D.C Interns 08 ... it sure is great

Memories of DC

2008-07-21T08:59:00.002-04:00

I hope you all are doing well. I just thought I would take a few minutes and post a few words on our blog. Things in DC could not be better and each of us is having an incredible experience. I am having a great time at HHS and I am learning a great deal about our health care system and some of the various disparities that exists within the system. The Secretary often talks about how we don't have a true system rather we have a sector. I have to agree that we have many problems in health care but the work that continues to happen at HHS is remarkable and Secretary Leavitt is an inspirational leader who is committed in developing a system that will better the health of the American people.

If you all have a chance please take a minute and check out his blog:

http://secretarysblog.hhs.gov/my_weblog/

I hope you all can take a minute and blog about your own experiences. We each have amazing stories and we need to share them with one another.

All my best,
Marko

July 4th DC Events...

2008-07-03T13:27:00.002-04:00

Hope everyone is doing well. I just wanted to give you a quick outline of some of the things we are planning on doing tomorrow. Anyone is welcome to join us. If you have questions or concerns you all know where to find me.

9:30-10:30 Breakfast with Intern Cohort

10:30-11:00 Prepare to leave for the day!

11:45-1:45 Independence Day Parade
(http://www.july4thparade.com/)

2:00-5:00 Hang out on the National Mall

8:00-9:30 The Capitol Fourth Concert
(http://www.pbs.org/capitolfourth/concert.html)

9:10-9:30 Fireworks

Happy 4th of July to all of you!
Marko

4th of July Breakfast

2008-06-29T18:20:00.008-04:00

Since our Memorial Day BBQ was such a blast, we decided to have the second installment of our "Hinckley Family" get-togethers this Friday morning to celebrate the 4th of July!Breakfast extraordinaire Randy and Grill-master Marko are hosting this event and will buy all the food. All you have to do is show up and come hungry!! We know that everyone's 4th of July plans are all different, so we thought it would be fun to just get together in the morning for breakfast.

Questions, Comments, Requests:
Randy Wood

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EVERYONE is invited and encouraged to attend!

Cost = $5.00 (no need to bring food, it will be provided)

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p.s. RSVP invites has been sent out on facebook to the members of our "DC Summer Interns 08" group and to those of you anti-facebook peeps. Please RSVP, so we can know how many to count on and buy food for.
p.p.s. If you are vegetarian or vegan, please let us know in advance so we can make arrangements.

DC Book

2008-06-17T15:08:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone!

Marko and I have begun a new project that we want all of you to be involved with!! We are going to collect pictures and stories throughout the summer and publish a book. So, if there is anything you've already done that you'd like in the book, just e-mail me pics (meagan.kline@hotmail.com). Also, if there is anything you'd like in the book, just let me know. We are going to try and get a book for everyone in the group, so let's make it the best we can!

One more thing...we are going to do mini-bios for each intern. If you could e-mail a little blurb about what you do at your job that would be great. Thanks!!

-Meagan Kline

Free "Bunker Hill" Movie tonight at UDC

2008-06-12T15:01:00.007-04:00

Hey Interns!

Just a friendly reminder that the ACLU movie premier of "Bunker Hill" is TONIGHT! It starts at 6:30 Pm at the University of D.C. (UDC), which is just across the street from us and the Giants supermarket in that ugly concrete building. It's in the UDC Auditorium, Building 46

I will save some seats for the Hinckley interns, so just feel free to show up! If you have questions, call me. Also, Govenor Sebelius (short list for Obama's Veep) will be there, along with a bunch a law school deans.... so bring you cameras.

Thanks
Megan Call

KiNG's DoMiNioN

2008-06-12T09:57:00.009-04:00

You ain't cool unless you pee your pants... on a roller coaster!

Check out the Anaconda @ King's Dominion. It is the only roller coaster to dive into dangerous underwater territory of an anaconda. If you would like to pee your pants on this quirky adventure join the other cool people on Saturday, June 21st - all day! Rides to the park must be coordinated, but there are already about 15 interns from the RNC going and we can purchase group discount tickets if I know exactly how many of you want to come. Don't miss out on one of the greatest days of all time...please let met know if you are interested in coming!

Laney Z

I heart Extreme Make-Over Home Edition

2008-06-12T09:43:00.006-04:00

Good Morning!

I just received some wonderful news. Extreme Make-Over Home Edition is building a house in Maryland!! So close right? If you would like to volunteer with me and many others please click the link below and sign-up on a volunteer form. They will be building June 22-29. There is a meeting tonight (I will not be attending), however when you sign up just make it clear what you would like to do and when you are available. Make sure that you indicate that you would like to participate in the Braveheart scene, then we all can stand around cheering when the family first sees their new home screaming "MOVE THAT BUS!" Let me know if you are signing up and we all can go volunteer together :-).

