美国国会山上的实习生们_大学英语阅读

美国国会山上的实习生们

I arrived at Capitol Hill nearly an hour early, and had nothing to do until 8:45 a.m. which is when I would actually head over to my office. During that hour, I drank a coffee, went through security to enter the Capitol Hill, and wandered through the expansive halls, imagining I was walking where President Obama once walked. At 8:45 a.m. I finally went to my office, completely unaware of what to expect. I was greeted by the staff assistant, and sat down on the couch. The entire office was clad in Michigan souvenirs. Soda, chips, brochures from Michigan were hung on the walls, sitting on the shelves, and dispersed throughout.

Needless to say , I was interning for the Congresswoman from the state of Michigan.

A couple minutes later, the two other interns began to file in along with the other staff in the office. Everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming, and I was glad my first day was heading in the right direction.

My first day on the job primarily consisted of getting my bearings of Capitol Hill, walking around the premises, and meeting people I needed to meet. The next day, I was bombarded with what my internship duties would actually consist of. I was responsible for handing out the morning newspaper to each staff member and turn on the TV’s in the office. Interns also give tours. I actually gave my first tour a couple days ago to a nice couple from Michigan. I walked them through the old Supreme Court Chamber, the old Senate Chamber, the ornate Rotunda, and through various rooms like the old House of Representatives meeting room. Hillterns also conduct research for bills and press releases, and most importantly: answer phone calls. At first thought, answering phone calls doesn’t seem like an arduous task. Answering phone calls on the Hill, however, is close to torture . Angry constituents call to voice their opinions on certain national and international issues, some people call to inquire on how the Congresswoman would vote on a particular bill, some people want to talk to the other staffers in the office, some people call to complain about their personal problems with the United States government. On a typical day, an intern picks up close to a hundred phone calls about various issues.