meet people and learn about what such a career path could offer me.
Not only did I get hands on experience at the organization – a non-advocacy environmental law research think tank focused on discovery and education – but I also got to help out with seminars involving some key figures working on major environmental issues. Being in D.C., these seminars brought together some of the best and most influential minds in the field. They covered basic environmental law fundamentals, walking participants through seminal aspects such as the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts, and also tackled more complex and lesser known topics like the Department of Defense’s role in environmental management and sustainability. Of particular interest was a lecture by Michigan Law Professor, David Uhlmann, presenting his research into the classification of environmental crimes. His research – still in its draft stages, and yet to be revealed to a wide audience – captivated and introduced me to a new sector of environmental law that I hadn’t observed closely before: the intersection of criminal law and environmental law, finding what it takes to hold the most heinous perpetrators against the environment accountable. Professor Uhlmann also offered some thrilling anecdotes on cases he worked on during his time at the Department of Justice. This experience affirmed my interest in a legal approach to environmental protection, while opening exciting new doors within the field! To read more about Summer 2013 intern experiences, visit the Cal in the Capital blog here.
Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 3
A LANDMARK SUMMER Lisa Feierman, CBS News I will never forget the day I spent at the Supreme Court as part of my summer internship at CBS News. When I decided to go to DC for the summer, I never thought I would get such a hands-on experience, and that I would literally get to participate in, not just watch, history being made. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court ruled to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and determined that the Proposition 8 petitioners did not have standing in their case, thereby invalidating the state referendum that banned same-sex marriage in California. Not only was it an incredibly important day for me personally, as I have long committed myself as an ally to achieving marriage equality, but it was an amazing day to be a DC news intern. As no phones or other communication devices are allowed in the room in which the SCOTUS opinions are distributed, interns (and other members of the press) are tasked with obtaining a hard copy of any major decision and running it out to the correspondents anxiously waiting on the court steps. We waited in that room in the most tense, anxious and excited silence you could imagine... Until the phone rang, signaling to the court staff they could open the first of the three inconspicuous boxes on the desk in front of us. When the phone rang, all of our hands launched forward, waiting frantically to be distributed a pamphlet. When I got mine, I ran (rather, speed walked—no running allowed in the highest court of the land—it’s “disrespectful”) across the building to the one exit we could use. Once outside, all of us interns broke into a mad dash, racing to get to our correspondents so they could report history. I don't know what the best part of the day was: learning same-sex marriage would become legal once again in my home state, feeling the electric silence of the public before word reached them, hearing the wild cheers from both outside and inside the court, seeing dozens of LGBT couples embrace around me, or getting to take home the very same Hollingsworth v. Perry opinion pamphlet I ran out with. It was such an amazing feeling, and I would just about kill to do it all again. On top of all that, the "running intern" thing kind of became a trend: We ended up on BuzzFeed as part of "The 2013 Running of the Interns," and clips of me running down the steps were seen in several networks' live special reports coverage and evening news. But it wasn't just 5 seconds of kind-of fame--it was 5 seconds of kind-of fame during a truly historic day. It doesn't get any better than that!
DC in Pop Culture: The 2013 Running of the Interns From Buzzfeed: “The ‘Running of the Interns’ is a cherished Washington D.C. tradition. Whenever the Supreme Court hands down a groundbreaking ruling, broadcast interns wait patiently inside to be handed the decision. Once in hand, they barrel across the front of the court to their respective network broadcast positions. To supporters or protesters waiting outside the court, the sign of the sprinting intern elicits joy and cheers, and signals that a longawaited decision has been passed down. So arriving at your network first is an intern badge of honor.” Check out Lisa’s moment of fame on Buzzfeed here!
Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 4
THE CAL CONNECTION Alumni - Student Mentorship Program Creates Lasting Relationships
Megan Sussman
Public Service Center Alumna This summer, Cal Corps Alumni in DC/Maryland/Virginia (DMV) group created a mentorship program to match CITC interns with Cal alum in the DMV area. Twenty-seven interns participated in the program and were matched by interest area to Cal alumni mentors from a wide variety of fields: the federal government, Capitol Hill, the Library of Congress, an embassy, advocacy organizations, NGO’s, law firms, universities, and media. Mentors and mentees were required to meet at a time and place of their choosing at least once over the summer, and a few met more. Interns were able to ask their mentors about their career paths and what it was really like to live and work in DC. Many mentors and mentees connected on a personal level, sharing stories of their experiences at Cal and their passion for their areas of interest. Mentee Priscella Rodriguez says, “Thanks to the CITC mentorship program, I have a lasting connection; a new friend I can go to for advice on my future endeavors.” Mentees appreciated getting candid advice from mentors. One went so far as to say: “[My mentor] is amazing. She is honest and real and doesn’t butter anything up.” Mentors were also impressed with the quality of the interns: “My mentee was fabulous--smart, inquisitive, prepared to engage in conversations about careers. Basically, she was all I could have hoped for in a mentee.” Overall, the program was deemed successful in helping CITC interns make the most of their summer experience in DC and giving alumni an avenue to reconnect and pay it forward. A big thank you to everyone who participated and we plan to continue to grow the program!
CITC Annual Service Day On June 15th, Cal in the Capital participants took the time out of their busy working lives to join other volunteers for a day of service at Powell Elementary School. Powell Elementary School is a small community-based school located about 2.5 miles from the U.C. Washington Center. The school boasts a Dual Language Program and focuses on educating its extremely diverse enrollment of around 400 students with a focus on academic rigor while maintaining a nurturing, family-friendly community. Over the summer, the school underwent an extensive remodeling and modernization project that required that all classroom materials be boxed up and moved.
CITC interns constituted a large percentage of the roughly 100 community members willing to do some lifting and break a sweat for the cause. The project helped interns bond together both as a class and also gain a higher level of immersion into the Washington D.C. community. The Cal in the Capital program is an integral part of the UC Berkeley Public Service Center, guided by the five values of experiential and reflective learning, collaboration and commitment, community wisdom, student agency, and equity and social justice. Service is the key way in which student participants can practice these virtues and projects such as this help them to carry a sense of community accountability into their future professional successes. Service day was coTo get involved, contact Megan at: ordinated by Angela Taylor and Brynna Quillin in conmegansuss@gmail.com junction with Christina Markle and the DC Alumni Club. Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 5
A SUCCESS STORY I was not expecting to meet my future employer at the Cal in the Capital summer barbeque. The thought had not even occurred to me that the day might entail more than the pool and some watermelon. When I met fellow Cal alum Vicky poolside, we started discussing my career interests. My previous disastrous run-ins with the “what are your career goals” question initially made me nervous to respond. The semester-long CITC seminar on professionalism and networking, however, gave me the confidence to continue the conversation. “I would love to work in museum administration for a few years in D.C. before I go to graduate school.” My number one piece of advice to interns looking to network or find a job: know what you want to do and be able to say it in one, concise sentence. Vicky immediately responded with “Well! You should meet my husband!” and she tugged on Bob’s arm, pulling him into our conversation. Bob happened to be the new Executive Director of a historic house and museum on Embassy Row. We chatted, he shared his ideas for the future of the museum, and then gave me his business card. I remember thinking “Is this networking?” I followed up with an email to Bob after the barbeque where I mentioned some detail of our conversation (I knew he had met a lot of people that day and I wanted to remind him exactly who I was). The events that led to me working as the Communications Coordinator for the President Woodrow Wilson House were only possible because I went to the alumni event in the first place. I was open to having conversations with people I had never met, and then I chose to follow up with the connections I had made. Starting my new position at the museum as part of a small staff allows me to be involved in everything that is happening, an opportunity that a large organization could not provide me. I have no doubt that CITC set me up with the professional skill set I am utilizing in my new position. Kelsey Clark (B.A. Anthropology, UC Berkeley ’13) Communications Coordinator Bob and Kelsey at The President The President Woodrow Wilson House Woodrow Wilson House Washington, D.C. Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 6 I believe in serendipity. You never know what thing you will read, what person you will meet, what conversation you will have that will lead to that next idea, connection or insight. Therefore, I am not entirely surprised to be working with Kelsey Clark, whom I met only this summer at a Cal in the Capital (CITC) social event. My wife, Vicky Brademan, and I both hold degrees from Berkeley and were pleased to be invited to a BBQ for CITC. (Vicky was a director of CITC a few years ago!) When we met Kelsey, she spoke with evident enthusiasm about the work she was doing through CITC for the National Portrait Gallery, and I shared with her my enthusiasm for my relatively new role as the director of a historic house museum. She followed up, sending me an email answering a question we had raised in conversation. This experience underscores the value of the CITC program. Internships in Washington can launch a career here. Networking is an important skill. Following up is essential to successful networking. I encourage students at Berkeley to participate in the CITC program, to apply themselves to their internships, and to be open to opportunities. Come visit the President Woodrow Wilson House while you are here! Robert A. Enholm (A.B., UC Davis, ’76; J.D. UC Berkeley ’80) Executive Director The President Woodrow Wilson House Washington, D.C.
