Matt's Blog

We're Moving!!

2010-09-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Sorry it took me so long to update. The start of the semester is upon us here at Stonehill which has made me very busy. Well, that and the fact that I did not have the internet for three weeks!

Anyway...BIG NEWS!!

WE ARE MOVING!!

I will no longer be updating this site. Stonehill created a brand new page for me and we are taking our show on the road.

www.stonehillblogs.org/mgorman

Set your bookmarks now!

Don't fear though. This blog will still be here and you can look back at all the cool things I've done over the last year on this very site.

Take care and I'll see you at my new home!

Wedding Bells

2010-08-10T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks,

Right now the sun is setting on a balmy August afternoon and I figured I would look back and tell you all a little bit about a big happening in my family from last month.

Frequent followers of the blog may know my cousin Eddie and his fiance Ashley from my time down in D.C. They live in Virginia and I was a often in there apartment watching Yankee games or spending my last day in a snow-covered capital.

Well after ten years of dating (all the way back to junior year of high school) and six months of engagement, the day had finally come for them to tie the knot! They got married in their hometown of Wappingers Falls, NY. I was also very fortunate to be asked to be a groomsman in their wedding party.

My duties as a groomsman commenced with a bachelor party in June held in none other than Seaside Heights, NJ. Come mid-July however, it reached it's pinnacle with the big day.

The wedding was set for Friday evening, but I made the trek from MA to NY early for the rehearsal dinner. They decided to hold it at my uncle's (Eddie's father's) house. Complete with deck, pool, and enough room to crash, it had everything we were looking for. Once back from the church, the wedding party wasted no time in sampling the caterer's hors'doeuvres.

The groomsmen were also sure to do one thing immediately: empty their pockets. With the combination of 20-something men and an in-ground pool, it only meant that sooner rather than later we would get our turn touching the bottom of the pool with our dress pants and polo shirts. One by one, the groomsmen would shoot looks to each other planning which unsuspecting soul that would get next. I eventually fell. Before the night was done, all the members of the wedding party except the bride would find their way in the pool.

After we dried ourselves off, we went inside for the wedding party gifts. While the bridesmaids got necklaces, the groomsmen received engraved wood baseball bats to mark the occasion.

The next morning was a case study in gender differences. The women woke up around 7:30am, ate breakfast, got their hair done, got their makeup done, set up the bridal suite, took pictures, waited for the limo, yada, yada, yada...

We groomsmen awoke around 10:30 or 11am, realized what time it was, went back to sleep, woke up an hour or so later, had some lunch, and swam in the pool. Around 2:30, we started getting dressed and climbed in the limo (complete with suicide doors for that Back to the Future look) and made our way to the church. Here we are recreating our best Michael J. Fox pose...

Cue the "Here comes the bride..."

After a brief ceremony, we were back in what was now a very crowded limo for a ride to the picture location: a park along the Hudson river. We took a few pictures and spied an empty shipping vessel docked and climbed aboard for some action shots. We then made the short ride to the reception, which was a tent overlooking the Hudson and Mid-Hudson Bridge.

The wedding party camped out in the bridal suite enjoying the drinks and hors'doeuvres that the wait staff kept bringing us. I was starving, so this was a welcome surprise. When I had devoured all I could from the suite, we were all introduced and the party was officially kicked off.

It would not be a wedding without ridiculous dancing...and this was no exception. It seems that we are all given immunity from looking like fools. Whether it is my cousin's husband Rob stinging guitar solo during 'Don't Stop Believing", my cousin's boyfriend Chris channeling his Darwinian past through his crocodile nose and gorilla thumping, or my trademark "crypt walk" during "Beat It", it seemed like we are were serial offenders that night.

Here's to another great family wedding in the books!

Congrats Eddie and Ashley!

Take care all!

We're Back!!!

2010-08-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Here's another YouTube video courtesy of Brian and I. This time we tackle the SpoCo...

Enjoy!

Good Food, Good Weather, and E Street Radio...

2010-08-01T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

The title says it all. It is the story of my vacation.

We started out Friday morning. My parents came and got me at Stonehill, pulling up in a grey Chevy Malibu. I instinctively piled in the backseat, ready to relax with my earbuds and a fully-charged iPod. Then my mom dropped the A-bomb:

"You're driving."
"Oh, C'mon!"
"We got satellite radio..."

Done.

You may or may not know that my one of my favorite things in this world is XM/Sirius radio. It is awesome. I am constantly amazed at all the options and, of course, the all Bruce station E Street Radio. We don't have it in any of our cars, so whenever I get a chance to use it, I jump at it!

There I was, rolling down Route 6 blasting "Badlands" and ready to start my vacation. We got into our hotel around 4 and I took the liberty to plop myself down on the bed for a much-needed nap.

Upon waking, I hazily turned to A&E for the Criminal Minds marathon. Before I was able to get too invested in Hotch and the team, my mother hurried me along to get ready for dinner. The Lobster Claw in Orleans awaited the hungry Gormans.

As we took our seat in booths that made a school bus seat feel comfortable, I promptly ordered and soon devoured the swordfish and a side of scallops. After we were done, we stopped over at the Eastham Post Office to mail the postcard that was given with our check and spied a Christmas Tree Shop. A good hour and fifteen minutes later, we were finally out of the store and on our way to the next stop of the night: a Cape Cod League Baseball game!

I love going to Cape League games. Unfortunately, the real MLB names like the Mets, Athletics, and Cardinals have been replaced by the likes of the Harbor Hawks, Anglers, and Firebirds. You still get to see some great players and just enjoy a cool summer evening. We stayed in Orleans for a home game, dodging rain drops as we sat in our lawn chairs.

We left the game a tad early and cruised around Route 28 for a bit. I stopped at a store that smelled like old incense and browsed the selection of Springsteen posters and Dylan records. In the end, as is the sign of a great night, we ended up at an ice cream shop next to our hotel.

The next morning came quite quickly as we caught the mid-morning ferry to Nantucket. I had never been before, so I did not know what to make of the farthest point in the eastern U.S. My parents and I browsed the shops and side-streets and stopped into the likes of Vineyard Vines, Murray's Toggery, and the Black Dog. After our walking, we crashed near the docks and ordered drinks and appetizers at a local restaurant.

To escape the heat, we booked tickets aboard a tour bus so that we could get a better sense of the island. The bus took us all around and we were able to see Sankaty Light-the island's lighthouse and tried to decipher an incredibly convoluted story on the island's origin. Upon disembarking on our tourist-infested adventure, we walked over to American Seasons, our restaurant for dinner.

The ambiance was really something. It felt like we were eating in a garden terrace. Our family, as usual, did not disappoint when it came time to order, as we shared two appetizers as I dove right into the flat-iron steak.

With our ferry approaching and our time on the island finished, we got ready for day of travel and family. By early afternoon, we were on the road once again. This time heading to Narragansett, R.I. to visit my cousins and my uncle and aunt who flew up from Florida. Momentarily pausing from the Bruce-tunes, we heard on the radio that a 2 mile back-up awaited us on the Sagamore. Upon conferring with a trusty Cape sherpa, we were instructed to find a mysterious "service road" that may or may not end at Hogwarts. Pressing on, we found the traffic report to be...totally false! Maintaining 65 the whole way, we made it across the Pell and Jamestown bridges and into Narragansett in short order.

Arriving at the house, we were greeted by my Aunt Eileen and my Uncles Joe and John as well as their kids, my cousins Joey and Erin, with her husband Greg. Of course, I can't forget Joey's son A.J. and Erin's daughter Isabella. We caught up with each other and stayed late into the night eating and drinking. With the little ones running around, it was also anything but boring. It was really great to see them all.

And with that, my vacation was complete. We drove the sad drive back to Easton on Monday morning and I prepared myself for work the next day. All in all, the three ingredients above made for one heck of a vacation.

Coming soon: a brand new YouTube video and wedding bells in the family...

Take care!

Stop! It's Stonehill Time!

2010-07-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

Stonehill Eight, Stonehill Nine...

2010-07-15T06:50:00.000-07:00

The second day began with a whimper...

I was tired and getting sick, but still had one more day left. We woke up early once again to a breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs. Soon after breakfast was done, we made sure the incoming students got right off to their advising meetings without delay as the PM's enjoyed the sun and caught up on the first day of Orientation. With the echo on "Piano Man" on our minds, we simply laid in the grass and waited for the half-hour to be over.

Once the meetings ended, the shuttling began. With rotation sessions once again filling the morning, we did little more than make sure everyone in our group got out. Once Dunkin Donuts opened, we had our fill of watermelon coolattas and iced coffees to get us through the day.

With lunch came burgers and salad, but also a surreal feeling that the end was sadly, close at hand. We went back into our groups for a final group time to reflect on the day and a half that was, play some final games, and say our goodbyes for the summer.

I took my mark on the steps of Donahue Hall and stood among the Peer Mentors welcoming the incoming class up the steps and to college life. A member of our group read in front of all a statement that encompassed the characteristics of our group and where we stand in the greater Stonehill community. I blew my vuvuzela, which by now had become a trademark in our group, and just like that, the students went home and our job was done.

We stood on the steps, took pictures, and hitched rides on golf carts back to the Commons for our wrap-up meeting. After the meeting, we all received our paper plates to make our "Paper Plate Awards" for our partner. Each year, we design and decorate paper plates to give our partner that highlight an certain aspect of their personality.

This year, I gave Nicole the "Ribbon 'round my Finger Award." For some reason that week, I simply lost everything that I had. From binders to books, bags to cowbells, she was the one who reminded me where everything was and made sure I didn't worry.

We presented our awards later that night at a banquet held in Alumni Hall. We are given a nice dinner and an ever nicer slideshow remembering the week that just passed. The night is filled with laughter and tears.

Around 7pm or so, every member of the Orientation team gets up and presents the paper plate award to their partner and says a little about what the experience has meant to them. These can go on for a loooonnnnngg while and this year was no exception. At around 12am and a venue change, we finally had all the team members say their peace. The hugs and goodbyes continued well into the night. Jeff and I were hungry so we decided to take a ride over to the Brockton Burger King for a little Whopper action. Though the sustenance couldn't mask my tiredness, I finally called it a night around 3am. I had to drive to Seaside Heights, NJ in the morning for a Bachelor Party and needed at least try and rest.

As I look back on Orientation, I realize it was the "First of My Lasts". The beginning of my closing chapter here at Stonehill. Never again will I experience the excitement of a Day One Breakfast in Cleary Dining Room, or the thrill of running into the Sports Complex yelling and screaming, or the pride at the end of the second day as the group ascends the Donahue Stairs. But I can say this: if this week and a half was any indication of my remaining time here, it is going to be one helluva year...

Stonehill Six, Stonehill Seven...

2010-07-12T06:50:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks!

We are back to orientation after a short break in posting. I'll promise I'll wrap this up soon and there'll be plenty more to tell about my vacation and a wedding in the family.

But let's get back to Orientation Session 2.

I awoke early yet again on Thursday morning. I finally began to feel the effects of orientation. My voice was hoarse and my throat was throbbing. But this was a special opening: I was assigned to an entrance!

The entrance, in my opinion, is the best assignment for PM's on the first day. You are the first person to see them as they drive into campus. We try to be as energetic and ridiculous as possible while, inevitably, the incoming freshman cower in the back as their mom or dad honks the horn at our signs.

I was posted at the Route 123 entrance. So I grabbed a vuvuzela (those annoying horns from the World Cup) and a sign ("Honk if you're awkward!") and made my way to the entrance with the rest of the crew.

We got some great reactions from both incoming students and Stonehill staff alike. But soon the time came to head back to the Sports Complex and do our famous run-in and cheer! It was weird to know it would be the last time I'd ever do it, but armed with my whistle and cowbell I knew at least it wouldn't be half-hearted.

We met our group soon after and began, once again, all that is orientation. It was another beautiful-yet slightly hotter-day so we moved some games inside and made sure to take a few more water breaks. We found that our group loved a game we had recently learned called Ninja. It's a pretty fun game and involves so bobbing and weaving. It was a perfect antidote for the usual early awkwardness.

At night, it was once again time for PlayFair. Nicole was lucky enough this time to be able to head to W.B. Mason Field early, while I made head-counts and made sure everyone got there on time. It turned into another beautiful night for my last PlayFair. It was our turn also to leave early, so just before the famed "Rock, Paper, Scissor Showdown" half the team had to leave their posts and help set up the Commons Activities. This included filling up cups of water for the thirty post-PlayFair students and getting the makeshift bingo hall ready for use.
The dance took on a special meaning for all the seniors. We made sure to dance throughout the night as much as we possibly could and enjoy being on the that stage one last time. Once "Piano Man" came on, there were very few dry eyes in the place. The seniors formed a smaller circle surrounded by a larger contingent of PM's and we swayed to the melody before eventually breaking up to find a partner to finish the song with.
It was at this time that the end of Orientation felt all too real. Only one more day was left...

Stonehill Four, Stonehill Five...

2010-07-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

Session One was done. Wednesday was a day for some rest and relaxation.

Despite it being my one day off that week, Wyatt and I awoke early (9am) to make our way to Back Bay Bagel. We each had a gift certificate there, so we sat in peace devouring our bagels and juice.

Back on campus, we retreated to my room for the USA World Cup game on my big screen. We sat in dread until the first minute of extra time when the USA team scored a goal that sent them to the next round and saved them from elimination! We went nuts!

Wyatt left soon after and I spent the afternoon left with nothing to do...

...so naturally I indulged my passions: clean clothing and Bruce Springsteen. As the purple knee-socks spun in the dryer cycle, I laid on my bed watching the new Bruce concert DVD that had come in the mail for me. Eventually, my rest turned into a full-on nap. I really needed it.

