Mayor Adrian Fenty's Internship Program

EOM Intern Summary

2009-02-24T15:11:00.002-05:00

My name is Briana Wilson and I began working in the Office of the Chief of Staff in November 2008. Throughout the time I've been employed, I've completed many task. On a regular basis, I assist with organizing and cataloguing information. Two of the most important tasks to me were organizing the arrival of the interns from Oberlin College, and volunteering for Inauguration Day. Before the Oberlin interns arrived, I found placements for them and organized their arrival and departure meetings. Also, I researched nearby vacant college dorms in case they needed a place to stay. Inauguration day was one of the most exciting events since I've been here. The day before the inauguration, I spent the night to prepare for the next day. On Inauguration Day, I checked in guests and assisted with making sure that they where in the correct rooms. The highlight of my experience was being able to watch the parade from the reviewing booth and being part of history!

Auspicious Friday, 8/8/08, Is the Last Day for Some Interns

2008-08-08T10:54:00.005-04:00

Kiran, Sam and Amy in the Bullpen

Amy working hard, even on her last day

Enjoying their last few hours

Three Weeks of Summer Left: Find Something Great to do in DC

2008-08-04T11:33:00.005-04:00

My name is Kiran Gandhi and I started working here about a month ago as an intern in Scheduling. Jordan did an awesome job of starting this up, and I thought one more question of the week would be in order, especially one that we can all benefit from over these last few weeks of summer. Working as an intern in scheduling, I have the privilege of coming across invitations to various events and exciting things going on in our nation’s capital. We forget sometimes that there is more going on in DC than the monuments and museums, though they too offer so much. This week’s question of the week is “What recommendations of things to do and see would you have for someone visiting DC (apart from the tourist attractions)?” These can include your favorite restaurants, parks to walk around, shops, squares, concerts, events, etc. Based on the answers, I'll compile a Mayor Fenty's Interns' Best of DC List.

I guess it was

2008-07-25T15:37:00.006-04:00

EASY!! Wow so many responses to the question of the week! We had answers from last week's winner Kiran, along with Tessa, Anthony H., Antwan J., Kiara, and Synithia. And I am proud to say that all of them are correct. I will give credit to Tessa for citing her source. Yet there was more to it than just the wikipedia page. What I was looking for was the difference between the stars or mullets as they were called on George Washington's family coat of arms. But go to the link above for the answer that everyone seem to send in.

I apologize that in my last week I was not able to post as often as finishing up work did not allow me to get on the blog. There was plenty of interesting stuff that, hopefully, I will get to even after I have left the office(Today is my last official day in the EOM). As of next week the writers will include Kiran, Aldo, Amy, Innis, and many more.

I will leave you with some pictures of interns in action!

Kiran at Make Someone Smile Week

Aaron, Kiran, Samantha, Shayne, and Colin

Career Seminar

It has been a pleasure writing for you, and I hope your summer goes as well as mine has gone.
- Jordan

Fluttering in the Wind

2008-07-21T16:26:00.003-04:00

That would be the D.C. flag. It varies in size but you are bound to see the flag flying high throughout the District. With both the 3 stars and 2 bars it is seen as a symbol of D.C. identity. Back during the tenure of Mayor Williams there was an effort to get "Taxation Without Representation" added to the bars on the flag. While that measure did not make it the fight will continue for statehood.

Yet this week's question is about the flag. Now if you know dc.gov getting the first answer should be an easy task. The 2nd might take some digging.

1a) When was the current D.C. flag introduced?
1b) What was the flag based upon?

2) What is the difference between what it was based upon and it's current form (other than the rectangle shape!)????

We have heard from the MCU and Scheduling, is this going to break the tie or will it become a three way race? Send in an email or post in the comments section your response!

Question Answered

2008-07-18T15:29:00.002-04:00

Ah, Friday Afternoon. Almost time for the weekend. It has been an interesting week here in D.C. hasn't it? The new Gun Regulations and Limitations were released and if that didn't have enough heat, it has been over 90 degrees outside for most of this week.

The question of the week asked for a name that D.C. should have once it becomes a State. But the question also asked for what the name was supposed to be back in 1982.

The Mayor's Scheduling Office handles all the scheduling and event requests that come in for Mayor Fenty. Which adds up, most times it is over 100 requests a day. And while Mayor Fenty is an endurance athlete there are only so many hours in a day. This week's answer came from Kiran. She is a new intern in the scheduling office and a rising sophomore at Georgetown University. Here is her answer:

When D.C. had submitted to Congress a Constitution for statehood, it requested that state’s name be “New Columbia”.