MEET THE 2013-2014 DIRECTORS Melissa Carlson Alumni and Employer Outreach Director
Melissa Carlson is a fourth year Political Economy major with a minor in City and Regional Planning from Ojai, California. She interned for the University of California’s Office of Federal Government Relations during the summer of 2012. Her responsibilites included attending congressional hearings, compiling reports on topics related to the University’s interests for office staff, and much more. While in DC, she enjoyed tackling the goal of visiting each exhibit that the Smithsonian Collection has to offer.
Charlie Gebhardt Recruitment and Marketing Director
Charlie Gebhardt is a fourth year Political Science and History major from the Bay Area. Last summer, he interned with Cal in the Capital at Alliance for Peacebuilding. As part of his internship he was published in a chapter on climate change in an textbook on international security and cooperation. One of his favorite parts of DC was the closeness of his office and the amazing people he met.
Thomas McClure Academic and Events Director
Tom McClure is a fourth year Anthropology major with a Public Policy Minor, from the great state of Michigan. During the 2013 summer, he interned for his local Congressman, John D. Dingell, Dean of the House. As a congressional intern he focused on researching pertinent policy issues, attending Hill briefings and preparing comprehensive reports for the legislative staff, giving tours of the Capital to constituents, and generally assisting in constituent relations for Michigan’s 12th Congressional District. One of his favorite DC memories is attending the Jazz in the Garden event held every Friday at the National Sculpture Garden. Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 7
HOWGET TO INVOLVED GET INVOLVED Alumni • Help sponsor a student by giving to Cal in the Capital • Share your experiences and tips about careers in D.C. at our DeCal • Connect us to public service opportunities in the Bay Area and in D.C. • Volunteer in D.C. with CITC interns during the annual Service Day • Mentor a student in finding his or her dream internship • Send this newsletter to another Cal Alumnus who you think would support the program in any of these ways • Contact us for more ways to help!
Employers
CITC participants Roxana Moreno, Nikta Daijavad and Alex Ho cheer at Nationals Park
• Host a CITC participant as an intern in your office • Visit our website for more information: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc • Offer opportunities for our participants to attend networking or educational events
Students
• Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/calinthecapital • Visit the UC Berkeley Public Service office to get involved • Apply to be a CITC Intern! Visit http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc for information. Applications for Summer 2014 are due on October 25th.
Tiffany Cheng, Ariel Prince, Lisa Feierman, Robynne Lindsey, and a friend kayak the Potomac
Contact Us citc@berkeley.edu - public.service.berkeley.edu/citc Angela Taylor - Program Advisor - (510) 642-5429 The UC Berkeley Public Service Center connects ideas, resources, and people to act for social justice, build healthy communities, and foster life-long commitments to public service. UC Berkeley Public Service Center University of California, Berkeley 102 Sproul Hall, MC 2430 Berkeley, CA 94720
Participants hang out with Representatives Kyrsten Sinema and Tony Cardenas at Nationals Park
Visit us online: http://publicservice.berkeley.edu/citc Page 8