I woke up around 3:30pm and showered and dressed for our 4pm "meeting". Every year on our day-off, the PM team organizes a trip to do something fun. Last year, we stayed on campus and did karaoke. This year, we met to find that we were going to Starland Recreation Center. It about 30 minutes away and has mini-golf, go-carts, laser tag, etc.

A few of us piled into my car as we hopped on Route 3 to find the place. Once there, we got right in line for the laser tag. I showed off my stealthy moved honed from years playing NERF around the house...by myself. What got me was they didn't keep score!!?? Are you kidding me?!

Go-carts and I normally don't mix very well; I almost seem to crash them or have some time of incident that almost gets me banned. However, I climbed into this one, looking around at the unsuspecting tween workers who have no idea of my history.

Thankfully, no incidents this time. Afterward, we hit up the batting cages and even some mini-golf.
We capped the evening off with a sno-cone and soon we were back on campus getting ready for Round 2. Nicole and I hung name-tags up, we went over the grid, and soon I retreated to my bed for an attempt at some sleep.

Here we go again...

Stonehill Two, Stonehill Three...

2010-07-03T01:07:00.000-07:00

The night of tossing and turning had come to an end. It was Monday morning. Showtime.

I awoke from my room in the Sem early. Like 5:45am early. Showered, dressed in head-to-toe in purple, and drove to the Commons for breakfast with the other PMs. It always seems that it is at this point that it really hits me. Music is playing (cue the "Bulletproof"), everyone in the room is filled with nervous energy, and it all culminates when the Director of Student Activities, Jim Hermelbracht, greets us with a hearty "Good Morning!!"

After our breakfast of eggs and bacon, we are off to our assigned locations. I was stationed at Boland Hall. Along with a few other PM's, we helped check incoming students into where they'd be staying that night.

9:30am came very quickly as the masses assembled at the Sports Complex for the Opening Ceremony. It is at this time that the PM's run in and do the famed "Stonehill Cheer" that are the inspirations for the titles of the posts. Nicole and I donned tiaras and a hat shaped like a baseball respectively. For the record, the whistle was a total bust.

After we all ran out, we stood around the Sports Complex with our signs and it was showtime. We met our groups and proceeded to spend some time with them, bring them to various presentations, and eat a boxed lunch on the quad. The time eventually winds around to dinner and everyone begins to prepare for PlayFair that night.

Inevitably, this is the conversation between a PM and an accepted student:

Student: What's PlayFair?
PM: Hmm...I can't really explain it.
Student: Why can't you tell us?
PM: It's hard to explain. It's kinda like a giant icebreaker. But fun! And active!
Student: (skeptical look)

PlayFair is best described as a three-ring circus that acts as a giant, non-awkward icebreaker. It is very active and you meet almost all the students at that session in about 2 hours. PM's usually have just as much fun as the students do. We usually work up a heavy sweat by the time the students get to it.

We all line up on the football field in two lines clapping, chanting, and just all around being loud. The students then must run through us like the starting lineups for a basketball team.

After PlayFair, the skeptical looks turn to big smiles and exclaimations of "Wow, that actually was pretty cool."

When it is done, everyone goes to the Commons for some activities like Bingo and a dance. Yet again, the PM's seem to be the center of attention as each evening winds to a close with the playing of Don't Stop Believing and Piano Man. The seniors prepared ourselves for the sadness that would accompany these songs come Thursday night, during our last orientation. For now though, the mood was light and as we went to bed it became hard to believe it was only Monday still.

Tuesday came quite early. Though sad to say, it was almost like sleeping in. I awoke around 7am and met our group for breakfast. Tuesday is a lot less tiring of a day for the PM's as the incoming students are in meetings and presentations for much of the shortened day and we simply walk them from place to place for much of it.

After lunch, we have our last group time. This is always a fun one because after about 30 hours together, the students really open up and feel comfortable with each other. We usually play some games, reflect on orientation, and have some time to check out the bookstore!

At 3pm, the PM's line the steps to Donahue Hall as the students walk up the hill for the closing ceremony. Liz, our Orientation Coordinator, gives a little speech and each group presents a series of "We Are" statements that best sums up their group's characteristics. It was a pretty cool end.
And with that, session one was done! The team retreated to the Commons to sprawl across the floor and go over what went right/wrong with the session. We moved it along quite quickly however, because, per tradition, we are treated to dinner at TownSpa, a local pizza joint.

Coming back to campus, some of the team went to hang out in a common room while others went to the Quad for some Capture the Flag. I tried the latter and got bored, so I headed in fairly quickly to see the rest of the team. My plans to get to bed early were easily forgotten as the midnight hour passed. After almost dozing off on the O'Hara Common Room floor, I summoned my strength and retreated to my room. But not before grabbing my comfy mattress-topper from my room!

Session 1 down, 1 more to go. But not before our day off and a much needed surprise...

To Be Continued.

Stonehill Zero, Stonehill One...

2010-06-30T07:54:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm currently back at work in the Admissions Office. I am rested, (relatively) healthy, and no longer wearing head-to-toe purple. That, my dear friends, can only mean one thing...

...Summer Orientation is over :(

Let me now try and recap the last week and a half that was in the next few posts:

We began last Thursday (17th) meeting in the Sem for a welcome back lunch and to exchange the binders we made for our Secret Peer Mentor (think Secret Santa with little gifts throughout the semester). The binder you make for them, they use throughout Orientation to carry all of the many schedules, rosters, and papers we need. After that we over we did some training for the rest of the day. We ate dinner with our partner and had to reach under the chair for the word that our group name was to include. This year my partner was Nicole, a rising sophomore.

Everyone on the Peer Mentor team get paired with another PM, usually finding out who they are in a dramatic fashion right before we leave for the summer. Together, these two partners make up an orientation group and lead about 25-30 new students throughout orientation. As for the names, they are based upon our overall orientation theme. This year's was "Forever Young". Therefore, each word had something to do with youth or childhood. We had the luck (some would say) to have chosen the word "Barbie". Sure enough, by the end of the dinner Nicole and I put our heads together and Barbie and Ken's Sassy Stonehill Superstars was born!
Our night ended it in the common room watching the Lakers take on the Celtics in Game 7. As the only Lakers fan in the place, I was jeered throughout the game. But, as usual, came out victorious! Later on, we played a giant game of hide and go seek in and around the Sem.

The next day was an early morning for us as we received presentations and updates from offices around campus such as Community Expectations, Health and Wellness, and Academic Services. Later that night, the fun began as we were each given $20 to spend on our groups. So the carpools to iParty and Wal-Mart began...
We rode with Diana and Bri, who bought a inflatable pony that each member of their group ended up signing. But the most inventive in the car had to be Lauren and Kate who needed props to make them look like a scientist. Naturally, they stopped at Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and went to the nurses station! Nicole and I bought some plates to use as door tags and some cowbells and whistles that we could use for our big entrance...

Coming back to campus, we made some signs and enjoyed some late night take-out. The next day we were up early again. This time we were quizzed on everything Stonehill from what to do if you have a bad roommate to what options there are to stay healthy on campus. Before we knew it, training was over! Very soon, orientation would be all too real...

We had a day off on Sunday, Father's Day, so I woke up early to surprise my pops back in CT. My mother told him that they would go out for a nice lunch at one of our favorite restaurants: Rein's Deli. I met my dad at the table as he came to take his seat. He was pretty shocked, but he was really happy. We had some great reubens and sweet potato fries. Before we knew it however, I had to turnaround and make the trek back up to Stonehill for a 6pm meeting.

At the meeting, we went over the 20 page schedule for orientation called the Grid. After that was done, we made the final preparations for tomorrow and took our team picture.

You work up quite an appetite planning so a bunch of us went to Five Guys Burgers and Fries for sustenance. If you followed my blog at all when I was in D.C., you know the most dangerous place in the world is between me and a Five Guys burger. I was in heaven.

All that eating can make a person pretty tired, so I tried (emphasis on tried) to fall asleep early. As I lay on my lumpy mattress, it became all too real: my last orientation was about to begin.

To Be Continued...

The Newest You Tube Sensation

2010-06-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Really quick little post for you. Evan, a Stonehill Admissions Counselor, gave us a nice little project for a lazy Monday afternoon at work. His instructions: take the office's FlipCam and make a funny, yet informative video talking about Stonehill's Freshman Housing...

Dear World,

You're welcome.

Love,
Brian and Matt

A Day in the Bronx

2010-06-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

It's the middle of a relatively slow, yet shortened work week here at The Hill. Tomorrow is my last day before an extended break to train for freshman Orientation! Come Thursday, the other Peer Mentors and I will be back for a week and a half to meet the Class of 2014.

But before I go, let me fill you in on the happenings a pretty cool weekend.

I actually had to head home this weekend because my Dad got tickets to a Yankees game on Saturday. It is now a longstanding annual tradition with my family. We started back in 1998 and, oddly enough, my first-ever Yankee game was rained out. Since then, we go every year to at least one game. If we're lucky, we also try and go to other ballparks as well, including Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Camden Yards.

So my two uncles, my dad, and I left for the ballgame around 8:45am. We stopped at an amazing place for breakfast: Duchess. It has been a tradition for us since we started. Duchess is best described as a type of fast-food diner popular in Southern Connecticut. So armed with home fried and hash browns, we continued into the Empire State for our meeting with the most successful team in all of sports.

We made it to the Stadium around 11am or so. We had some time to kill so we mosied on in to the stadium's Hard Rock Cafe for some drinks. I was pretty impressed with it. It wasn't that crowded and the service was great! Maybe it was also the fact that staring me right in the face was a wall filled with Bob Dylan memorabilia, including his leather jacket and used setlist.

After spending some time there, we made our way to our seats and promptly ordered up some hot dogs before the game started. It turns out it was "Military Appreciation Day" at the Stadium, so a military plane flew overheard and several paratroopers jumped out and landed on the field. The first one landed and then introduced the others as they fell. It was pretty cool. (Alright, so it was at this point that I was going to paste the two videos I took of the paratroopers coming in to the Stadium. Unfortunately, my computer does not care about my blog much at all and they won't upload. If I get it to work soon, then I'll put 'em up.)

Once the game started, it was pretty much all Yankees. Derek Jeter led off the bottom of the first with a home run (his first of two in the game) and later on Jorge Posada crushed a fastball into right field for a grand slam. Javier Vasquez pitched pretty decently and got the victory as the Yanks beat the Houston Astros 9-5. Below is a picture of the old Yankee Stadium, which is located across the street from the new one. Last year when I went, it was still standing. Now it is a mere pile of dirt...

On the way back home through Connecticut we continued our tradition and stopped at the famed Duchess for dinner. It was delicious. They have great hot dogs and cheeseburgers. I opted for the bacon cheeseburger. It did not disappoint! Anybody heading down to Southern CT, I highly recommend it!
I made it back to the house later that night and I was exhausted. My mom made me some food and I ended up crashing on the leather chair watching HBO on Demand.

All is right with the world.

Take care everybody! Coming up...Orientation!

Futon Trouble...and Triumph!

2010-06-09T13:26:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Finishing up an interesting weekend full of...nothing really. Most of our time this weekend was spent with my roommate Brian either reading or sitting on the futon mowing down Oreo sleeves. So I would have to say it was an incredibly successful weekend!

Anyways, just wanted to give you some insight into the perils of moving-in for the summer. But let me give you some background first:

Setting: Stonehill Commencement Weekend 2010. My second weekend on campus that summer was also the weekend of the college's graduation. The last Stonehill graduation I had been to was in 1998, in the pouring rain, when my cousin was a senior here. This year had considerably better weather though...

I awoke around 9:30am to a beautiful May day. After showering and getting dressed, I meandered over to the Quad for the 10am ceremony. I came just in time for the grads to process down Donahue hill and into their seats. I took special care to watch the actions of my friend Kevin, the senior class president, to see what I would need to do for next year.
After a great ceremony, I made my way around congratulating all my graduating friends and heading back to a quiet existence in Dunster. The afternoon after Commencement is always fraught with some stress. Many students haven't moved out entirely and a mad scramble ensues to get all of their belongings out the door, while trying to still make room in the family Toyota for Grandma. This year was no different. Shortly after the ceremony I got a knock on my door from James, who lived upstairs. He had a nice futon in his room that he didn't feel like hauling back to his house. He asked me if I wanted it and I jumped at it. Sure it was wobbly and used, but a futon's a futon, right?

We moved it down into our common room until we could move into summer housing and I proceeded to use it all week for reading. When Brian and I moved into our summer house, we moved it in with much difficulty. We lifted it gingerly up stairs, dodging sprinklers and making sure it was still all intact.
That first night, Brian decided to try it out in our new home. Brian plopped onto it and, sure enough, it collapsed! One side had sheared a screw right off and the other side was barely hanging on...almost three distinct pieces. Not to mention, we also had the giant mattress that went along with it. For an entire day, we had this scrap metal and large sack of feathers laying around our room as we stepped around every-which-way to avoid it. We needed a resolution.

Enter Target. After work we made our way over and found 100 feet of weight-bearing rope. We brought it back and went straight to work. After using 90 feet of rope and working up a pretty good sweat, we basically tied the thing together. The big test then became...would it hold us?

YES!! I can proudly say it is standing strong to this day...along with 90 feet of rope. It is a perfect companion to my new TV!
That's all I got for now. Take care!

Summer Kickoff

2010-05-25T06:13:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm currently holding down the fort at Stonehill working as a summer tour guide. I started the Monday after school got out after a brief respite in Washington D.C.

For the first two weeks, it was pretty quiet. Only a handful of kids were on campus. Oddly, enough two of those people lived int he same room: my roommate Tom and I. So there was little to do except make our weekly jaunts to Owen O'Leary's and get up at 7:30 for work. There is also no meal plan in the summer, so that means we are cooking for ourselves (ugh).