Given the history of the name Columbia, I quite like it and would be in full support of it. The term Columbia was given to the district in 1791 because it was a feminine form of Columbus and was used in poetic terms to idealize America and its capital as a land of liberty and nurturer of all people. I believe that “New Columbia” would accurately represent the various qualities of the state such as its historical significance, diversity, exciting opportunities it has to offer, geographic accessibility, economic position and the fact that it is often regarded as the capital of the world. The only two problems that I would have with the name, and these are relatively insignificant, are that NC is already the state initials for North Carolina, and that “New Columbia” does not seem to roll off the tip of the tongue in the way “DC” does!

I agree with her that it does not roll off the tongue like DC. I think that is my main hesitation. I hope everyone has a great and safe weekend and please email or leave a post in the comments section with any ideas or information you wish to share!

Pictures Continued!

2008-07-16T16:04:00.007-04:00

Interns oh my! Well hump-day is almost over and the weekend is on the horizon. Still waiting for that winning question of the week answer though! But I thought I would share some photos and thoughts with you.

Innis talking to members of OCT, before Gun Regulations being released

Kasia, Shaka, and Aaron before Gun Regulations Press Conference

Samantha and Christian at Columbia Heights Press Conference

The Guns Press Conference was called to release the details of the new handgun regulations being put into place by Mayor Fenty and the DC Council. Mayor Fenty announced the new regulations and limitations along with Chief Lanier and Acting Attorney General Nickles. It will be interesting to see the new regulations come into affect over the next few weeks and months.

Any comments about the gun regulations feel free to post! Email us too!

A Communications Assistant

2008-07-15T12:54:00.005-04:00

As a Communications Assistant (big title for intern, I know), I was able to attend a meeting for press information officers in the District Government. The meeting included PIOs from different agencies and departments in the District Government such as Fire and Emergency Services along with Department of Parks and Recreation.

I was not the only intern there however. I attend with another intern in the Communications office, Innis, who will be contributing to the blog soon, but also Christina. Christina is an SYEP intern over in Department of Employment Services. I asked Christina to write up a little about her experience over at DOES,

"Who would have thought that trash would engage preteens, bring people together, and capture my interest? I am interested in pursuing a career in the Fashion industry, where everything is stylish and in-style. Trash is on the opposite end of my career spectrum. But two days ago, as part of my summer work experience at the Office of Public Affairs within the Department of Employment Services (DOES), I attended the kick-off of the city’s “Not in Our DC” campaign at WUSA Channel 9. Not only was I surprised to see so many young children sitting quietly and listening to discussions about not littering and keeping DC clean, but I began to seriously think about the environment and the whole “going green” movement. I mean, picking up trash and helping to clean up the streets of D.C. was furthest from my mind and the last thing I thought would inspire my creativity. But it did.

DPW Not In Our City

"To be honest, I started my summer job at DOES two weeks ago, not knowing what to expect. I thought I would be making coffee, photo copies, and running errands. But that is not what I am doing at my summer job. Right now, I am working on developing a media list for the department. And since DOES is the administrative arm for the Summer Youth Program, I will be helping to produce a newsletter titled, Youth Notes News, that will highlight work sites and programs that are doing amazing things with and for their youth workers. I will also be developing a youth blog, talking about youth workers’ new experiences on the job.

"I recently changed majors from Fashion Merchandising to Advertising Marketing Communications in Fashion and so when I was placed at the Office of Public Affairs at DOES I had no idea of what public affairs was about and had a “whatever” attitude. In fact, I use to think that there was no difference between public relations, publicity, marketing, and advertising until my supervisor explained the difference to me. When I least expect it, she’ll ask me questions like, “what’s the difference between advertising and promotion or publicity and public relations? Or have me give feedback on an ad campaign. So, it is a constant learning experience. One of the best things that I think will come from this experience is that I am improving my writing skills, which is very important in the Advertising, Marketing and Communications field. I feel that when this program is over, I will have gained quality experience. "

Experience is the name of the game! Everyone is getting a new and different experience with the D.C. government through the Summer Youth Employment Program, and hopefully it is an enjoyable one. I look forward to sharing more experiences of different interns with you.

Feel free to submit your own piece of writing to be posted!

Corresponding and the Question of the Week!

2008-07-14T09:25:00.004-04:00

Imagine you are the Mayor. How many pieces of mail, faxes or emails do you think you would receive on a daily basis? Too many to count really. When I started working in the EOM it was for the Mayor's Correspondence Unit. It was an interesting job, because you read first hand what the citizens of the District need and what they approve or disapprove of. So it should come to no surprise that the MCU has been on top of responding to the Question of the Week and all other solicitations that have been coming from MayorFentysInterns.Blogspot.Com.

