Almost a month in, I'm finding city life to be expensive. Of course, I knew it coming in, and so I'm doing my best with it.
I recently purchased my ticket home for Thanksgiving for $400+. Ouch. And my credit card bills from that shopping spree at Ikea are coming in too. Thankfully, my grandmother Audrey sent me an early birthday present of a down comforter, sheet set and a duvet cover. So I'll be sleeeping warm as it starts to turn colder (lows are in the 40s already).
However, there are some things that are free here, such as the museums and monuments, I visited the Air and Space museum last week with my friend's dad. Also free is my daily running route that takes me by the White House and past the National Mall. I have been running at night, which is surprisingly safer than you would expect, and the city is beautiful when it's lit up.
The cultural experience here is interesting (and free, most of the time) as well. I've attended a few panels and am trying to make the most of the culture here (today we attended a panel/luncheon for Banned Books Week, incredibly interesting). On Wednesday I left work early to attend a Law School fair on George Washington University's campus, located just one stop up the metro from my work (and two stops from my apt). I got some great information on a lot of law schools that I'm very interested in for next year. LSU and Tulane were there, as well as several of my top schools. Going to the fair was a great financial decision as well, as I actually managed to get fee waivers to apply to Indiana-Bloomington, U. of Miami and Colorado-Boulder, all schools I was thinking about in the first place. The fee waivers make those applications extremely easy and economical.
No pictures to post today. More after we get some more stuff in the apartment. At work, things are much more lively (as you'll see if you check our Web site regularly). My interns arrived two weeks ago and they're great, we've hung out outside of work and went to brunch at Nathan's in Georgetown last Sunday.
I've spent the last few weeks setting up the new apartment, acquiring things through craigslist and watching LSU football with the Tiger contingent up here. We all get together at a Capitol bar and there have been some long nights (usually after we win). Everyone watched the Saints' game Monday night at the bar as well.
I'm still trying to decide what I'm doing this weekend -- might be heading up to New York City to see Jay and some other folks. Need to evaluate the financial situation. More to come.
Sep 28, 2006
Sep 14, 2006
Big Victory
I just found out The Daily Reveille is a finalist for the National Newspaper Pacemaker Award, the most prestigous award in collegiate journalism, for my last semester as editor-in-chief as well as my friend Walter's semester as EnC.
We haven't won the award since 2003, when our campus safety special edition (during the Serial Killer crisis) was published. Granted, we're only a finalist, but it's still a great step.
Hurricane Katrina helped us along this time. This is a big personal vindication for many of us who worked at TDR through Katrina and covered the event in our special edition, Enduring Katrina. That hard work paid off earlier in the year with victories at the Louisiana Press Association Awards and another Pacemaker would be a great addition to the Newsroom.
What a great way to start the day.
We haven't won the award since 2003, when our campus safety special edition (during the Serial Killer crisis) was published. Granted, we're only a finalist, but it's still a great step.
Hurricane Katrina helped us along this time. This is a big personal vindication for many of us who worked at TDR through Katrina and covered the event in our special edition, Enduring Katrina. That hard work paid off earlier in the year with victories at the Louisiana Press Association Awards and another Pacemaker would be a great addition to the Newsroom.
What a great way to start the day.
Sep 12, 2006
Cold? In September?
It started off cold and gloomy, but now it's a beautiful day here in DC. Right now, in the middle of the day, it's about 68 degrees (it was 60 this morning) and I actually wore a jacket to work today, for all you Southern folk. I have a feeling I'm going to have a little trouble with this cold weather... probably need to look into more cold weather clothes. I don't think I'll be wearing shorts in December here.
My first intern arrived today, and we've been busy doing orientation and some writing stuff.
For my friends: I've created a new Facebook group specifically for student journalists, something we're doing here in the office to try and educate college and high school students about their rights. Join up if you're on Facebook. The group name is "Fight Student Censorship" and should be up and running this evening.
Hope you all have enjoyed my recent updates to the blog. I sent out mass e-mails last night to friends and family, letting them know I am now up and running!
My first intern arrived today, and we've been busy doing orientation and some writing stuff.
For my friends: I've created a new Facebook group specifically for student journalists, something we're doing here in the office to try and educate college and high school students about their rights. Join up if you're on Facebook. The group name is "Fight Student Censorship" and should be up and running this evening.
Hope you all have enjoyed my recent updates to the blog. I sent out mass e-mails last night to friends and family, letting them know I am now up and running!
Sep 11, 2006
My apartment and new job
OK -- time for post No. 2.
Chris picked me up from Dulles Sunday and we went to his place in Columbia Heights. Although his basement apartment was in a highly desirable part of town for our age range, it was quite small, so living there until Thursday was going to be roughing it.