Thanks,
Laney Z
lanerzaz@hotmail.com

To sign up to volunteer or more information on the event, goto: http://www.classicextreme.net/

I want a job with the government ... where do I start?

2008-06-11T12:09:00.008-04:00

So they tell us all that we need to be "networking" to ensure connections for future employment opportunities right? Well... it turns out that getting a governmental job is a little more complicated than I thought. When I have some down-time at work, I have been researching on how to get a job in the government and I only have read things I don't understand like GS- and CL- levels, KSAs, OF-612, and many more acronyms. I found a handy guide online today that explains how government jobs work, their pay scales, and it put things in better perspective for me.

I found it to be very helpful and I wanted to share it with everyone in case anyone else might be interested in find a U.S. Job as well. The best resource I found so far is the USAJobs.gov website which lets you check out any openings of jobs and you can also search geographically. I know that a lot of us aren't planning on graduating too soon, but if you are interested in governmental career, this summer can be a great start.

I know that the Hinckley has awesome forums on "Jobs in the Foreign Service" and other things, because I have attended them in the past. So make sure to check out their website for more info on this Fall's upcoming forums.

Check out these links below:

The US Govt employment website: www.usajobs.opm.gov
www.StudentJobs.gov provides information about sweet govt jobs for students that you can have during high school, college, or grad school or even summer-only jobs.
"How to get a job in the Federal Government" Guide - click here

P.S. You all would be so proud of my "networking" thus far. I had a board meeting here at work with a guy from BusinessWire who works in media and public relations (my interest). After the meeting I asked him about how he got his job, where he went to school, his major, etc. and it turns out we have a lot in common. So he gave me his card and we are going to go to lunch next week! SA-WEEET! Networking ... it's amazing!

--Randy

Hillary Clinton Concedes Speech

2008-06-07T19:04:00.005-04:00

It was a blistering hot humid early Saturday morning, and the girls of Room 330 waited around two blocks to get a glimpse of Hillary Rodham Clinton. In a ground breaking historical campaign where both candidates were qualified for the poistion, and a race that could have been swayed either way, the Democratic Party finally has a presidential nominee.

Senator Clinton radiated onto the stage with husband Bill and daughter Chelsea only to deliver her last speech as a presidential nominee, but maybe a potential VP nominee. The audience responded only with the utmost respect and showed gratitude towards her hard work for the last 16 months on the campaign trail.

She started by saying "This isn't the party I planned, but I enjoy the company" which showed her remorse for not being the nominee yet indicating her support for the Democratic Party. She continued by pledging her 100% support for Senator Obama in the general election. Senator Clinton kept a strong stature to show her supporters that the party is what is most important for success in the future.

The girls of Room 330 are thrilled to have experienced this event--an event which marks a historical moment. This was a campaign that was closely watched by America and it finally has a nominee...and to be part of that experience is simply amazing, regardless of political preference.

-Elyse, Suzanne, Kasi and Suneeti-

Charity Event for Chinese Earthquake (University of Maryland)

2008-06-05T11:29:00.006-04:00

Hello everybody,

To dedicate to 5/12/08 China Earthquake victims, there will be a Chinese Charitable Culture Event on Jun 8th (this Sunday) from 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the University of Maryland, College Park, which is organized by the 24 Chinese Students and Scholars Associations in D.C. The ticket is $10 for each. All the proceeds will be donated to the China earthquake victims. If you are interested in attending the performance, please let me know because Sally and I will be attending and we would appreciate your help.

You can go to this website for more information: www.dccssa.org

Thanks,
Daisy & Sally

p.s. Please see a flyer below; please note that the time listed is incorrect. It is to be held from 4:30 to 9:00 pm.

Thanks Randy!

2008-06-04T22:40:00.003-04:00

I just want to thank Randy for his help with our blog. I am glad we have someone who has such vast knowledge about technology to help us set up a blog. He is legit, if you know what I mean.

This is a great opportunity to post about each of our experiences so please post.

Best,
Marko

Life in the District is amazing!

2008-06-04T20:19:00.004-04:00

Well, the blog is finally up! It has been a really fast two weeks, I can barely believe it. But they have been off the chain and Van Ness is where it is at. Sharon, Janice, Dimitri, and the whole Consulate crew are the bomb track! I hope that this blog can be a fun way for all of us to connect and most of all laugh about all the crazy things going on in D.C., the Metro, the Consulate, and anywhere else.

--Randy

Ahhh.... remember when it was good weather?

... Under Construction ...

2008-06-04T11:31:00.002-04:00

FYI: This blog is currently under construction, but will be available soon.