I went home for Memorial Day weekend on Friday. We had a lot going on that weekend, so I was able to see a lot of family. On Saturday, my family drove over to New York for my cousin-to-be Ashley's bridal shower. She and my cousin Eddie drove up from D.C. (just a few short weeks after getting a visit from yours truly). While the ladies went off to do whatever it is they do at those things, the guys picked up six feet of subs and sat out on the back deck.

It was great to see everybody in one place once again. Usually when I come home for a weekend, I'm rushing around trying to make sure I see as much family as I can. That day, we had family come up from Connecticut, New York, and Gettysburg, PA. Later on, as the weather got hotter, Ed and I took a dip in the pool.

The next day, my aunt and uncle had a little picnic. My cousin Dave, his wife, and kids came down for the weekend. It was my first official cookout of the summer! I got my little cousin Jackson a "bubble gun" and, as you can see, we were both very entertained... On Monday the cookouts continued as my family and I woke up early to catch our town's Memorial Day parade. Once back home, I fired up the grill for the first time this summer and ate some more cheeseburgers!

I had to get back on the road soon after, because...wait for it...we planned another BBQ at school. Memorial Day weekend was when we moved into our summer housing. So it was the time that all my friends that are doing SURE (Stonehill's Undergraduate Research) and, of course, my roommate Brian. We grilled up some more burgers, had some hot dogs and salad too. But again, since it was move-in day, I had to still move some stuff from my old house into my new one.

Once everything was all set in our new room Owen O'Leary's awaited!

That's it for now.

Take care!

Junior Year: Check

2010-05-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

I'm currently writing this aboard an Amtrak train bound for Washington D.C.. Finals are over and I made it home in one piece. More on why I'm heading to D.C. in a bit...

Overall, finals weren't too bad. It actually split up quite nicely: last week all of my papers were due, while this week I had all my exams.

Finals is an unusual time. While for most, it is the most stressful and sleep-deprived period in the semester, for some (including me) it can actually be quite relaxing. Once classes end, all day and night you can prepare for your exams or write those papers. I think all that free time actually contributes to the stress. Anyways, you get a lot of free time. It depends on your finals schedule and stress level what you do with it.

I look at this way: while it may be finals, it is also the last few days of the school year. So you might as well enjoy being around your friends, right? The school's beach volleyball court is right next to our house so we made sure to find time to get some games in. We also made MANY trips to the best ice cream place in the area: Flint Farm.

Steve and I were searching around campus last summer for ice cream. I was being led astray by my iPhone and on a side-street we saw a long line. Steve said a line that long could only mean one thing: ice cream! So we tried it and it's a staple of our spring and summer.

Thursday evening my last final was wrapped up and my parents picked me up at school to make the trek back home. It proved to be temporary--very temporary--however, because I got hired to be a summer Student Ambassador starting May 17th! So with my summer vacation shortened to a weekend, I decided to make a getaway to the nation's capital.

I only spent a night at home before waking up before dawn to make it to the train station. I plan on visiting some friends and staying with my cousin Ed before coming back (to both home and the working world) on Sunday. Should be fun.

Alright, that's it for me. I'll let you know how my return to D.C. fares...

Take care!

The One, The Only, Spring Weekend

2010-05-14T06:45:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well Spring Weekend has come and gone. Now we are well on our way to the drudgery and stress that are finals.

Now that I am done being knee-deep in papers, however, let me tell you about the magic and majesty that was Spring Weekend 2010.

It began modestly enough, I finished my intern hours up in Admissions and headed back to the room to see what everyone was up to. I decided to take quick nap because I was so tired and I knew that the rest of the weekend would not allow much time for sleep.

At the usual time, we went over to Roche Commons for dinner. We were all laughing and joking around. It got a little out of hand and let's just say some food left the plates and got onto each other. Mashed potatoes make a very nice accessory on a sweatshirt...

That night, we went over to the concert in the Sports Complex: State Radio and Girl Talk. State Radio was playing when we got there. They were really great. Brian and Eamon are big fans of them and I have to say, I may be converted too.

Girl Talk came on about a half an hour after State Radio left. Girl Talk mashes up songs and makes it into one giant beat. It was OK. I mean, the guy just pressed play and danced around. I wished it would have turned into a second mixer, but everyone tended to stay stationary. One of the highlights though was when my friend Conor popped one of the giant balloons they passed around. It was filled with confetti and when he burst it, it rained down us as we cheered like kids.

The next day we woke up early (like 11:30) and went to Back Bay Bagel for some breakfast. It was a rainy Saturday, so after eating my chicken salad on a bagel, Brian and I suited up to head to the carnival. Because of the rain, it was being held inside.

I actually gotta say, it was pretty cool. They had things you would get outdoors (mechanical bull, boxing, and free frisbies) as well as some cool things meant for indoors (mini golf and an inflatable obstacle course). I was pretty impressed. After the carnival, I tried to catch some z's during a midafternoon nap. Once I got up, me and a few guys went over to Mario's for some Italian food. It hit the spot and gave me the carbs I needed for the mixer.

Soon enough, we were at the mixer. It was a pretty fun night, all in all. It was, as always, made better the next day by swapping stories over brunch. It was actually pretty hard to believe spring weekend was over.

Well, at least there's next year...

Take care! I'm off to enjoy summer. More to come soon!

Final Exam Hiatus

2010-05-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to drop you all a quick note explaining by brief break in posting. I've been up to my eyeballs in papers and exams lately. We are finishing up our semester here at The Hill right now, so you probably won't hear from me for at least a week. But soon after school ends, I'll tell you all about Spring Weekend, the end of the semester, and my plans for the summer!

Thanks for following. Talk to you soon.

On the Road Again...

2010-04-22T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Aside from having a ridiculous amount of work last week, I also got to take a few trips for a few different Stonehill events.

Last Monday, most of the Admissions office packed up and went on the road to the Basketball Hall of Fame for an accepted students reception. I've done one of these in the past, and previously the reception was much smaller and held in the house of an alumnus. Obviously, this was a bigger event, with more people and much better food!

We left around 2pm and the drive was a shade under 2 hours. The reception didn't start until 6:30pm, so Evan, an admissions counselor, decided to kill time by walking around the museum and playing some of the interactive games. There's a fun one where you stand in front of a blue screen and pretend like you are playing one-on-one. Your image is then transferred onto a television screen and it's looks as though you're playing a video game. Check out Evan getting poster-ized by WNBA player Dawn Staley.

On Wednesday night, I attended a reception for Boston for former Senator Paul Kirk. Kirk was a former Stonehill trustee and has kept close ties to the school. It was held in the Joe Moakley Courthouse overlooking Boston Harbor. It was a beautiful night and I'm happy I got the chance to meet the Senator.

My friends Brenna and T.J., two former interns in his office, presented him with a citation. Then, he got up and said a few words. I also had the opportunity to eat some awesome food and mingle with some of the Boston Poly Sci "elite"; I think there may have been a few circuit court judges, the Boston District Attorney, and the executive director of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. I guess it's never to early to network!

Alright, that's it for now. It's getting kinda late.

Take care!

Easter, Elections, and Everything After...

2010-04-19T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well, after my birthday was through Winter give in to Spring and I was home to celebrate Easter with my family. I left Stonehill on Wednesday to head back to Connecticut.

Easter this year was held over my Aunt Mary and Uncle George's house. It was a pretty small crowd this year. My cousin recently had a baby, so their family as well as their parents went up to their house to celebrate with them. So before I write any further, let me introduce my new cousin Callie Reese.Anyways, the Easter table consisted of my mom and dad, my Aunt Mary and Uncle George, their daughter Steph and her husband Rob, and their nine-month old son Chase.

It was a beautiful day out so we had drinks and appetizers on the deck outside, while we waited for the honey-baked ham to finish cooking.

After a filling lunch, I spent most of my afternoon playing with Chase and watching some basketball on TV. When I got home, I turned on ESPN to watch the WORLD CHAMPION Yankees take on the Red Sox in the Season Opener.

While at school, things have also been progressing nicely. Before break, I began my campaign to be elected President of the Senior Class. Below you can see some campaign posters of mine. My slogan was "Big shoes. Bigger ideas." I wanted to get the seniors more of a say in both class committee and SGA Senate. I ran against the incumbent President, who was elected last year. The polls were open from Wednesday until Friday morning. My roommate and campaign manager Tom was amazing at getting my supporters to the polls through text messages, facebook statuses, and direct appeals.

Friday afternoon came and went and I was anxious as I got back from dinner without any results. Sure enough, at 7:21pm, I was informed via email that I had won the election!!!

As you can probably imagine, I was pumped! This had long been a goal of mine and we celebrated accordingly! I'm looking forward to making senior year our class' best yet!

After I told my parents about my victory, they decided to surprise me and come up on Saturday evening to take me and my friends out to dinner. But first, they came bearing a 12 inch sheet cake, with the words: "Congratulations, Matt" on it! Eamon joined us as we feasted at Pasta Bene. I had some great pasta and--my family being what they are--made sure to fill the table with appetizers, drinks, and dessert!

In the morning, my parents and I had breakfast at a really great local bakery: White's. It was full of really good homemade danish and pastry. My mom wanted me to get some things to bring back with me, when I settled on a bag of chocolate chip cookies, she kept telling me to get something more. I kept refusing, so sure enough, she decided to do the shopping for me and my fridge is now stocked with tiramisu cake and chocolate cupcakes..oh yeah, and the sheet cake!

The perks of a presidency...

Take care!

Winterfest '86 (and other random moments)

2010-04-17T18:46:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

It has been a momentous few weeks here at The Hill. During which time I have turned 21 and have some incredible moments along the way. Though with these last few weeks have also come an inordinate amount of work. These next few posts over the next week or so will help to catch up on all that I've been up to.

First things first, on March 24th I celebrated my 21st birthday! Though it was mid-week, my friends in Dunster and I were able to stay up late and welcome my birthday in style. At midnight, we had a big countdown and soon rushed into the common room for a nice celebration.

Later that day was layout for the Summit. I had my trusty associate Allyson take over the News Editor duties for the night, while I had the chance to enjoy myself. While I was at layout, the staff surprised me with the announcement that I had been appointed Editor-In-Chief next year. I was pretty shocked. I'd have never thought that as a nervous freshman submitting two pieces for The Summit, that I would be named Editor-In-Chief by senior year.

As the week wound down to a close, the boys and I had to indulge a longtime goal: seeing the movie Hot Tub Time Machine. It was one of those movies that looked so ridiculous, yet so funny. We kept seeing trailers for it whenever we'd go to the movies, so Eamon, Ray, Steve, Conor, and I piled into the car Friday night to see it. It's about these 4 middle-aged guys who go back in time to Winterfest 1986 (a party in a fictional ski resort) through a--you guessed it--HOT TUB TIME MACHINE! It was hysterical. We loved it!

The next night then seemed then to directly relate to the night before. Me and my eight closest friends went to celebrate my birthdays at Dave and Busters in Providence. I sometimes need to scratch the certain itch deep within me that longs for me to school 10 and 11 year olds at trivia, while Eamon loves to play Time Crisis, complete with all the appropriate grunts and yells. We ate in the Providence Food Court and spent a few hours playing games in D&B.

While there, I gave my friend who goes to Providence College a quick obligatory text, telling her I was in town and saying hello. Not thinking anything of it, I sent it and got back to my hosting duties for night. I soon got a frantic phone call from her telling us to come to PC, there was apparently big goings on. I was skeptical, but I'm always up for random moments so my goal was clear: since 2 carloads had gone to D&B, I had to enlist at least a full carload of my friends to come to PC with me or we couldn't go.

I managed to convince Conor and slowly but surely we got Eamon, Tom, and my friend Ray onboard and our next mission was getting to PC. My iPhone was doing just fine until we hit a detour and we were soon lost in some of the sketchier areas of Providence. After some lucky guesses and quick thinking, we made it to Providence. After getting my the guardhouse and onto campus, we were struck by the sight of unitards, side ponytails, and Members only jackets...looking at each other we began yelling, "HOT TUB TIME MACHINE!"

Meeting up with my friends at "80's night at MacPhails", the PC campus hangout, we enjoyed the live music and just generally acted silly. Ray, Tom, and I were dancing onstage to "Don't Stop Believing" and "Jessie's Girl." The place was packed so our Stonehill selves blended in well except for the giant Stonehill t-shirt Tom was wearing. Conor pulled some strings and got the lead singer to give a birthday shout-out to his "good friend Matt Gorman." While I'm sure he was expecting a chorus of loud cheers to commemorate the occasion, his toast was met with a confused mutter among the populus. No one seemed to know who the heck this guy was getting a shout-out. Meanwhile, five clowns from Stonehill in the corner were cheering! The band then ripped right into a great version of Tom Petty's "American Girl".

A pretty good birthday week, I'd say.

Take care everybody!

21 Days and 21 Years

2010-03-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks,

We've had some goings on recently. Last week, I came back from spring break. Unlike last year, I did not go to Europe. Though I was at home, I did have some great times.

On the first night back, my parents took me to a great sushi place in town. Though we have some good sushi at school, there's nothing like getting it fresh from one of the best places around. The next day, my parents threw me a little family birthday party. I don't turn 21 until March 24th, so I guess you could call it my 20 days til' 21 party! My aunts and uncles came over and we celebrated with some pizza and an awesome birthday cake: a banana split blizzard cake from Dairy Queen! It was as delicious as it sounded. We have eight family members whose birthday is in March, including my dad's on March 4th, so we celebrated theirs too.

On Wednesday, Brian and I took a little pilgrimage down to New York City for the Big East Tournament. I arose early from my vacation slumber and drove about an hour and a half to Stamford, CT to catch the Metro-North train to Grand Central. I met Brian down at Madison Square Garden and we enjoyed two games: Georgetown vs. South Florida and Marquette vs. St. John's. They were pretty good games and the place wasn't packed so we were able to sneak down. For dinner, we met up with Conor and went to a Scottish pub a few blocks away. Once I got back to Stamford, it was still a long ride back. It turned out to be a pretty late night overall.