Monday we spent way too much money at Ikea, and even drove to Baltimore to get a certain piece of furniture. We started using Craigslist to find a TV, and we actually have used the online classifieds service to find barstools, kitchen supplies, microwaves, really cheap.
Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. I started my new job at the Student Press Law Center in Rosslyn, Va. My first day was filled with going through the handbook, learning about policies, filling out forms, etc. The office is great. My cubicle, is in a corner area that I share with Abbie, our development director, who is from Oklahoma. Our desks are positioned on a window that overlooks the national mall and on even a cloudy day you can see the U.S. Capitol building. Planes landing at Reagan go by my window on a regular basis. The neighborhood, Rosslyn, is a corporate area (my mom's DC office actually used to be right across the street, so I have an idea of the area). The blue/orange line metro is two blocks away.
So for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I spent the days at the SPLC learning my new job and writing stories.
My Job
So, about my new job. I work for a lawyer named Mark Goodman, who is the executive director of the SPLC. The SPLC shares a suite of offices with the Reporter's Committee for the Freedom of the Press, and we're based out of the Freedom Forum building in Rosslyn. Basically it's a huge First Amendment lovefest in our office, all overlooking the Capitol. There are lawyers, interns, fellows like myself. It's great. It's really laid back (no dress code, although I'm still in the dress-up mode. They say that will change). The office is right up my alley.
On the SPLC side of the office is Mark's office, Adam (a on-staff attorney from NYC), myself and Abbie. Our little cubicle offices are at the front of what doubles as our newsroom, which is basically three desks and a central meeting table in the middle of the room.
I write stories and run our Web site, manage our three college interns and also edit and lay out our thrice-yearly magazine, the SPLC Report. The SPLC basically covers anything that could affect the free press and expression rights of students. That's a very narrow spectrum but it has given me the opportunity to write some very interesting stories.
More about the new job later. It's a lot of fun, the view is great, the office is laid back. And after all, I get to write about George Bush t-shirts and banners about Jesus.
Two days into my new job, on Wednesday night, my grandmother Audrey came to visit. I met Audie and her friend Nancy, Nancy's granddaughter and my cousin Jay Sternberg for dinner in DuPont Circle.
Dinner in Dupont
New Apartment
We moved in Wednesday night until late, but didn't get to sleep there because our beds weren't being delivered until Thursday. I was impressed with the apartment, the living room/kitchen is great. My room, not so great. No windows!
So Thursday evening when I got off of work and went straight to my new place. Chris got off of work late, and we used his two-door Honda civic to move most of our stuff to the place. We had spent way too much money at Ikea the weekend before, and so they were kind enough to deliver the stuff we couldn't fit in the Civic (for a fee, of course). Ironically, Chris and I got the same bedframe.
The Bar/Kitchen Area
The bar into the living room (Ikea furniture)
A glimpse into my room... it is quite small.
My neighborhood is great, I have about a 2-mile running route that takes me past the White House. I have a 15-minute walk every morning and a 10-minute metro ride straight to work. There's a whole foods about 10 minutes away and another grocery store closer. Chris has a reserved parking spot so we can drive when we need it. We even have TIVO and found a great TV on craiglist.
Chris picked me up from Dulles Sunday and we went to his place in Columbia Heights. Although his basement apartment was in a highly desirable part of town for our age range, it was quite small, so living there until Thursday was going to be roughing it.
Monday we spent way too much money at Ikea, and even drove to Baltimore to get a certain piece of furniture. We started using Craigslist to find a TV, and we actually have used the online classifieds service to find barstools, kitchen supplies, microwaves, really cheap.
Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. I started my new job at the Student Press Law Center in Rosslyn, Va. My first day was filled with going through the handbook, learning about policies, filling out forms, etc. The office is great. My cubicle, is in a corner area that I share with Abbie, our development director, who is from Oklahoma. Our desks are positioned on a window that overlooks the national mall and on even a cloudy day you can see the U.S. Capitol building. Planes landing at Reagan go by my window on a regular basis. The neighborhood, Rosslyn, is a corporate area (my mom's DC office actually used to be right across the street, so I have an idea of the area). The blue/orange line metro is two blocks away.
So for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I spent the days at the SPLC learning my new job and writing stories.
My Job
So, about my new job. I work for a lawyer named Mark Goodman, who is the executive director of the SPLC. The SPLC shares a suite of offices with the Reporter's Committee for the Freedom of the Press, and we're based out of the Freedom Forum building in Rosslyn. Basically it's a huge First Amendment lovefest in our office, all overlooking the Capitol. There are lawyers, interns, fellows like myself. It's great. It's really laid back (no dress code, although I'm still in the dress-up mode. They say that will change). The office is right up my alley.
