The Fall 2004 and Spring 2005 Study Guides are up!
There's even a special DC Study Guide for surviving the semester in D.C.!
Took quite a long time, might I add...
Because I haven't updated since my finals, this particular update will be an open letter to family and friends:
Emerson once said, "Keep your friendships in repair." My Uncle Johnny from New York City always said, "This is important. We're family." With that in mind, I hope this letter reaches friends and family in good health and spirits this 2005 summer.
I just finished my sophomore semester at CMC on the D.C. Semester program. I chose to stay in Washington D.C. over the summer because I was offered an internship at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in their Natural Resources and Environment Division. The GAO, formerly the General Accounting Office, is the investigative arm of Congress. The GAO, in my view, is the perfect policy institute, allowing for real, unbiased, and straightforward policy analysis in Washington D.C. I will be able to work on environmental issues and my particular interest of water resource issues, but I can also work on nuclear regulatory issues (Russia's constant loose nukes, etc.). I'm fairly young for the Student Intern position, which pays GS-7 pay grade, because most interns are graduate students (mostly MPPs and MPAs). The great thing is that the internship allows for non-competitive placement in the GAO when I graduate. I'll also be taking a history course at George Washington University (GWU) and a literature course at the University of Maryland. Oh by the way, I've developed an interest for solving the problem of water scarcity in the western United States. The goal occurred to me while I was hearing predictions of drought and doom in Colorado, and while seeing how much water the rest of the West uses. I know I'm still interested in politics and government, especially public service in the state of Colorado. One option would be to go back to Colorado and work to be state attorney general or serve as a judge in Colorado, crafting laws that are equitable for those in the West and for Colorado. Another option would be to try my hand in the State legislature, and work my way up there, because as Tip O'Neill always said, "All politics is local." However, I've been wondering recently where I could make the most impact. I could work my way up to be a managing director at GAO, and the great thing is that I wouldn't have to be partisan. It's easier to speculate naively (as many "leaders" in my generation do) about these goals, than to think about the things that really matter: having a family, making sure my children know the value of a dollar, taking care of my health, and making sure that I'm volunteering to help educate kids. I know that I'm working toward those goals and I would give anything to be a good person with a good family. Speaking of which, my girlfriend, Elizabeth, just finished her internship with the Council of Economics Advisers and she's now working for Spiegel & McDiarmid. She's been a really positive force in my life, and our relationship is mature beyond our ages. She's the perfect balance for me: grounded when I'm emotional, caring when I'm disillusion, and really my "better half." She's German-Norwegian, and I don't think that's a problem. I know this is an important issue that each Chinese-American has to deal with in his/her life, and I think that we've dealt with it. Sometimes we argue about what to buy, usually with me being the stingy one. She wants me to speak Chinese to her so she can learn it. Additionally, she has no problem with rice at every meal and already knows how to cook my mother's recipes. She is a very humble person who doesn't drink or smoke, loves plants & children, and respects her family and mine. In other news, my sister Shiela is staying with me this summer to work an internship at PIPA and take a physiology class at GWU. In conclusion, life is well. I know for some this may be the first correspondence in many years, while for others, it is a regular event. I sincerely want to know how you are doing. If you're in Washington D.C., contact me and we can have lunch. In the meantime, send me an e-mail and picture so I can update my family & friends picture gallery. All the Best, Andrew
As usual, here are some websites for your review:
- Chronicles of Narnia are so cool.
- NPR now lists Driveway Moments. They just get cooler and cooler.
- Have you ever heard This American Life on the radio? This is quality entertainment, no matter what your tastes. Listen to it on the web.