The MCU, ran away from the competition with their responses to last week's Question of the week, which asked for a new D.C. motto. A few of their ideas included:

“Washington DC, a city with integrity”
“Washington DC, a chance of a life time”
“Come, enjoy, and be fascinated”
“Social harmony, economic development, Innovative political atmosphere is our forte”

Senay Gebremendhi submitted, "DC, the head of a giant"

But the winner has to go to the MCU for, “We represent ourselves,” which is a nice play on the "Taxation without Representation" which is found on our license plates. Which must be nice for MCU intern Ryon who just recently took the test and is hoping to join FEMS soon.

Photo Time:
EOM/OPGS Intern Phoebe Phillips poses with Channel 9 News Anchor, Derek McGinty

Now its time for this week's Question of the Week. When D.C. had submitted to Congress a Constitution for statehood, what was the name of the State going to be? I, for one,am not a big fan of that name, so I am also asking for your ideas on what name should D.C. take when it becomes a state?

Reflections

2008-07-10T16:19:00.000-04:00

After yesterday’s post, I feel enticed to share my feelings and opinions about the different press conferences I have been privileged enough to attend. On Tuesday, the conference was about preventing youth gang-violence while today the conference was called to discuss the developer for the Tenleytown Library. Both were interesting for their respective reasons.

The U Street Corridor has seen some major overhaul during the past few years. More businesses are returning to the area along with more permanent residents. For an area known to be the home of the Black Renaissance, a precursor to the Harlem Renaissance, it is great to see such a vibrant city life returning to an area that has had its ups and downs. The Mayor focused his comments on continuing that trend, of vibrant city life, by incorporating the youth. If the youth of the city have positive and engaging activities to be a part of then there is no reason for any of them to commit crime. The Mayor continued by talking about community involvement and that it is not up to the government alone to solve the Districts problems. As one of my favorite sayings is “either you’re part of the solution or part of the problem,” this is not going to be the last, nor is it the first, time the government asks its citizens to be active in the community. There are rewards for everyone around for any and all positive growth.

A library is a place for a community to come together and share ideas but also learn and grow together. They can be cornerstones and refuge. Remember what they say, “silence is golden.” Well, this press conference was anything but silent. There is a lot of progress to be made in the District, and there is no one certain way to go about making that progress. Finding a 100% agreed upon plan for the city would be impossible, no one can disagree with that statement, but in the end the Mayor has to make a decision and stick to it. The Library’s location is next to the Best Buy and Janney Elementary. So while the community was worried that the green space at Janney was going to be infringed upon, the Mayor said he is going make sure that will not happen. All elected officials know who they work for and this was a good reminder and good to see that this Mayor is no different in knowing that he was voted into office by the citizens of the District of Columbia.

As it’s the middle of the summer there are plenty of posts to come and I hope you have enjoyed the posts so far! Remember to send in an email with any suggestions or ideas, along with any comments! Now I am still looking for answers to our question of the week so send those in by tomorrow! Just remember: Tomorrow is Friday!

Anti-Gang Violence

2008-07-09T14:21:00.000-04:00

If you are pro-gang violence, please exit this blog and never return immediately. The Mayor joined Councilmember Jim Graham (Ward I) yesterday outside the Frank D. Reeves Center on U St. The press conference was called to announce the 20+ mini-grants totaling $200,000 being given to community non-profit organizations. All of these organizations have a proven record of helping the community and the youth in the community by stopping the violence and giving kids alternatives to joining gangs. The Mayor commented on the community involvement because the government can not solve this problem alone and if a group has already implemented change, why not support that?

I was joined at this press confernce by an EOM intern, Shekeda. It was her first mayoral press conference and she had plenty to say:

Fighting to keep the youth away from gang violence and helping to fund non-government organizations that reach out to help the youth of dc is genius! All of the organizations and nonprofits that were awarded the $200,000 grant have already been in action and have proven to work. But standing out in the hot sun was the last thing I thought a press conference would be like. I envisioned a really cold medium sized room, with microphones hooked up to a podium, glaring lights nearly blinding the speaker, and hundreds of camera operators, news casters, and photographers waiting to get the spill. Boy was I wrong. The only thing blinding the speaker was the sun, and the microphones were attached to a portable podium. Beyond that, the cause of the press conference was great. So although we were out in the heat with the sun glaring I am really glad to have been a part of something that will help the youth of the Washington.