On the SPLC side of the office is Mark's office, Adam (a on-staff attorney from NYC), myself and Abbie. Our little cubicle offices are at the front of what doubles as our newsroom, which is basically three desks and a central meeting table in the middle of the room.
I write stories and run our Web site, manage our three college interns and also edit and lay out our thrice-yearly magazine, the SPLC Report. The SPLC basically covers anything that could affect the free press and expression rights of students. That's a very narrow spectrum but it has given me the opportunity to write some very interesting stories.
More about the new job later. It's a lot of fun, the view is great, the office is laid back. And after all, I get to write about George Bush t-shirts and banners about Jesus.
Two days into my new job, on Wednesday night, my grandmother Audrey came to visit. I met Audie and her friend Nancy, Nancy's granddaughter and my cousin Jay Sternberg for dinner in DuPont Circle.
Dinner in Dupont
We moved in Wednesday night until late, but didn't get to sleep there because our beds weren't being delivered until Thursday. I was impressed with the apartment, the living room/kitchen is great. My room, not so great. No windows!
So Thursday evening when I got off of work and went straight to my new place. Chris got off of work late, and we used his two-door Honda civic to move most of our stuff to the place. We had spent way too much money at Ikea the weekend before, and so they were kind enough to deliver the stuff we couldn't fit in the Civic (for a fee, of course). Ironically, Chris and I got the same bedframe.
Chris assembling his new bed. We worked late that night -- till about 3 a.m.
So now we're in and although we don't have a lot of art for the walls or little things to fill the shelves, we're working on it. My room is very small but I'm paying less and my closet is huge. Here are some more pics from the apt.
The Bar/Kitchen Area
The bar into the living room (Ikea furniture)
A glimpse into my room... it is quite small.
My neighborhood is great, I have about a 2-mile running route that takes me past the White House. I have a 15-minute walk every morning and a 10-minute metro ride straight to work. There's a whole foods about 10 minutes away and another grocery store closer. Chris has a reserved parking spot so we can drive when we need it. We even have TIVO and found a great TV on craiglist.
So that's where I am. Hope you all have enjoyed this blog so far, I'm going to keep it up to date with what's going on. I miss you all, I miss Louisiana and although I went to watch the game with all the LSU alums up here Saturday night, it's not the same. The food sucks -- send Tony's, po-boy bread, doberge and Community Coffee.
Sep 10, 2006
On the way out
So I'm new to this blogging thing, but I hope you all enjoy my thoughts and ramblings about my new life in Washington, D.C.
My last weekend in NOLA and BR was spent packing and shipping things up to my new apartment (more about that later). My dad and I ate some great food, and I bought a new camera to mark my exodus.
I started with pictures of my two-year-old brother and sister, Sam and Sophie.
From New Orleans I headed to Baton Rouge, where I got to eat breakfast with my mom and sister, Marylee, before they headed off to New York City.
Quality time with my lovely girlfriend
Are you getting the chills? I am.
"At what point did you look around your Pulitzer-prize winning newsroom and thing to yourself... 'man, we better get Sternberg in on this action.' - Mat Sanders to Peter Kovacs, Managing Editor of The Times-Picayune.I was just grateful to be there. Mat was talking with Kovacs while he visited The Daily Reveille recently, and decided to give him a hard time about my freelance job at the Picayune this summer. I wrote 7 stories for what basically amounts to a business Special Section, a pull-out section of the newspaper. It should be out in October and I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out. It was a great experience to be back at the Pic, I missed those guys back in the Money section. If you ever get a chance to see The Times-Picayune at work, it's a beautiful thing. The paper (especially post-K) really is about a conversation between the people and the system, and I like to think the paper is strongly on the people's side.
My last weekend in NOLA and BR was spent packing and shipping things up to my new apartment (more about that later). My dad and I ate some great food, and I bought a new camera to mark my exodus.
I started with pictures of my two-year-old brother and sister, Sam and Sophie.
Then, my last gameday. LSU vs. ULL. For all of you that I missed, I'm really sorry... it was an exhausting day. My friend Tyler came down from Jackson and I got to hang out with a lot of my Natchez friends as well as spend some time at the (huge) Sig Ep tailgate.
Quality time with my lovely girlfriend
Are you getting the chills? I am.
It was a great weekend, but I'm glad that I finally made it to DC. My new roommate Chris Kirkham, a former T-P intern, picked me up from Dulles on Sunday and I started my new job Tuesday morning. So far, it's great. More to come later.
Sep 8, 2006
Test Post
This is my first post, everyone. I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but I'm hoping to keep you all updated about my adventures in DC. I have a bunch of great pictures to post as soon as I get Internet at my new place, which is between downtown DC and Shaw, near McPherson Square, for all you district folk.
More to come.
More to come.
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