Last week, I made it back to The Hill and was immediately swamped with work. Last weekend however, my parents came up and took me out for dinner. We went to my favorite restaurant, The Village Smokehouse in Brookline. They have been voted the best ribs in Boston. So, of course, I had to get my favorite meal there: Texas-sized pork ribs with some sweet potato fries. I finished every last one!

We then took a walk up Harvard Street in Brookline before stopping at J.P. Licks. It's a really good ice cream place. During the summer months, they have cucumber ice cream. It may sound weird, but it's delicious! We made a pit stop on the way home for some tea at Barnes and Noble.

Most of my friends were out for the night, so I hung around with my parents a little more. They had brought up some baby photos and my baby book to reminisce. In the baby book there was a page full of my "favorites" when I was young (Favorite toys, favorite songs, and the like).

And I quote: "Favorite food - all"

Some things don't change...

Professor Gorman's Art History Lesson (Part 3 of 3)

2010-03-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Hey there folks,

This will be the last little lesson into the art history of the Capitol Rotunda and the works of John Trumbull today. Today we tackle a really interesting painting: George Washington Resigning His Military Commission.

For starters, Congress commissioned Trumbull to paint this scene about eighteen years after the event actually took place and reports were relatively sketchy as to what went on and who was actually there. Washington had just recently died so Trumbull really had no idea what the scene even looked like. Therefore, he improvised. Look below, you won't see too many famous faces. That's because Trumbull just painted random people. Most of them don't have any historical relevance and are simply put there to fill the space. One person who you may recognize is Thomas Jefferson. There is no proof that he was there for this. But as you remember from a few posts past, Trumbull and him became fast friends. Maybe Trumbull was looking to influence history slightly?

Speaking of filler, Trumbull ran into a similar problem while painting the spectators. Washington didn't have much of a family and again, a long time had passed. This is where he got creative. Look closely at the people around Washington. First look at the women off Washington's shoulder. These are Washington's step-daughter and step-grandaughter Eleanor and Martha. Trumbull--again needing bodies--decided to duplicate them throughout the scene through different ages and placements. Let me put into perspective:

Trumbull simply duplicated them around the painting, namely as little children and as ladies watching from the balcony.

Next, how many George Washington's are there in this painting? Seem obvious? It actually isn't. There's really 6 depictions of him. When it came to the men surrounding Washington, Trumbull had pretty simple inspiration. He portrayed Washington throughout the stages of his life. Take a look:

Red: we have Washington normally depicted on the day.

Purple: Washington, slightly younger, as a general of the Continental Army

Green: A noticeably younger and red-headed Washington as a Colonel during the French and Indian War

Yellow: An extremely young Washington, probably a depiction of what he would look like when he enlisted in the British Army

Orange: Washington the father, a depiction of an older Washington, in civilian clothes

Blue: Washington as chief magistrate, in the black robe and thought to be a type of elder statesman

Now by this time, Trumbull had become quite well-known for his works: The Signing of the Declaration of Independence et al. However, Congress also got wise to Trumbull's mini self-portraits within his work. Therefore, they gave him an ultimatum: either omit depicting himself into the painting or lose his contract with the government. This gave Trumbull a little dilemma. Should he paint himself in and risk losing the contract or acquiesce and risk losing credit.

So what did Trumbull do? He painted himself in, but with a catch...Can you spot him??

Trumbull dressed in drag! Here he is, fourth from the edge in the balcony next to Martha

Washington, disguised as a woman. Surprisingly, the Congress never found out until much later.

Well, that about does it for the semester. I hoped you enjoyed learning this useless knowledge as much as I have enjoyed dispensing it. Next time you hear from me, I'll tell you a little about my birthday celebration and some Stonehill happenings.

Class dismissed!

Professor Gorman's Art History Lesson Part 2

2010-03-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

Hey again folks,

Welcome back to class. We're in the middle of a three-part series on a little art history of John Trumbull's paintings in the Capitol Rotunda. Today we're going to look at "The Surrender of Lord Cornwallis."

Let's put to use what we learned on the last post and see if we can find our boy Trumbull?

Can you spot him this time?

There he is again! This time he is fourth from the flag and, as always, looking away from the center of attention.

Now let's look at the painting...

This painting depicts General Cornwallis and the British Army surrendering to George Washington and the Continental Army, thereby ending the war. Traditionally in battle, the defeated army would stand on even ground with the conquerors and hand-over their sword to them. Makes sense, right?

Except when the time came to surrender to the colonies, the leader of the British Army, General Cornwallis was nowhere to be found. It turns out he sent his deputy to do it for him and Washington was so disgusted by this lack of protocol that he sent his deputy on Washington's personal white horse to accept the sword. Washington then told him not to get off his horse. This way, the British would have to present it up to the Americans, signifying homage to a mightier power.

As you can see Washington looking on from the background...

Now something that struck me when I first saw the painting: who are those guys with the white flag? Naturally, I first thought that those were the British waving the flag of surrender, but actually those are the French! The white flag with a ribbon/scarf tied around it was flag of the French monarchy.

Alright, short post today but we'll end our semester with "George Washington Resigning his Commission."

Until next time, class dismissed!

Professor Gorman's Art History Lesson (Part 1)

2010-03-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

After seeing the congressman I interned for taking on Obama during last week's Health Care Summit and my overall pining for D.C., I've decided to reminisce a little and give my long-awaited lecture on some history of the art adorning the Capitol rotunda.

Around the rotunda are large oil paintings depicting different important events in the founding of our country. They are: the landing of Columbus, discovery of the Mississippi River, the Pilgrims on the Mayflower, the baptism of Pocahontas (she actually appears in the rotunda three times), the Declaration of Independence, the surrender of General Burgoyne, the surrender of Lord Cornwallis, and George Washington resigning his military commission.

Four of them: Burgoyne's surrender, Cornwallis' surrender, the Declaration of Independence, and Washington resigning his commission were painted by the famed John Trumbull. In these next few posts, I'm going to give some fun history on the paintings as well as explain the story behind them.

Now unfortunately for Trumbull, since he was commissioned to paint these for the federal government he was not allowed to sign them. However, Trumbull found ways around that...he would paint himself into the scene! He had a rule though: he was either be fourth from the edge or fourth from the American flag AND he was always looking away from the center of attention.

Let's start off easy...can you find Trumbull in "The Surrender of General Burgoyne"?

Did you see him?

There is he is! On the horse, looking away, fourth from the left!

Alright, that was a warm-up. Let's get to our first topic..."The Declaration of Independence!"

Do you see Trumbull in the photo? He is fourth from the left edge, looking away from the others.

Most people have probably seen this photo at some point, it is the most famous of the brood. It depicts Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, Roger Sherman, et al. presenting the Declaration of Independence to the President of the Continental Congress John Hancock. First things first, let get some history out of the way...

...this picture is completely and utterly false. This never happened! There was no grand ceremony, no large signing of the Declaration of Independence. It was actually signed in secret, one by one, at secret locations. Think of it like trying to pass a note in middle school. Remember, the men who signed it were thought of as traitors, if the Brits got their mitts on this it would basically act as a list of the leaders of the revolution.

Which brings us to the Founding Fathers. Some of you history buffs out there may know that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams weren't too fond of each other. They both were intensely competitive and intensely jealous of one another. They would make penny bets on everything from who could quote longer passages from the Bible to who would become President first...they even made a bet on who would die first. This is where it gets eerie. They died on the same day...July 4th, 1826. Exactly 50 years to the day that they signed the Declaration of Independence! As Adams lay dying, thinking his nemesis would outlive him, said his last words, "Jefferson lives." Unbeknown to Adams, Jefferson had actually died earlier in the day.

Anyways, when Trumbull was painting this both were still alive and Jefferson offered the artist a place to stay while he finished the painting. They became fast friends and Jefferson reportedly asked Trumbull a favor while he painted: made him look better than Adams. Trumbull acquiesced and what we have is two very distinct figures. Take a look...

Look at the contrasts! Jefferson is portrayed tall and regal, standing straight. He is a wearing a bright orange vest with a navy overcoat. He is also standing in the position of power, with both hands on the document.

Take a look at Adams on the far left, he is pudgy and ashed-faced. He is wearing drab clothing and is standing off to the side, hand on his hip--almost an afterthought.

But he's the kicker (no pun intended). Look at their feet...

Jefferson's right foot is clearly stepping on Adams--a sign of dominance. There's no mistaking who Trumbull wanted to portray as the most powerful man in the painting. Sometime I guess it makes sense to make friends with those depicting you...

Anyways, this is the first in a three part series over the next week or so on the rotunda art history and the little tidbits in the painting of John Trumbull. That's it for this week, guys.

Class dismissed!

Winter Snow and American Heroes

2010-02-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

Hey there folks,

Sorry for the delay between posts. My computer has been on the fritz lately and I've been without one for about 2 weeks now. It's actually kinda nice; being in DC I really got addicted to checking my email constantly and fussing with my iPhone. This gives me a nice respite.

Anyways, the semester has gone quickly here at The Hill. Last Wednesday, the school closed down for a snow day. Unfortunately, I don't have any classes on Wednesdays, so it didn't matter to me. The Summit still had layout however, so I crashed a piece together talking about the snow and it's impact on campus. Layouts nights are pretty fun. Its the time when the entire editorial staff actually assembles the paper. They usually start early in the afternoon and usually go until the wee hours of the morning. In a few weeks, I'll take you inside of a layout night to show you what they're all about. Meanwhile, here are my friends Corinna and Rachel outside of Dunster...

Friday night was a special night in Dunster (our house in the Junior courts). We decided to celebrate the opening ceremonies the only way we knew how...with an America Celebration. Here's the thing: you HAD to come dressed as an American hero. Who did I come as? Well, see if you can guess...

If all you student's of history guessed our 26th President, you guessed right! I was Teddy Roosevelt. Conor, Nate, and me went to the Salvation Army shop on Friday afternoon. I got a old tie for 99 cents, while Conor got a jean jacket. Nate came as Johnny Appleseed and Conor went as Bruce Springsteen circa 1984. Brian and Eamon dressed as the famed explorer duo Lewis and Clark. My roommate Tommy came as none other than...me! haha! Next thing I knew, he burst into my room wearing my student ambassador name tag and JCrew sweater, carrying snacks by the armful!

We all had a great time! It was certainly a night to remember. A favorite moment for us was when we decided to take these costumes out in public by going to The Hill for a bite to eat! We forgot that there was a Valentine's dance going on that night, so among the sweaty dance patrons was none other than a man wearing a mustache and monocle ordering chicken tenders. That has since become our rule for all costumes: it is not official until you go in public with it! We had so much fun with it, we're thinking of doing a similar thing sometime in the future!

Anyways, I'm actually "borrowing" the Summit's computer to write this now. So I think I gotta head out, but take care and I should get back up to posting more regularly in about a week or so...

Take care!

Annnnddddd We're Back!

2010-01-26T20:50:00.000-08:00

Hey there folks,

Very happy to say that I am BACK at Stonehill! It's been over a week since I've moved back and I feel like I never left. My junior year officially started two Sundays ago when I moved into my new room with my new roommate Tommy. Tommy, like me, is a fellow "Poli Sci guy" and I've know him since freshman year.

I also live across the hall from my friends Ray and Steve (he visited me in DC last fall), as well as Brian and Eamon. We've had a heck of a time so far! We've basically started playing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for Playstation 3 and watching episodes of Mad Men like its our job. (In fact, the amount we do that, it's increasingly likely that those will be our only prospects. Just kidding, Mom... ;) Other than that, it's been great seeing everyone that haven't seen in so long! Even some friends, like Tom (in the middle), were able to stop by campus before they left to go abroad. We also made sure to set aside some time to watch the last episode of Conan! (TEAM COCO!)

As soon as I got back it seems that we got right back to work. Classes have been going, slowly but surely. I'm trying to get a lot of General Education classes out of the way, so I'm taking courses on Astronomy, Economics, and Morality. For my Journalism minor, I'm taking a course in Narrative Writing. It is really unique; unlike any class I've taken here before-all about writing "magazine-type" pieces using lots of detail and description. Also, one of the coolest classes I'm taking this semester is War with Professor Finnegan. Our first two classes involved watching the opening scene of Gladiator and dissecting the battle strategy! (Awesome!)

I'm also up and running with my work as News Editor of the Stonehill newspaper The Summit, Conor and I are working on our radio show with the Love Doctor, and tomorrow I start an internship in the Admissions Office.

This weekend though, we really kicked things into gear: Saturday night was our Whiteout Ball. That night, Eamon and I grabbed some dinner at Bertucci's and braved the cold on the walk back to get ourselves ready. The attire for the ball was semi-formal (basically the closest thing Stonehill has to prom). My experience in DC made me the designated "tie-tyer" when guys came to me with perplexed looks and ties as long as a leash. Before you knew it however, the guys were emerging from their rooms wearing dress shirts and cuff-links-a true rarity.

We soon were all together and decided to get in the mood for the night with some music by meeting up with some friends. The room fell silent when Bill Withers' "Lean on Me" came on. Instantly, we all formed a circle and began belting it out at the top of our lungs. (Nails on a chalkboard...)

Once we got to the dance, it was unanimous that we all had an amazing time. Being on campus again and living with some different people gave us the opportunity to meet some new people and made the night that much more fun.

The next day, we all slept in and made our way drowsily over to brunch. For us, half the fun is sitting at brunch for a few hours talking about the night before. After we pulled ourselves from our seats and stuffed our faces with waffles and cinnamon buns, we retreated to my room to watch the Jets game. Though we go to school in Massachusetts, we have a small, yet dedicated band of Jets fans here. Though they lost, we still we pretty shocked that they made it this far...I mean they BARELY made the playoffs.

