Life on the Hill: Dogs, bills and baseball

Schatz is one of dozens of Princetonians who interned in government positions in Washington, where they not only learned about careers in public service but also experienced the lighter side of life on Capitol Hill.

While Schatz described serious duties such as researching a bill on coinage and reading reports, he said that one of his most memorable experiences involved a man who called Polis’ office every day to rant about Helen Thomas, the veteran White House journalist who resigned this summer amid national controversy after making anti-Semitic remarks. The conversations he had with this particular constituent, Schatz said, often took a different turn after about 10 minutes.

“He’d just start ranting about weed,” Schatz said. “It would always end up with me hanging up and him talking about weed.”

Zachary Beecher ’13 received similarly interesting phone calls while interning for Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, R-N.J. “You get people calling in about everything,” he said, describing a caller who was “up in arms” that Barack Obama was not fit to be president. “We were like, we’re local congressmen. If you have a problem, just write to President Obama!”

Amid the excitement, the interns said they established close relationships with the firms and politicians for whom they worked. Schatz, for example, cheered Polis on in a congressional offices baseball game. Polis, who walked around his office in a golf outfit, is a poor runner, Schatz said, “and we teased him about that.”

“It’s awesome to see these guys, these people, who really make humongous differences in our country be so human and so accessible,” he said. “It was a pleasure to realize you can be a humble, honest person ... and still be in politics.”

Camaraderie of this type made interns feel as though they had a real role to play in the office, Schatz said, adding that the professional connections he made were also a benefit.

Beecher echoed this sentiment. “Working on the Hill was something I’ve always wanted to do,” he said. “It’s a backstage pass to the government.”

But the Washington interns said they were also motivated by genuine interest in service.

Josh Bachner ’13, who interned under Ambassador Said Tayeb Jawad at the Afghan Embassy, explained that he had been brought up to fix things he saw wrong in the world. His grandfather is a Holocaust survivor, “so it’s gotten a deep hold of me,” he said.

Schatz was similarly passionate. “I think that I care about things,” he said. “I know that sounds dumb, but I care enough to get involved. I’m a person who likes to stay busy but also make a difference.”

He added that in politics people make “connections that are mutually beneficial,” rather than conduct a dirty business.

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Though most of the interns said their internships had not steered them toward any particular careers, a few noted that majoring in politics or the Wilson School has become even more appealing after their summer experiences.

“I know now that I would like to be involved in international relations, development, security and social entrepreneurship,” Bachner said.

Meanwhile, politics major Gabriela Gonzalez-Araiza ’12 said that her internship outside of government at The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty helped her decide to study domestic rather than international law.

For others, a summer internship allowed an ever further narrowing of academic interests. Chemistry major Jasmine Hay ’12, who interned at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, said her internship helped seal her decision to attend law school and study patent law.

“It’s confirmed that this is something I want to do,” she said. “I hadn’t reevaluated this decision until summer, and I think this is still something I am interested in.”