Lex Libertas

Federal Culture

Although I've only been twice, for a grand total of six days, it seems that Washington, D.C. has a very particular, unique culture. As such, I was interested when I stumbled across a non-native describing the peculiarities of our capital city. I especially liked the section on interns. Though I never interned in D.C., I did intern for a Senator and a Gubernatorial candidate in California, and I can imagine what it would be like. A good friend of mine is now studying law in D.C., where he interned as well. I'm keen to hear his interpretation of the views presented in the article.

Every summer, the city is inundated with some 24,000 college-age workers, who are all convinced that somehow making coffee for a congressman’s press secretary is a secret door into the corridor of power. They speak emotively about wanting to do something that ‘matters,’ when in fact it’s just a way to pad their résumés. And, of course, they clog every cheap bar in town, holding up the line while the bouncer inspects their hastily-laminated fake IDs. Virtually everyone in the city started as an intern, but it doesn’t stop people from wanting to kill them. Or sleep with them.

If anything Monica made us all more aware about one of the most common, but generally unkown practices.