Geeze, I guess that's a lot. Anyways, I'm kinda tired and there is another Mad Men episode on....hmmmm....

Take care!

New Year: New York, New Jersey

2010-01-13T21:09:00.000-08:00

Hey there folks,

Happy New Year! I'm in a great mood! Come Sunday, I will be a) back at Stonehill for the first time in awhile and b) I will be watching my Jets take on the Chargers. It has been a great year for my sports teams with the Yankees winning the World Series and the Jets making a miracle run!

But before we get back into the swing of things, I wanted to bring you all up to date on what I've been doing in the first weeks of the new year.

First, my friend Brian came up on his way to Vermont to say hello. We roomed together at Stonehill during the summer and I had not seen him since then. He only had about an hour, so we went to a local pizzeria and told stories about our semester.

Later in the week, I made a pilgrimage to the lovely Garden State to see Conor and Eamon. Though I hadn't seen Conor in a few months, it was like we hadn't left! I was pretty hungry from my drive, so we picked our friends Jim and Po and we stopped at one of the many great diners in Jersey for a quick bite. I had a favorite of mine: a pulled pork sandwich. Sooo good.

That night, Eamon and our friend John (aka The Colonel) came over. I really wish that I could describe in detail all the incredible things that we did and show you pictures of the all the places we went to...but I can't. We really didn't do much of anything, actually. The four of us just basically sat around and swapped stories and reminisced about funny things that happened to us. It is a weird feeling coming back; my time in Washington feels like it's own entity, a time apart from the rest of reality. My friends and I just basically pick up from where we left off; you'd never know we had been apart. It seems like I feel asleep on a sweltering August night at Stonehill and woke up the next day in my house on a cold December day.

Come to think of it, we did do one thing of note: we made a Love Doctor video! What is a Love Doctor video, you ask? Well, Conor and I have a radio show the last two years on Stonehill's radio station. One night, we asked Eamon to come on and as a joke, we decided to portray him as a "Ph.D. in Aphrodisiology". Every now and then, people would call in or email him with questions and it just kept growing--more calls, more emails, more listeners etc. So we started promoted him by giving away faux business cards and making videos for YouTube plugging his appearances. (You can see the collection of them on the links to your right...)

While I was down in Jersey, we took the liberty to make yet another video, which you can view on this post. Stay tuned for more updates regarding "The Love Doctor" appearances throughout the semester.

Yesterday-because I'm apparently trying to make up for lost time-I met Conor in New York City for the day. We covered some pretty good ground during the course of the day. I took the train in from Connecticut and we met at Bryant Park. From there, we walked uptown to Rockefeller Center (a favorite spot in the City for me) because Conor wanted to see the famed Christmas tree. Apparently, he had forgotten that it was currently mid-January and the tree had been taken down but we did get a kick out of watching the poor people attempt to skate on the ice rink! (Shoulda brought popcorn!)

From there we went to Times Square and ate at a great deli for long while. I tested Conor's patience by insisting that we go to the Yankees Store, so I could grab some championship gear. After getting warm in a Barnes and Noble awhile and buying some Jets stuff at Modell's, we stopped into Burger Heaven for some dinner. Before I left however, we stopped in Grand Central Station for some tea to warm up.

(What do you think it says about me that I describe my time by the foods I ate?) Hmm....

Anyways, that'll do it for me. The next time you hear from me, I'll once again be a full-time Stonehill student. Get ready Stonehill, I'm comin'...

Take care!

Home for the Holidays

2010-01-09T15:27:00.001-08:00

Hey folks,

Currently watching my Jets take on the Bengals and I figured I'd update you on what I've been doing since I've been on break.

Ever since I got home it was hit the ground running in preparation for Christmas. My first night back was spent baking with my Mom. We have Christmas Eve over our house every year, which we've been doing ever since my Mom was a kid. Our whole family comes over for a traditional Slovak meal. Part of the preparation involves an awful lot of baking. That night, we made a sweet bread filled with either poppyseed, nuts, or prunes called Kolach (cole-lah-chi).

Since my Mom is usually doing other things, the past two years I've taken to making it by myself. It's sometimes hard to read my Grandma's old cursive writing but they came out great this year!

The next day my family and I took a trip up to Boston. The last few years we've gotten tickets to see the Boston Pops Holiday Show and this year we decided to make a day of it! We started our day at Fanueil Hall and had some coffee at Cheers. It was really cold!

We then grabbed a ride to Symphony Hall. We had great seats and really enjoyed the show. We were pretty hungry afterwards and went to Ruth Chris Steakhouse for a great dinner. I'm a big steak guy , so it was heaven.

Sure enough, it was soon Christmas Eve, which always guarantees to be a busy day. My Dad and I woke up early, to do some last-minute shopping and grab a slice of pizza. This has long been a tradition in our family: it gives my Dad and I a chance to finish shopping and it gives my Mom a chance to get her work done without us getting in her way!

We finished up our shopping and got home in time to get ready for our family, which arrived around 3pm. Christmas Eve is a really big holiday in our family, this year was no different with 14 people coming over. We started off with some appetizers, but soon came our traditional Slovak supper.

We start the meal with oplatki-a type of thin wafer which we dip in honey. This was used instead of communion in the old country, when people were snowed in and couldn't make it to church. Next is bobalki-balls of sweet dough served in warm milk. This symbolizes all the good throughout the last year. After bobalki is kapustnica, which is a bitter soup made with sauerkraut and noodles that symbolizes the difficulties of the year. Next are pierogies filled with either potatoes or prune, a family favorite. Our last course is shrimp with rice. The idea is a very simple meal-one that has been in our family for generations.

After dinner, we all mingled and opened presents. We had alot of my cousins around and it was pretty rowdy! We were all laughing and having a great time! It was also a chance for me to see my cousin Ed and fiancee Ashley and thank them again for their hospitality while in DC! My cousin Jessica came again this year and I got the chance to see her again. While for Chris--my cousin Elise's boyfriend--it was his first chance to get a taste of our family's Christmas celebration.

We were all pretty tired and we went to bed early. But dawn broke and--in what would have been unthinkable ten years ago--my parents woke me up! I made my way up the stairs and opened my gifts! I got some great stuff this year: from some great political books, Yankees gear, and a car adapter for my iPhone!

After a nice breakfast, we piled into the car and drove to Hingham, Mass. to my cousin Steph's house. It was nice to see some other family that couldn't make it to our house Christmas Eve. I also had the chance to see my cousins Jackson and Chase. We had a great meal and opened up some more presents. The weather was a little iffy and we headed back home early. As we pulled in the driveway, I could not believe that Christmas was over! But at least I still had some time at home to enjoy before heading back to the Hill

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T08:23:00.000-08:00

Alright, everybody it's finally here!

I'll be back with some posts on what my family did and a little more on DC, but in the mean time...

HAVE A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Let It Snow: My Final Weekend in D.C.

2009-12-23T07:19:00.000-08:00

Hey there folks,

I am currently writing this post in the comfort of my warm and toasty living room. But the question was how did I get here? Well, sometimes I'm having trouble believing that I finally got here myself.

Let's go through my final weekend in D.C. and tell you about some of the things I did to cap off my amazing few months...

Friday was the last day of my internship. I helped to train our new intern and worked on some papers for school. It was a pretty quiet day. I made sure to take an extra-long lunch and stroll around the Capitol for a final time. The thing I miss most about my internship is getting an "all-access pass" to the building. It's really unbelievable--even the parts the public doesn't normally see.

Late in the afternoon, the Chief of Staff called a "staff meeting". I thought it was odd since it was Friday afternoon and a few people had decided to take the day off. Well, when I walked in I was greeted with a big sheet cake and a hearty yell of "Surprise!" Sure enough, the staff in the office had chipped in and thrown me a surprise party. They got me a card and a few gifts and we all ate cake and chatted for a good two hours. What a way to end my internship! I miss that place already! After work, I walked down to see the Capitol's Christmas tree.

I had planned to go home Saturday afternoon around 3pm, but when we heard of the impending forecast (a boatload of snow for both DC and CT) my parents and I decided to move it up to 1pm. Then, after even that looked ominous, we decided to postpone my train until Sunday morning. I had to be out of my apartment at noon Saturday, so I stayed with my cousin Eddie and his now fiance, Ashley.

But I woke up early on Saturday, because earlier in the week I bought tickets to the Washington Monument. I braved the foot and a half of snow that had already fell and trudged to the top. It was something I had never done before. The visability was obviously not the best, but it was cool just to go up there (especially at such a unique time)! I then walked all around the mall and got some GREAT pictures. It was totally deserted. It was really eerie. I ended with going up to the Capitol and grabbing some pictures of the snow.

the National Mall...deserted

I checked out of my apartment in the snow (here's the view from our balcony) and braved the snow to my cousin's house a few Metro stops away. No one had shoveled the sidewalks yet, so my busting-at-the seams suitcase acted as a shovel. You're welcome Arlington Public Works! Once there, we stayed in all day and had a little HBO marathon. From Shawshank Redemption, to Into the Wild, to National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (one of my all-time favorites), and Marley and Me.

For the movie buffs out there, I'll give my grades:

Christmas Vacation - A++ (it's a holiday tradition)

Shawshank - A (really well done)

Into the Wild - B (cool movie, good cast but couldn't really get into the character- such a hippie!)

Marley and Me - C (ehh, coulda been better. they kept mixing the years up: small, modern cell phones with giant Windows 95-esque computers. What gives?!

But I digress...

Anyways, I woke up early on Sunday to head to the train station. The Metro was still a mess and cabs weren't running. All in all, we got about 26 inches of snow. Last year, they got about 1-2 inches all winter! Eddie drove me there and sure enough, my train was delayed. We waited for about 2 hours just to find out it was then canceled. I raced to the ticket counter to try and get on another train. I waited for an hour and a half in line, while my Dad was on the phone with Amtrak trying do the same. Finally got on a 4pm train, so I grabbed a bite to eat and caught up on some reading.

FINALLY, I boarded the train (just after the New York Giants got off it, oddly enough) and I was headed home to meet my parents. We got in to our house about midnight. It's good to be home.

Coming up: Just because I'm out of DC, doesn't mean it's gone forever: I'm still working on some cool little posts about the Capitol. Look for those around the start of the new year!

Take care everybody!

Christmastime Snapshots

2009-12-14T18:50:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

It's officially the Christmas season here in Washington. The past few weeks I've been putting the finishing touches on my semester here: doing some work for the Washington Center, visiting places I'd been meaning to go to, and saying goodbye to friends.

However, last Saturday we got our first snowfall here in the District. My room is next to a bay window that overlooks Arlington and I couldn't believe my eyes when I woke up that morning. I hurried down to the Capitol and met my friend Brenna. We walked around and took pictures in front of the things we had walked by all semester. I really tried hard not to take for granted being able to walk in and out of the Capitol building at my leisure. It really is something. I'll never forget it.

After we got our fill of the Capitol, we walked along Pennsylvania Avenue and took in the sights and sounds. We stopped at the National Botanical Garden for a bit. We had heard that they had a special Christmas exhibit but we weren't sure exactly what it was. When we walked in, we found the main foyer decked out in Christmas decorations with famous DC buildings adorning the room, made from acorns.

They were very intricately made, right down to many small details, as you can see. Another cool touch was that they were laid out in the room, as they are in the city itself. (Supreme court north of the Capitol, Jefferson Memorial west of the Lincoln Memorial and so on...)

After our time in the NBG, we walked to National Christmas Tree behind the White House. The tree was translplanted there in 1977 and has been there ever since. Along the tree are fifty smaller tree adorned with ornaments from all fifty states. Unfortunately, we got there a little early and the tree wasn't lit yet, but it was still great to see it.

Later in the week, I got to meet Andy Card, former President Bush's Chief of Staff from 2001-2006. I had met him once before--about two years ago--when he visited Stonehill. Card has close Stonehill ties. He was a visiting professor in the mid-90's, a member of the Board of Trustees, and the Commemencement speaker in 2003 (while he was Chief of Staff).

Sidenote: another great thing about the season...Christmas parties! Free food, free drink, and the chance to meet people...it really can't get better. It seems like most days have a reception or party after work that I'm more than happy to go to. My intern budget is pretty tight, so free food is always welcome.

That's it for me tonight. Today was pretty hectic and so I'm hitting the sack relatively early. Get ready though. I have a few special posts coming up talking about a little art history within the Capitol rotunda. Stay tuned. Thanks for the checking out the Gorm-zone. Until next time, take care!

Thanksgiving Traditions in T-Town

2009-12-03T23:49:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Hope everybody had a nice Thanksgiving! We're in the homestretch here in DC. I can't believe it! I go home in just a few short weeks. Speaking of home however, I want to share with you my time spent at home last weekend for Thanksgiving.

I left via train on Wednesday afternoon. I had never experienced holiday travel before, and while it wasn't awful, I was stressed to the max. This is pretty rare for me since I love to travel. I'm a big believer in the whole "half the fun is getting there" mantra. Once onboard, I reclined my chair, whipped out my iPod, and read my Washington Post and before I knew it I was back in CT. It was really great to see my parents again and when I got into the car, the entire backseat was full of food and candy to nourish me after my long journey (they know me too well).

On Thanksgiving morning, we all woke up early and took part in a little tradition for our family: the Manchester Road Race. It's a 5 mile road race in my Dad's hometown of Manchester that usually gets about 14,000 particpants. I've run it five times now and I love it! It's a great atmosphere: people cheering on the side of the road, bands playing on the side of the road, and--this year--great weather!
My aunt and two of my uncles joined us this year. While I ran, they went into a pub across the street from the finish line and took advantage of their morning menu of fried dough and coffee. After I showered and peeled the UnderArmour off me, we all headed to my other aunt's for Thanksgiving dinner. It was great to see everybody again. I hadn't seen most of them in quite a few months. Since I ran quite well earlier in the day, I decided to give myself an extra helping of apple pie!

