Sunday, June 5, 2022
By:
This week has been a whirlwind of new experiences. After moving in on Sunday with the help of my awesome parents, I started meeting many of the other interns. From the beginning, everyone was really friendly and open. On Monday, many of us went to a Memorial Day parade, which was great fun. There were many reenactors and marching bands, and being in DC during Memorial Day was an experience unlike any other. I expect that Independence Day next month will also be spectacular.
We went through an informative orientation on Tuesday at the beautiful American Center for Physics campus (the building is on one of the foci of the ecliptic grounds). After that, I met my mentors, Mitch, Andrea, and Will. My assigned tasks for the next few days were very challenging but also new and interesting! I summarized some bills, attended a briefing, and wrote a few blurbs for the “This Week” publication. I am definitely going to learn a lot over the next two months about science policy and how to report on it.
I’m eager to spend more time with the fellow interns. I really enjoyed baking, playing board games, and exploring with everyone. Just this week, I attended a Memorial Day Parade, went to a drag brunch, smelled a corpse flower, and watched Pirates of the Caribbean for the first time. I’m looking forward to seeing what new experiences we get up to in the next two months.
Matangi Melpakkam