Do you have any suggestions for stopping the youth-violence?

Pictures!

2008-07-08T14:39:00.000-04:00

With over 20,000 Summer Youth Employees, which ever D.C. government agency, department, or office you walk into you are bound to run into someone involved in the Summer Youth Employment Program. It is no different if you walk into the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services. DYRS helps the community in a variety of ways including delinquency prevention and the interns stationed there have been helping out even further. Here are a few pictures of DYRS Summer Youth Interns hard at work! And remember, send us any pictures of you in action and we will try to get them up on the website!

Chalethia assembling burgers

Kryon and Kyra setting up lunch trays

Kyron prepping the lunch bags

Parades and Question of the Week

2008-07-07T14:49:00.000-04:00

Who enjoyed their 4th of July? Well the Mayor kept busy going to different events across the District, which included the Palisades Parade. Palisades is a community over in Ward 3, that borders Georgetown and Burleith, home to Councilmember Mary Cheh. Here are two photos:

Natalie (EOM Intern Supervisor and her twin sister)

Me (Jordan) and Jodi showing our Mayor Fenty, USA and DC pride

And now for the question of the week. Once again please send in your replies by the end of the day on Thursday and we will get them up on the blog. This one is meant to get your creative juices flowing!

The current motto on District license plates is "Taxation without Representation" and the official motto of the District, that will be put on the D.C. Quarter, is "Justice for All." If you had a motto for the people of the District to live by what would it be? And Why?

Just send your answers along with a brief explanation and we will get them up on the blog by the end of the week!

Have A Safe 4th of July!

2008-07-03T10:18:00.000-04:00

Ah, its answer time. We went through the responses to the question of the week from this past Monday. There were some great responses, but one stood out. Here is Antwan Jackson's response:

When I first heard of 4th of July, it thought it was similar to Christmas. I thought I was going to get gifts and etc. But now, to me as a Washingtonian, the 4th of July mean the day that America claimed there independence from Great Britain and that I am free and brave enough to stand up for what is right. But as citizens of America, they do not understand or realize what that day mean. They celebrate it by, buying fireworks and explosives. I believe that on the 4th of July, thats when a lot of tragic things happen, like when people get injured by the flames, or people start acting crazy and get drunk and drive and have a accident in which they might kill someone. But I think that the 4th of July should be celebrated in a different way.

We just want to thank Antwan for his words and wish him the best for this upcoming weekend. Maybe someone (older than 18) can get him a sparkler for the fireworks. There will be pictures f the Mayor's 4th to be posted once we all get back from the long weekend. But we couldn't leave you empty handed so here is a photos of Ryon and Ben in the Mayor's Correspondence Unit (MCU).

Ryon standing next to the printer with Ben hard at work.

Mid-Week Post

2008-07-02T10:31:00.000-04:00

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Wednesday! It is only a 4 day work-week. Well that is true, unless you are the Mayor of the Nation's Capital. Just this past weekend, Mayor Fenty was at the DC Caribbean Festival and hosted the US Finals for the Homeless World Cup Street-Soccer Tournament. But while the festival was fun and the Finals were enlightening, there was some D.C. work to be done as well.

Ben's Chili Bowl

The Shaw neighborhood has been seeing some amazing and transformative changes over the past few years. While some worry about gentrification, others still go to the historic Lincoln Theater and then get some food at Ben's Chili Bowl (established 1958 and is Bill Cosby's favorite eatery!). With new businesses opening and a focus on keeping the identity of the community, the Mayor hit his third event of the day.

Lincoln Theater (Smithsonian Picture)

The Historic O St Market is about to get a makeover. The Giant Supermarket next door will double in size and a hotel/condo building will have 80 affordable housing units for seniors. In all this will create over 400 new permanent jobs for D.C. residents while restoring one of historic buildings back into its prestigious self. For more information click here for the press release and photos of the annoucement here.

The entries for the Independence themed Question of the week have been interesting and fun, some will be posted tomorrow! Once again feel free to email us or write a comment below!

Independence!

2008-06-30T06:17:00.000-04:00

The question of the week is here to get you thinking! There is no right answer this time around so feel free to be creative!

The District has gone through many changes and is striving to become a World Class City. So, what does the 4th of July mean to you as a Washingtonian? Is there anything special about D.C. in comparison to where others might live and celebrate the 4th of July?

Feel free to either post in the comments section or shoot me an email!

A winning post will be put on the front page this Thursday.

District of Columbia v. Heller

2008-06-25T12:28:00.000-04:00

The Supreme Court today released its decision in the landmark 2nd Amendment case District of Columbia v. Heller.