The next day my Mom and I took part in another Thanksgiving weekend tradition: the Black Friday wake-up call. We really don't have anything to get, we just to it to see what's going on and maybe a little people watching. This year's alarm rang at 4:30am and we were out the door at 4:45. Our first stop was JCPenney to grab our free snowglobes, as we do every year. We then headed to Walmart and Target. Walmart was an absolute madhouse. They had gates--like those you'd see used to keep cattle contained--used to form lines outside the store. Once inside, it was practically chaos. People were lugging TVs out like they going out of style. I also counted 5 police officers on duty, as well as private security. It was ridiculous.

We returned home at 6:15am and after some more sleep, I met up with Deanna, an old friend from high school. We usually meet up at a restaurant called Fuji (it's the kind where they make the food in front of you) and this time was no different. We hadn't seen each other since the spring and it was great to catch up. We also compared stories from our early morning shopping excursions.

That night, my Mom and I started our Christmas baking. Our family hosts Christmas Eve and there has many traditions that come with it. We have a traditional Slovak supper and everything is made from scratch. My grandma passed the recipes down to my mom and she is passing them down to me. I've gotten to be a pretty good baker in the last few years have taken some dishes on myself. But more on this in another post...

On Saturday, a few of my cousins came down. My cousin Dave and his wife had a kid about a year ago: Jack. My cousin Steph and her husband also had a son in August: Chase. It was great to see them again.

Jack is growing like a weed, I remember when he was only a few days old. Jack is crawling all over the place and I volunteered to watch him while Mom and Dad took a break. He kept me moving throughout because he loves opening doors. He bounced from room to room opening and closing doors, then playing with the little door-stop connected to the wall.

That night, I met up with some old high school friends and got home relatively early because we had to decorate the Christmas tree our family had picked out earlier in the day. We had incredible luck this year. Where it would normally take a whole day (and a whole lot of arguing) to pick out a tree...this year it took us one stop and about 20 minutes!

But we got ours in the end: apparently a tree is supposed to be able to "stand up on it's own"?! Pshh, who knew! After it fell for the 3rd time, we thought we were doomed but it is still (fingers crossed) standing as I write.

Before I knew it, the weekend was over and I was on a train back to DC Sunday afternoon. I knew it wouldn't be too long before I was back home for good. But until then, I'm ready to make these last few weeks in Washington an absolute blast!

Take care!

A Saturday in the Senate

2009-12-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Just wanted to fill you all in a very interesting Saturday I had lately. My friend Brenna had a few family friends come down to visit her and she asked me if I could give them a tour of the Capitol. Having nothing better to do on a Saturday (as well as being huge nerd), I said yes.

I got up around noon and headed down to the Capitol to meet them at 1pm. I showed them all the in's and out's of the Capitol as well as some neat little things you normally don't get to see on tours. Here I am with a statue of Joe Martin, namesake of the Martin Institute at Stonehill, on display near the Majority Leader's office in the Capitol.

I knew that the Senate was debating whether or not to take up the health care bill or not, so I decided to head to the gallery and check it out. I got a seat in the front row around 2:30pm. I was pretty interested and the hours moved pretty quickly. Before I knew it, I was about 5pm and I was ready to go. Just then, Senator John McCain (a favorite of mine) came out to give a speech. He ended around 6pm. Since they were voting at 8pm, I decided just to stick it out and watch. At around 8pm, the gallery became more and more filled around me and all the Senators came to the floor and took their seats at their desks.

In this age of C-SPAN and 24 hour media, it is very rare to have more than just a few Senators on the floor at once...let alone 99 of them. (Where were you George Voinovich??) It was also very rare to see Senator Robert Byrd on the floor. Senator Byrd is 92 years old and is the longest serving member of Congress ever. He took office on January 3, 1959! He is quite frail nowadays and makes appearances on the Senate floor only sparingly, so this was a treat.

I watched them each rise from their desk when their name was called and register either an "AYE" or "NAY" vote. Unlike the House--which votes via electronic device--the Senate votes through a roll call. It was about 8:30pm when I got out of the chamber.

I looked like a zombie: eyes red, feet asleep, stomach growling. Now, they are pretty strict in the gallery. You obviously are not allowed to eat, drink, or take pictures, but you're also not allowed to have any electronics inside. Also, if you leave your seat, it is up for grabs. So I had not eaten anything all day (since I only anticipated going to the Capitol for about an hour or so).

I then stopped to call my parents from the rotunda of the Russell Senate Office Building. On a hunch, I told them to turn on FOX News, which was doing a live shot from just in front of me. I walked in and out of the shot on my cellphone, looking away and trying to make it seem like I had no idea that the camera caught me. But sure enough, my mom saw me! haha!

On the way out of the Capitol, I met Senator Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia. I stopped and chatted with him for a few minutes and he couldn't have been nicer. He is pretty big guy, much taller than me. After I was done with him, he was swallowed up my a news station.Quite a Saturday.

I love this town.

Take care!

On Statues...

2009-11-30T12:28:00.000-08:00

Hey folks!

Here is a photo of me rubbing the foot of the Will Rogers statue here in the Capitol. This is a famous statue because for years lawmakers would rub Rogers' foot before going out on the Senate floor to give a speech. It was a good luck charm. That is why you can see his feet are pretty worn. With the addition of the Capitol Visitor Center last year, they have since moved it.

Every state is allowed to display two statues here in the Capitol. There are a few rules though: they must be made out of either bronze or marble, they must be paid for by the state, and they must also choose the person they wish to honor. Every state is represented here, but some states want to update their statues. Therefore, they must choose which statue they want to replace. Helen Keller from Alabama is the newest statue to be unveiled. It will soon be a big day for our office when Michigan replaces it's statue of Zachariah Chandler (Google him!) with Former President Gerald R. Ford. Quite an upgrade!

Statues are housed all over the Capitol from the Visitors Center which hold Keller as well as former astronaut Jack Swigert. Who is Jack Swigert you ask? Well, ever seen Apollo 13? He is played by Kevin Bacon. Talk about six degrees of separation...that guy is everywhere!

Many of them are housed in Statuary Hall, the old House of Representatives chamber and the more famous one (Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson etc) are in the Capitol Rotunda. But others are just in random hallways that most tourists never see.

Well this is a nice little diversion but coming up I'll talk about a weird day in the Senate and my Thankgiving with the family...

Take care!

Washington, Let Me Introduce You to Stonehill...

2009-11-16T20:36:00.001-08:00

Hey there folks,

We’re at it again here in the Gorm-zone! Bringin’ you the latest from our nation’s capital. This past weekend was an exciting one here. A few friends from Stonehill came down to visit me. Steve, Steph, and Molly flew in from Boston on Friday night on what would be an action packed weekend. Steve and Steph had never been to DC before so I made sure to show them all the sights.

After picking them up at the airport and getting them settled in the hotel, we went straight out to Georgetown to grab some grub. There’s a really good place for barbecue called Old Glory, so I took them there! I have a weakness for some good pulled pork or a nice rack of ribs and Old Glory is the finest around. Everyone was pretty hungry so besides catching up on the latest happening at Stonehill and in DC, we chowed down our food pretty quickly. After grabbing some dessert at IceBerry, we went to my apartment and just relaxed. They were all tired from a day of classes and traveling and we were planning big day on Saturday, so it was an early night.

On Saturday we awoke bright and early and went to Arlington National Cemetery. I had not been there in quite a few years. It was a beautiful fall day and we walked all around the large piece of property formerly owned by Confederate General Robert E. Lee. We saw the revered Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and walked to the eternal flame at JFK’s grave.

We were pretty hungry after walking so much, so we decided to meet up with friends of Steph’s family that live in Alexandria, VA. They picked us up at the cemetery and drove us to Old Town Alexandria to a restaurant called the Fish Market. It was great because I really wanted my guests to see how beautiful Old Town was. Though none of us, not even Steph, had met these people before, we hit it off and chatted about Stonehill and future plans.

They graciously then drove us back to the Capitol where I gave Steve, Steph, and Molly a private tour. They couldn’t help but laugh after seeing how my Congressional ID could allow me special access and the ability to cut the lines. When we first got there, a Capitol guide was directing visitors to the long line just to go through security. When I flashed my badge, he exclaimed, “Oh, sir, you and your guests are all set,” and pointed the way to the door. Steve and Steph lost it at this. THEN, I got to a Capitol Police Officer by a barricade just before security. I then flashed my badge and she deadpans, “Have you briefed them already, sir?” I said that I had and ushered them in, all while trying to keep a straight face while my three comrades were doubling over in laughter. I honestly couldn’t have made them treat me more importantly if I had bribed them. We kept laughing about that the entire weekend.

After the tour, we walked over to Bullfeathers, which is a pub right next to my office building. We sat and rested our weary legs and got ready for a night of more walking. Immediately after dinner, we embarked on our Tour de Monument. We began first at the Capitol, then walked to the Washington Monument, then World War II, Vietnam, Lincoln, and the Korean War. By this time, we were basically ready to drop. However, we pressed on and walked to my favorite monument of them all: the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. It is setup quite differently than the others. Instead of one statue or scene, the memorial consists of 5 stages that you walk through much like a park. Each of them consists of certain statues and waterfalls to symbolize the times. For example, the stock market crash has a waterfall with one large pillar of water crashing down, while the chaos and destruction of WWII is symbolized through water crashing around from all directions and in all sizes. It is very powerful to see, especially at night. After FDR, we made it over to the Jefferson Memorial. After that, we just about had it and took a cab home.

The next morning was a beautiful Sunday. It was in the mid-70s, so I took my friends across from my apartment to my favorite Sunday ritual: the Corner Bakery. We sat outside on the deck and enjoyed some scrambled eggs and home fries. We then embarked on a short journey the Iwo Jima Memorial. It is the largest bronze statue in the world. After that, we went over the White House to snap some pictures. Unfortunately, no one was home.

Before we knew it, it was time for us all to say goodbye. The weekend had flown by. But our consolation was that I would see them in the not so distant future. I can’t believe that I only had a few weeks left here. It is so surreal.

Coming up: at brief stop home for Thanksgiving

Stay tuned! Thanks for checking out another installment here in the Gorm-zone! Happy Thanksgiving! (And thanks for taking the time to check out my blog these last few months! Feel free to give me some feedback!)

Take care!

Secret Service Saturday

2009-11-16T20:34:00.001-08:00

Hey folks,

I’m finally finishing my week’s worth of posts with Saturday: the day that the House voted on the Health Care Reform bill.

I had been expecting all week long that the vote would be held on Saturday, so it wasn’t a shock to any of me to be in the office at around 9am on a crisp autumn weekend. What I didn’t expect was all the hoopla and commotion surrounding one of the biggest votes in quite some time.

It started early in the day. I knew President Obama would be given a talk to House Democrats just two doors away from our office in the Cannon House Office Building’s Caucus Room. One thing you realize when the President comes around: he certainly isn’t subtle. After taking my usual elevator ride to the 3rd floor of Cannon, I was stopped by a Secret Service agent immediately after the doors opened and asked for my Congressional ID. Then another agent next to him asked me where I was going. I just thought to myself: Here we go…

I went down to grab some breakfast in the cafe under Longworth and got to talking with Rep. Lummis from Wyoming. She, like me, had just gotten some breakfast to sustain her for the long day. We talked a little about what to expect and how it was going to be very late before we would all get out of there.

About an hour later, a coworker of mine went outside to use the men’s room right outside our office. He was quickly stopped by another Secret Service agent perched in front of the door. The agent told him that restroom was Obama’s personal bathroom for the morning and he would have to go downstairs. (Talk about perks…) Later, a Capitol Hill police officer came into our office and informed us that we would be in lockdown for the duration of Obama’s visit—no one in or out. Just before Obama arrived, a few people in our office took a peek outside the door to see what the hallway looked like. To their surprise, it was lined with Capitol Hill police and Secret Service agents lined shoulder to shoulder. It was an unbelievable sight.

From our balcony, I snapped a few shots of the desolated street while Obama was inside our building. Normally, the sounds of car horns and smell of gasoline would be hard to miss, but today…silence. Also notice in the far left corner of one of the pictures is Obama’s motorcade.

The day went on pretty normally. There was about 7 hours of debate in total. I was able to head over and watch the proceedings from the staff gallery. Rep. Camp was often on the floor managing time. (which is when a member dispenses time for speeches among the junior members) When I was not watching in the gallery, I was relaxing in the office watching C-SPAN.
We all ordered some dinner eventually. Who knew they made calzones as big as my head?! And the debate finally wound down around 10:30pm or so. The few staffers that were left were all pretty tired so as the members voted, we turned on some Springsteen and just relaxed.

Springsteen, votes, and calzones! -- Love this town!

An Evening with the Gore...and more!

2009-11-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

Hey again folks,

Alrighty, I'm back to tell you about the week I had.

On Thursday, many GOP politicians called upon citizens to protest the current health care reform bill by coming to the Capitol for a rally. The congressman I work for, Dave Camp, is the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means committee (one of the committees that oversees health care spending) and is the lead author of the Republican alternative plan. These factors made it a given that it was going to be a busy day in the office.

A bus trip was organized from Rep. Camp's district made up of people looking to participate in the rally. Since these people would leave Michigan at 10pm and arrive in D.C. around 11:30am the next day, our office decided to host a reception for them so they could stretch out and have something to eat before the protest started. I was charged with getting there early and mingling with some of the people that came down. Soon after Congressman Camp came down to say hello and thank them for driving all night from Michigan to be here.

Coming back, I realized the magnitude of the crowd. After the rally, many of the them came into the office buildings to lobby their representatives and others for tours of the Capitol. The sheer crowds in the hallways and waiting to get through security were pretty overwhelming.

