The Evening News Versus Reality †My Internship at the White House :: Admissions Essay

The Evening News Versus Reality – My Internship at the White House I press the button to playback my voicemail. â€Å"So, Sharon, what war did you plan in Washington?† I groan, and anticipate that the next seven messages are more of the same. I head downstairs, where a roommate had already monopolized the TV and am greeted with â€Å"Hey, Sharon, your boy’s in trouble!† On every channel is the same picture, marines in body bags in a far away land. I had a very different White House internship from Monica Lewinsky’s. Mine came and went without too much national coverage. But I do understand Lewinsky’s awe of power. Though I was most impressed by all the people who worked so hard in D.C., I too was dazzled by the famous personages populating the city. It was hard not to be. Your neighbor might head negotiations for peace in the Middle East. Colin Powell might hold open a door for you. The people filling the town were more than celebrities, they were influencing our future and the fate of nations. On the day of the Vice President’s birthday, his staff threw him a party. All staff were invited, including lowly interns like me. I had not yet met the Vice President, and there was a rumor the President might show up. Finally I would have a chance to meet the man in command. Walking into the Indian Treaty Room, where the party was to be held, I scoped out the best spot to stand for a presidential encounter. I squeezed next to the birthday cake, figuring the Vice President had to stand there at some point, and I waited. I tried to appear outwardly calm, as if I go to these things all the time. I didn’t want to seem too excited to the neurotic Secret Service, or remind a hard-hearted staffer of work needing to be done. But inside, my heart was pumping. Suddenly, the doors swung open and the Vice President casually strode in, smiling. The doors opened again, and President Bush came in, followed by the First Lady. Despite my efforts at nonchalance, my smile was jumping into my ears. Mrs. Bush presented a birthday greeting, then walked over to the Vice President and dumped a bowl of popcorn on his head.