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My name is Katiana Hutchinson and I am senior here at CU �鶹ӰԺ studying Spanish and International Affairs. While I find both disciplines to be entirely enjoyable, I was not given work assignments in either subject matter. The magnificent wonder and awe of the DC monuments did not subside under a Trump administration. The late night pizza parlors did not shut during the Kavanaugh hearings. Most importantly to me, the parks hidden in the unpopulated crevasses of the city did not vanish during days when the sun was hugging us all so tightly, nor during the days when the freezing rain would prevail. Oh no. The District of Columbia - a city that refuses to take a day off - taught me lessons I didn’t even know I needed to learn.

I was fortunate enough to earn an internship in the US House of Representatives as an intern for former Congressman and current Governor of Colorado, Jared Polis. What an honor this was. To walk the very halls where policy that legitimized my right to work there at all was an overwhelming feeling. The tasks I responsible for consisted mostly of maintaining a hospitable attitude. Constituent calls, office meetings, capitol tours, cloak-room runs, briefing memos, and eventually closing down the office. These tasks populated my schedule 9-5. I would argue that they “used my mine, and they never gave me credit” but only a fool would let that drive them crazy if they let it. It was a sheer pleasure to not only be working at the pleasure of my college town Congressman, but it was a privilege to work on behalf of my peers, family, and neighbors. Three times during the semester, in fact, ultimate frisbee teammates of mine came to DC and found time to receive a personalized Capitol Tour by yours truly.

Much like House of Cards or The West Wing my experience was not (not that I had any expectations of that being the case). Sitting in literally any seat in Congress is a humbling affair. My first day that I was sent to a lunch briefing, I was so nervous, I didn’t even seek out the food….if you knew me, your mouth would be agape. I came earlier than I had ever (come for anything in my life, sat in the front, for fear I would miss a word or key statistic that The Congressman would certainly expect, and all hell would break loose. It should suit you to know that this didn’t happen. In fact, I learned the ropes of Congress (or rather the physical structure) faster than I had anticipated. I discovered the secret hallways and corridors and passageways that led me to a point of interest but circumvented the tourists. It was only after three weeks when the label of tourist was thrust from my demeanor and I felt like I was a part of the clock that used every part to perform its function, however small or slowly. This was a very gratifying feeling indeed.

My favorite task was giving Capitol Tours to my Colorado constituents. This part of the job truly made me feel important and involved. During the time of the Kavanaugh hearings, DC in the AM was far different than DC during the PM. DC by morning involved banging of drums and marching protestors and chanting of survivors and the ringing of sirens. At one time, I attempted to enter the Hart Senate Office Building for an afternoon briefing, and I was escorted away from a hallway that was shutdown do to protestors in the building. On the northeast side of the Capitol Building, one grassroots rally was competing with a rally sponsoring Senator Elizabeth Warren in front of the Supreme Court.

It was very unclear to me what was common and what was stranger than fiction. Being in DC during this past Fall Semester was an interesting time to be in DC, given the state (an soon to be future state) of our Presidential Administration and the high tides and rolling waves of the 2018 Midterm election. Come late October, I would confident in saying that 50% of the Congressional Office Buildings were not shut down due to the extremely high number of persons re-running for office, but the offices were instead run by us newly free from puberty interns - plenty stil teenagers. This alone shocked me than anything else in DC. Because of the high stakes of the midterms, many Senators and Reps., much like mine, entrusted their staff with full focus and commitment until their return. This was empowering to say the least.

Although my interactions with Rep. Polis were much more limited than I had anticipated, however, the office environment reminded me much of being back at CU on the Ultimate Frisbee team, Kali. Quirky personalities and decisive behavior make for a strong and dynamic team. Much like Kali, each member of the staff in my office presented me with such a healthy example of balancing professionalism with comradery. I saw this often here at CWCTP, and I saw it void of any partisan division. Although it was an experience of a lifetime working for my representative, it saddened me that my office and I were limited on who were could work with and who we could fraternize with. I truly did witness a time in America's history where our leaders display some of the most divisive, close-minded behavior. Sometimes, the best lesson for someone like me to learn is what to do so not to repeat the same mistakes. This is an imperfect nation, lacking inclusive leadership. I cannot wait to go back and show DC what all I’ve learned since living there.

-Katiana Hutchinson