Working in a place such as the U.S. House of Representatives, I quickly became accustomed to demonstrations and protests outside my work. Some are quite creative and kinda funny (a giant papier-mache dracula marching down the sidewalk on Halloween to lobby for universal health care) and others can be quite obnoxious and really turn you off.

We had heard reports of sit-ins and arrests scattered throughout the different office buildings. By and large, many of them that day, were peaceful and respectful but their are, of course, bad apples in every crowd. Overall though it was a busy day, it was also a day that was very unique to the Hill and one that will make me miss it when I'm back up North.

That night, Brenna, Jen, and I had the opportunity to see Vice President Al Gore speak at George Washington University. He just released another book about climate change and I didn't want to pass up the chance to go see him.

What struck me first about Gore was how big of a guy he was! He came on stage and gave a talk for about an hour. He focused it on what are some of the things we can do to fight the climate crisis. I flipped through the book a little while he talked and it seemed pretty techinical--this doesn't strike me as a "beach read".

After he finished up, he signed books for about an hour. I was in the back of the auditorium and was one of the last to get my book signed. I was struck by how courteous he was to everybody. I could also sense a little stiffness--maybe owning itself to the Saturday Night Live parody of him. But I was able to meet him and get my book signed. (He also has quite a handshake--certainly not a "dead fish") I went home a happy man.

Coming up next: an EPIC Saturday involving Obama, the health care vote, and more!

THE YANKEES WIN, THAAAAAAAA YANNKKEEESS WINNNN!!!!

2009-11-05T19:35:00.000-08:00

I believe the title says it all!!

On Wednesday night, my cousin Eddie and I burned the midnight oil and watched our beloved New York Yankees win the 2009 World Series. It was there 27th and the first since 2000. It felt soo good to win it again. The championship trophy is where it belongs...the Bronx.

Now I only wish I was in Boston so I could rub it in to those Sox fans....

Madam Speaker...(Part 2 in a Series)

2009-11-05T19:07:00.000-08:00

Hey again folks,

I walked into the office on Tuesday morning and got a really great opportunity: I got a ticket to go see the German Chancellor speak in front of a Joint Session of Congress.

First, what is a Joint Session you ask? Well, it is rare usually only once or twice a year do both houses of Congress (the Senate and House of Reps) convene together. While in session, either the President or a foreign head of state addresses them. When the President addresses them, it is usually in January and is called "The State of the Union". However, as I said, Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany, would speak.

It was a packed house. It seemed that everyone was there from Vice President Joe Biden and Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Congressmen, Senators, and members of the President's Cabinet. In the parliamentary tradition, the Sergeant at Arms announces the names of those dignitaries that process in (which is where we get the title to the post from).

It was a really great speech. She gave it in German, so we had to use the headphones they supplied us to listen to the translation. Unfortunately, you're barred from taking any electronic device into the House Gallery, therefore no pictures to speak of.

Alrighty, that'll do it for now. I know it was a little short and had no pictures, but there is more to come...

"And it ain't no sin, to be glad your alive..." (Part 1 in a Series)

2009-11-05T18:41:00.001-08:00

Hey folks,

I'm gonna switch things up a bit here in the Gorm-zone right now. I have had an absolutely incredible week. It is way to much to pack into one or even two posts, so I intend to update everyday or so with a new adventure from this week. Hope you enjoy...

Alrighty-o, the last time we chatted I was in the final stages of prepping my costume for Halloween. Well October 31st came and went and so I figure I should probably recap.

I went dressed as Bob Ross. Don't know who Bob Ross is? Well my advice is to "Google image" him--he was the painter on PBS in the 70s known for his soft voice and afro. It was a pretty cool costume, if I do say so myself. Here you can see my roommates and I all dressed up. We went out initially to a section of town called Adams-Morgan. On Halloween, it is the "place to be". They close down the street and people are dressed up in costumes all over the place. Going on the Metro, you can see some pretty cool costumes.

After staying there for a bit, I headed over to see my friends at American University. I was pretty famished by this time so we headed to our favorite haunt: Z-Burger. It's a great burger place but its famous for it's over 50 flavors of shakes: from apple pie to chocolate mint. (and they taste EXACTLY like the real thing) Since we're regulars we've become pretty good friends with the manager. By this time, the beard to my costume was a little hot and I took it off, so he was a little confused as to who I was...

On Monday, I went to see the one and only....BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E-STREET BAND!! I prevously wrote how I had seen him in August in Massachusetts but this time I got to see him (for the 8th time overall) in D.C. He played the entire Born to Run album in the setlist and I was going nuts the entire night! He also played two of my favorite songs that I hadn't heard in concert before: Stand on It and Seven Nights to Rock. Then he closed it out with an old favorite: Wilson Pickett's Higher and Higher! Awesome! I can't believe he's 60 years old. It was so much fun and a great way to relax after working so hard during the week.

This ends Part 1 of the series. In the next post, I receive quite a surprise on Tuesday morning...

To Infinity and Beyond!

2009-10-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

Hey again folks,

I getting ready to start another week here in the nation's capital. However, I want to now look back at the last week and tell you about some highlights I had:

On Monday night, my friends Brenna, Jen, and I went to Georgetown to see former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. She came out with a new book recently and she was coming to the local Barnes and Noble to give a talk and sign some books. We sat in a crowd of people in the store's cafe to listen to her talk about her new book, which is about her pin collection and how, as Secretary of State, she used it to convey her mood or a certain message. She was extremely nice and personable, stopping to talk with many of those whose books she signed. It was a beautiful night in the District, so we then decided to go out for some ice cream.

On Wednesday, I had the chance to meet Helen Thomas. She is basically the dean of the Washington press corps. She has covered the White House since the Kennedy administration and has become a legend in both political and journalism circles. Thomas is famous for closing every presidential news conference with the words "Thank you, Mr. President." She still covers the White House everyday and is also 89 years old!

She gave a talk at American University and Brenna and I attended. She spoke of her almost 50 years covering the White House, how each president was different, and which ones she liked and which she didn't. She took lots of questions and was very witty. At the end, she stayed after and signed books and posed for pictures with those in the audience. She, like Albright, was extremely warm and kind to everyone. She wrote individualized notes in every book she signed and would chat with you while she did. It was a real treat to meet her.

On Saturday, we went to the Air and Space Museum. I hadn't been there in quite awhile and it was really neat. There is just so much to see, I feel that I need to go back. I really enjoyed the exhibit abou commercial air travel. Seeing Amelia Earhardt's and Charles Lindbergh's planes was pretty cool. We also got the chance to see an IMAX movie about jet fighter pilots. It was epic!

Now it's time once again for our virtual Capitol tour...

...our next stop is the famed Brumidi corridors. Our good friend Constantino Brumidi was known as the artist of the Capitol. (I talked about him a few posts ago.) He painted the tops of the hallways in the Capitol. Every few feet is another scene from American life. This scene below is of the Boston Tea Party. In the years since his death, new scenes, such as the Challenger explosion and moon landing, have been added by modern artists. It is really breathtaking to be walking through these hallways. I sometimes have to catch myself staring up at them. The level of detail is also second to none.

Also, here is a picture of the Senate subway system.

Today is Halloween!!! In the final stages of getting my costume ready, so I gotta run! Take care!

Gotta Love Sundays...

2009-10-25T12:29:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Been a pretty hectic week here in Washington. I had some papers due early in the week and I'm finally getting the chance now to kick back a little.

I love Sundays. They're just so relaxing. The day usually goes a little something like this: wake up late, head to the bakery across the street for a little breakfast and a Washington Post, and spend part of the afternoon devouring both my breakfast panini and the editorial section.

Depending on how I'm feeling, I'll either take an additional nap (never can get enough sleep, right?) or head out and explore the city a little.

A few Sundays ago, I took a trip downtown to see a site that I had been dying to go for awhile: Ford's Theater and the Petersen House. Ford's Theater is self explanatory...at least I hope. But the Petersen House is a little less well-known. After Lincoln was shot at 10:17pm, the doctors that treated him at the theater were worried he wouldn't make the short carriage ride back to the White House or to the hospital so at around 10:45, they brought him across the street to a boarding house. He laid in the bed belonging to house's owner, Mr. Petersen, until he died at 7:22am the next day. It was such a tiny house and it was set up exactly like it was in 1865. So yeah, it was a little creepy.

On a slightly less morbid note, last Sunday, my cousin Eddie and I paid a visit to our uncle and aunt who live in Gettysburg, PA. Gettysburg is only about an hour and a half away, so we decided to make an afternoon of it and drive up to see them. As we drove up, we passed right through the town of Frederick, Maryland--the town that houses Camp David, the Presidential retreat. We hadn't seen them in quite a long time, so it was nice to spend a few hours catching up. They treated us to a nice lunch and we met some of their friends, one of which is an Arlington police officer. After dessert, we drove a little bit around the city and even got to see a few battlefields.

We came back pretty tired but luckily my aunt packed up some leftovers so at least we weren't hungry. :)

Tick-tick-tick-tick...

2009-10-16T23:15:00.000-07:00

So I guess Andy Warhol was right when he said everyone would have their fifteen minutes of fame. Well for me, it certainly wasn't 15 minutes (more like 10 seconds) and I wouldn't even call it fame. But it was quite a Friday afternoon...

It was around 3pm and I was sitting at my desk when we heard at knock at the door to the bullpen. Though this was highly unusual I didn't turn around until I heard a booming voice from the doorway. He introduced himself as James Rosen from Fox News Channel He said he was doing a report down the hall and needed a young aide to help him out.The office was still razzing me about being on Leno the night before, so they volunteered me to go and help him out. I had no idea what I was about to do or how long it would take. Once I stood up, he looked at me and said "Ok then, lose the sweatervest." (So much for casual Friday...) "You got a tie?" he asked. I said I didn't but one of the coworkers pulled one out of his desk drawer. It was a beaut--like the kind Michael Scott wears on The Office--with the octagonal shapes and all.

I was quickly ushered by James out into the hall. He was doing an story on how the Congress is only working 2.5 days a week, when they said they were going to work 5 days a week. So Rosen took me to the empty caucus room where he planned to file his report for that night's Special Report with Bret Baier. He wanted to end the segment by pretending to preside over a fake congressional hearing.

And well you can see for yourself...(I'm at the end)

http://www.foxnews.com/video/index.html?playerId=videolandingpage&streamingFormat=FLASH&referralObject=10731435&referralPlaylistId=949437d0db05ed5f5b9954dc049d70b0c12f2749

Hello Mudda, Hello Fadda...

2009-10-12T07:28:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile but I've just been so darn busy these last couple days. Not only do I have my internship five days a week, but we are also required to take a class and volunteer once a week. Needless to say, I sometimes have some very long days.

I decided to do my volunteering with the Bob McDonnell for Governor campaign. He is running for the governor of Virginia. Every Tuesday night, I head over to Alexandria (which is the town next to where I live) and make phone calls reminding people to vote to about 2 hours or so. This past Tuesday they had former Redskins' players Dexter Manley and former NFL MVP Mark Moseley come and say hello to everyone working down there. The days can be long sometimes, but it's a great feeling to enjoy what you do...

Meanwhile, last weekend my parents came down for a little visit to check up on their one and only. It was really nice to see them and take them around the city. We used to come every year and our days we're filled with the folding and unfolding of maps and planning our days around our next tour. Therefore, it was such a change to just relax and take a stroll around the District. They came into my office on Friday and I gave them a nice little tour of the Capitol. When I showed them where I went for the Dome Tour, my mother got queasy just looking at it.

After work, we met up with my cousins Eddie and his girlfriend Ashley at a restaurant in Arlington. It was a great time! My parents hadn't seen them since last summer so there was a lot to catch up on!

The next day we walked around Georgetown for most of the day. Georgetown is a beautiful section of DC. It's filled with nice shops and restaurants. But my parents and I loved a place called Georgetown Cupcakes the most. The are well-known for their legendary cupcakes. It is a small place, so usually there is a line waiting outside just to get in. I highly recommend their red velvet or lemon raspberry cupcakes.

For dinner, I met them at Capital Grille. It's on Pennsylvania Avenue. The steak was so good. One thing about being in my family...you always eat well! "Ya gotta eat" is a oft-used phrase by my mom. After filling our bellies with steak and seafood, we walked back to their hotel on Capitol Hill. (Which, incidentally, was also being used by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that weekend.)

On Sunday, I took them down to Alexandria. Alexandria is a historic city in Virginia, located right on the water. Old Town is a section of the city where the cobblestone streets are lined with old shops and taverns. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, so we took our time and walked along the street. I stopped into a store that sold Irish trinkets, then a Life is Good store and my mother had to basically drag me out of both. We stopped for a late lunch at O'Connell's, an Irish pub in town. For dessert, after much convincing of my mom, we ordered a s'more platter. Even though my mom was the most hesistant to order it, she didn't seem bashful when it came! We polished that one off in about 5 minutes!

I had a class later that evening at the National Portrait Gallery. It was really a nice place. I'm usually not a big art guy, but since being down in DC, I've grown to appreciate it somewhat. I met up with my parents once again for a late dinner at the Capitol Brewery. Had some great bratwurst. (How often do you order bratwurst at a restaurant?!)

In the morning, I was off to work once again and they were off to the airport. It was really nice to see them. They really enjoyed taking in DC, yet again.

Unfortunately, I don't have any new pictures of the Capitol just yet for our virtual tour. But I'll head down today, take some, and post a little something later in the week!

In the meantime, I want to give a shout-out to my Yankees! They are heading to the American League Championship Series! (Better luck next year Sox! haha) Eddie and I are two transplanted Yankee fans and we sat on pins and needles during the first couple games!

In the meantime, take care and Go Yankees!

Capitol Dome Tour and more...

2009-09-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well today was amazing. It was one of those typical D.C. days where when I lay my head on the pillow at 12:30am, I never could imagine what I was going to see when I lifting my head off the pillow some 18 hours before. Let's get started:

The congressman's office scheduled a tour of the White House for the other interns and me. I had been there on a tour about 10 years ago., but I didn't remember too much about it. It was actually much easier to get through security than I imagined.