The Court's decision, authored by Justice Antonin Scalia, and joined in by Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Thomas, Kennedy, and Alito struck down the District's long-standing ban on handguns.

Justice John Paul Stevens wrote a dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer. Justice Stephen Breyer wrote a separate dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg

The Mayor will hold a press conference outlining the District's response to the decistion at 12:00 pm today on the steps of the Wilson Building.

A Visit to Ward 8 and Profile of DCRA's Intern - Van

2008-06-25T11:55:00.000-04:00

Mayor Fenty with AG Peter Nickles as Van looks on (striped white shirt)

Who would want to live in a slum? No one. Yet some of the residents of D.C. have no choice. Yesterday the Mayor held a press conference outside an apartment building that has had over 120 housing code violations since 2006. It was depressing going through homes that had exposed wires, no working fire alarms, and the occasional dead mouse. The press conference included the interim Attorney General Peter Nickles, Councilmember Cheh (Ward 3), Councilmember Barry (Ward 8), and Director Linda Argo of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA). The apartment building, located across the street from Naylor Gardens in Ward 8, has potential, yet the owner has refused to bring the building up to code. Nickles talked about taking an aggressive position against these owners, including jail time for not responding to code violations. Director Argo discussed a new proactive stance at DCRA that would get more inspectors out and into more buildings, especially ones that they know have had trouble in the past.

Van with the Apartment Building in the background.

Luckily, another Intern was at the press conference and got to tour the apartments as well. Van Crawford is a rising Junior at Dematha HS and lives on 10th St NE. His summer youth employment is in the Director’s office at DCRA. He said that it has been interesting working in an office, something that is different from his musical leanings. Van plans on becoming a musical composition teacher, hopefully at the collegiate level. This press conference only reinforced what he had been hearing from D.C. citizens while at DCRA: there are people living in bad conditions here in D.C. Even while hearing about the hardships of some District residents, he has found the work engaging, interesting and has enjoyed networking with all the new people he meets. We will check back in with Van later in the summer so he can share some other stories with us.

If you have any questions about this Press Conference, or DCRA, feel free to email or comment! We will also have some guest bloggers over the next few days.

Summer Kickoff and Our First Profile

2008-06-24T14:39:00.000-04:00

What a way to start off a summer of fun than to have a moon bounce, snow-cones, and games of kick-ball. Yet there was more! A Velcro-wall , a mobile library, kids doing back-handsprings, and free lunches. Amidst all the kids was Summer Youth Intern, Deron Telesford. Assigned to the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services he got to go out from the Wilson Building and to the Kick Off event for “DC Summer Fun 2008” at Langdon Park Recreation Center.

Deron and DC Summer Fun

Deron is in the class of 2010 at Bowie State University, majoring in Computer Science. He is a resident of Ward 5 and went to Friendship Edison High School. He said he has had some interesting experiences even though he has only been in the MOCRS office for a week. Deron has been helping constituents get in touch with their Neighborhood Service Coordinators. NSCs members of the Mayor’s staff that are out in the District actively solving problems for the Mayor. Deron has been impressed by how smoothly the government runs when all the different branches work together and gets things done.

Mayor Fenty (Left) and Deron (closest to camera)

Here is Deron in his own words, “June 23, 2008 was a day filled with celebration as the youths from different camps and different wards came together at Langdon Park. I observed the children of many ages enjoying the many stations and activities that were set up for them. I also talked with fellow Summer Youth employees and got some feedback on how their summer programs were going so far. When Mayor Fenty arrived, I, along with other interns and members of his staff, walked with him and observed how he related with the people, adults and children alike. I look forward to participating in similar events in the future."

Later in the Summer we will check back in with Deron down at MOCRS to see if he has any more stories or experiences he can share with us. More Pictures are HERE. Any Questions? Feel free to comment!

Welcome Summer Youth Program!

2008-06-23T13:45:00.000-04:00

It is truly an honor to be welcoming you to MayorFentysInterns.blogspot.com. I came up with this idea in order to share the stories and experiences of the youth involved in Mayor Fenty's Summer Youth Program. I am a year-round intern that has been working in the Executive Office of the Mayor since June of 2007. I have come across some amazing people and I have been able to witness some amazing things. But I know I am not alone. So with this website I hope to interview the many people that are working, not only here in the Wilson Building, but also out at worksites.

Mayor Fenty and I at the end of the 2007 Youth Summer Program

Interviews will not be the only posts but also trivia and photos. Feel free to leave comments as I will also be updating the blog with my own experiences throughout the summer.