It was really cool to see some of the rooms. They only show us the East Wing, which includes the State Dining Room, the Red Room, Blue Room, and the Library. We also saw the East Room. It is where most presidents hold their press conferences and other major ceremonies. It was kinda odd to be in a room I'm so used to seeing on television. They didn't allow pictures inside the White House, but don't worry I'll make up for it in just a bit...

When I got back to the office, they asked us if we wanted to go on a tour of the Capitol Dome. I jumped at the opportunity! I had heard about it just a few weeks earlier. These tours are very rare and most people never get the chance. You need to be escorted with a member of Congress and obviously, their schedules don't usually permit. During the tour, Congressman Camp told me that the last one he did was about 4 or 5 years ago! There was 7 of us in the group: Congressman Camp and his friends of his family, another staffer, the other intern, and me. We also had an amazing tourguide named Vernon, who led us up the over 600 stairs on the tour.

On right, you can see the route we took. Me being my creative self, used paint to outline it in red. We first went outside the present dome and saw where the old dome stood. (It's the grey bowl-shaped one in the map) It was made of copper and wood. They tore it down because it was a fire hazard and it also leaked when it rained.

We then took the original staircase from the old dome to head to the first balcony above the rotunda. (It's the first dot on the map) It was pretty high up, but little did I know I hadn't seen anything yet. From there, we could see the legendary frieze painted by three artists. A frieze is a painting that looks almost 3-d. It was designed by Constantino Brumidi in the 1870s. Brumidi is known as the Artist of the Capitol, painting the famed Brumidi corridors and a fresco on the rotunda ceiling. As Brumidi was about half done with the frieze, he slipped off his scaffolding and fell. However, his arm got caught in the rope and was broken. He hung stranded in mid-air for 15 minutes until someone came to his aid. About a month and a half later, Brumidi died of a heart attack. The work was taken up by his apprentice Filippo Costaggini. After painting another 1/3 of the mural, Costaggini was fired after the architect of the Capitol found out that he was planning to scrap Brumidi's own design for his own. The space lay dormant until the 1950s when Allyn Cox finished the frieze.

Here are a few photos:

Looking across you can see the frieze.

This is the view from the first balcony of the fresco on the ceiling (but more on that in a bit). Take note of those octagons around the top...

...because they open!! I never knew that! Apparently, it was to keep the rotunda cool before air conditioning.

We then made our way to the very top of the rotunda. It was really, really high up there. I didn't mind looking down but it was so hard to put my camera over the edge. I was so afraid I was going to drop it! Being up there that high also gave me a great look at Brumidi's fresco. It is called The Apotheosis of George Washington. Apotheosis essentially means "to take into heaven." It shows 13 maidens, and two other women (standing for freedom and liberty) around George Washington. On the outsides, it shows scenes of defense, seapower, commerce, and electricity.

Below you can see the view looking down.....(how cool is that?!)

I also took advantage of the scene to grab a picture with the Congressman.

Our next stop was heading outside to the very top of the Capitol. Remember the last post where I told you about the Statue of Freedom? To give you reference, we were about 10 feet under the statue. The view was unbelievable!!! I could see all of Washington and into Virginia!

There's the Supreme Court.

The National Mall of course!

There's the view looking up!

Wow, I love this town!

My third cool moment of the day was totally by chance. I was heading to class and had just come out of the Dupont Circle Metro station when I saw a familiar face trying to hail a cab. I kept thinking to myself that I had seen him in newspaper and on TV before. Then, it hit me! It was former Secretary of the Treasury Hank Paulson. (He was the Treasury Secretary under George W. Bush and orchestrated that bailout last fall.) Here's his wikipedia page just in case http://http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Paulson He couldn't seem to hail a cab, so I thought quickly. I walked over to him and said "Excuse me, Mr. Paulson. If you sign this for me, I'll help you hail a cab." Sure enough, he signed my notepad and I helped him flag down a taxi. Haha! I now have the same signature that is printed on all the money in U.S.

Only in Washington folks. Only in Washington!

My parents are heading down this weekend! It'll be really nice to see them. In the meantime, take care!

And Noowww Jayyyy Lenooooo....and Me?!

2009-09-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

It's your good buddy Matt here. Welcome once again to the Gorm-zone! I had an interesting couple of days, so I figured I should fill you all in. But before I do, I want to update you on something that happened recently. I told you that I saw Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on a tour of the Capitol. A gentleman who was on my tour took a few pictures and was gracious to send them to me for use in the Gorm-zone.

On Saturday, there was an event I was looking forward to for a couple weeks now: The National Book Festival. Every year it's held on the National Mall and brings forth really famous authors.

There's children's author Judy Blume

This year was no exception. From Jodi Picoult and Nicholas Sparks to John Grisham and filmmaker Ken Burns. The book signing schedule was my bible for the day as I spent most of the daylight hours in the shadow of the Capitol, buying books and then getting them signed.

I got down to the Mall at around 10:30 and heading to the book sales tent to stock up for the day. I bought A Time to Kill by John Grisham and took my place in line. However, as the minutes ticked down, the line wasn't moving. I decided to abandon my quest to meet John Grisham (who I really didn't care about anyway) and head over to Douglas Brinkley. Brinkley (son of former NBC News anchor David Brinkley) is a noted historian and author. He edited all of Ronald Reagan's presidential diaries into a book. (Apparently everyday of Reagan's presidency, he wrote an entry. Heck, I can barely write two blog posts a week!)

Ken Burns gave a lecture and signed books

Anyways, my parents gave me that book as a graduation gift from high school and I was able to get it signed my him. I also waited in line (for an HOUR AND A HALF!) to get American Lion signed. It is a book about Andrew Jackson by Newsweek editor Jon Meacham. It won the Pulitzer Prize this year. From there I rushed over to get a book signed by Gwen Ifill. She host a political show on PBS but many of you may know her as the moderator of the last two vice-presidential debates. Last trip of the day was to meet Dan Balz of the Washington Post. He wrote an amazing book on the 2008 election called The Battle for America. It took me about 2 days to read it. It was really good.
There's Gwen Ifill

On Sunday, I headed over to Georgetown to walk around a bit. I also really wanted to try some famous cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake. They're supposed to be legendary. They were closed unfortunately. However I discovered a great little section of the city called Washington Harbor. It lies right on the Potamac and has a beautiful restaurant and marina. I also had dinner at one of my favorite burger joints: Fiver Guys Burgers and Fries. My family and I love it so much, we actually went there for Father's Day this year!

On Monday, I had some Washington Center events going on. In between, a few friends of mine got lunch at Union Station (a big mall, food court, and train station right near Capitol Hill). With our smoothies in hand walking to the next event, we see some cameras. Peering in for a closer look, we see that it's comedian D.L. Hughley! He was filming a segment for Jay Leno and was talking politics with people. He ends with one group and comes over to us. We think it is just to say hello, so we start talking to him. Then, all of a sudden, lights go on and BOOM!: we're being filmed. He starts talking to my two friends about being a Republican and a Democrat. All while we're in front of the camera! It finally ends and they tell us that it will probably be on either Friday or Monday. Look for me! I'm not sure how they edited it, you're probably going to be able to see me. But just in case, I'm the guy with the blue tie and pink shirt!

For this Capitol tour segment, we take you into the Visitors Center. It was just completed a few months ago, yet it took forever to build! In fact, they first started talking about adding a visitors center in the mid-1970s! That's Washington for ya! The picture is of the Statue of Freedom. It is the statue that is on top of the Capitol. I thought for many years that the Washington Monument was the highest point in D.C. Not true! It is the Capitol. The Washington Monument is technically the tallest, but according to the planners of the city, in a democracy nothing is of higher value than freedom...

That's all for me! Take it easy!

Farewell, Molly

2009-09-27T18:15:00.000-07:00

I got some sad news to report tonight. My golden retriever Molly passed away last night. We discovered she had cancer late in the week. We decided to not let her suffer and put her down Saturday evening.

She lived until the ripe old age of 13. I got her when I was in 1st grade and we grew up together. I begged for a puppy when I was little and my parents finally acquiesced. My mother was not known for her love of dogs back then, but she quickly warmed to her and soon became truly another member of the family.

As a puppy, she used her paw to break free from her cage at night and roam around the house. Since she wouldn't use her own bed, I decided to use it on more than one occasion as a kid for my own naps (those pictures will never see the light of day!). She later would sleep at the end of my bed sprawled out across my feet. She would be perfectly comfortable, but I wouldn't be able to move. One night when I was little, she moved up the bed in the middle of the night. I woke up staring at Molly lying on the pillow next to me. I jumped out of bed, frightened. This caused her wake up and jump out too and we both raced into my parents' room scared of our own shadows.

Once, she jumped up on the counter and ate an entire pack of hot dogs and even candy necklace (string included). She was also known throughout the neighborhood for her ferocious bark, finely tuned to erupt when other dogs crossed her line of sight. However, she would only do this from the safety of the house. Once outside, she would cower meekly behind my legs, whether the intruder was a dog, frog, or fish. Once when playing fetch outside, she tripped over my old sandbox and fell onto her back. She was stranded like a turtle on it's shell, flailing her paws and head until my mom rolled her over. I sat on the porch laughing at the sight.

This past November, she caused quite the stir in my family when my dad tripped over her and broke his leg, causing him to have surgery and leaving him in a cast through January. She naturally came away without a scratch.

She was a dog of fine taste: her favorite foods included cheese, Smarties candy, hard-boiled eggs, and cannolis. At any meal, she would always rest her head on your leg and gaze wistfully at you...it usually worked. Her love of food was only matched by her love of tennis balls.

Goodbye, buddy. Thanks for thirteen great years. I'll miss you.

A Pilgrimage to Politics and Prose (and Pearl Jam too!)

2009-09-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

It's late Friday night/early Saturday morning and I'd figure that I would take this time to tell you about the last week. This week flew by, huh? I cannot believe that very soon we're going to be heading into October! You mean to tell me I've already been here a month?

Well, let's start from the top: I think I found a new favorite place in Washington D.C.: Politics and Prose. It's a "storied" bookstore on Connecticut Avenue. While not having the size or selection of a Borders or Barnes and Noble, they make up for it by attracting authors and celebrities who want to promote their book. Anyone who's anyone in the nation's capital pays a visit to Politics and Prose if they have a book to sell. I had heard much about it and spent the entire afternoon there on Saturday. I bought a book signed by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia as well as Ted Kennedy's new memoir. They have a great cafe downstairs, so I then sat down, ate a reuben, and starting reading!

Saturday night, I hung out with some fellow Stonehillers who are studying at American University. I slept over there and in the morning, we woke up early and watched President Obama make the rounds on 5 Sunday political talk shows. (I swear we have friends...)

Once the work week started things really started taking off! On Tuesday, Congressman Camp introduced a resolution in the House. Therefore, I was sent to the Republican Cloak Room (which is a room right off the House floor that members gather in) to get a bill number. Unfortunately for me, the door is not marked. So after a bit of searching, I finally found the place. However, I also found this right next to the door! A statue of good ol' Joe Martin, namesake of Stonehill's Martin Institute!

I kept seeing congressmen and women walk by me in the hallway, so I figured it would be a good idea to turn off my ringer (a Bruce Springsteen ringtone would probably not be welcome in this type of environment). So I adjust my phone and am now confident in it's silence. About 45 seconds later, I spot another member of Congress and an aide walking by. Just as they walk by, I hear a ringtone; basically just a cacophony of drums, guitars, and what sounded like a man screaming. I laughed to myself inside, thinking how embarassed the staffer must be that his ringtone went off. However, it kept going and after getting a weird look for the congressional party, I look down to my pocket to see that it was me! Apparently, when putting my iPhone on silent, I had accidentily opened up iTunes and was currently previewing Pearl Jam's new album! Welcome to my life...

Later that day, I had to run something over to the Rayburn House Office Building. It was a pretty neat experience. On my way over, I see a pretty strange site: a man in the hallway with two dogs running about. The man was throwing them treats and they even rode the escalator with him! I snuck a picture of the two dogs.

Upon exiting the staircase in Rayburn, I peeked into Rep. Don Young's office. On the wall was a full bear-skin rug. It was really cool. I had to take a picture. I then went over to Rep. Dale Kildee's office to finish my errand. As I'm in there waiting, out walks the Congressman. I chatted with him for a bit about my internship and some Massachusetts ties we share. He incredibly nice and engaging man. He is also currently one of the longest serving members in the House.

On Thursday, I had the privilege to have breakfast with former Senator Bob Dole. Dole was Senate Majority Leader for many years, a distinguished war hero who spent 39 months in the hospital after being shot in World War II, and also ran for President against Bill Clinton in 1996. He also was in a Pepsi commercial with Britney Spears about 10 years ago...check Youtube!

It was another breakfast organized for members of Congress, staffers, and interns. Sen. Dole is certainly not young anymore but he still is quite active and looks good for his age. He was also an incredibly nice man. He really took note of and was very inclusive to all the interns in attendance. You can't always say that for people around Capitol Hill. I made sure to get a picture with him afterwards.

Later that day, I gave another Capitol tour. Meeting J. Lo and Arlen Specter on the first one certainly set a high bar, however this one came close. I was doing my usual tour schtick...when we set foot into Statuary Hall. All of a sudden down the middle of the room comes Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi! This was a large group of people in the room at that time (it is a popular tourist spot) so she smiled briefly before her and her entourage proceeded to politely ignore us.

Now for the new feature I am sure you are all dying to see: my virtual tour of the Capitol. We're starting small here today folks. I'll be showing the in's and out's of the House Office Buildings. I work in Cannon. It is the oldest House office building. It was completed in 1908. It was built after members complained that there was not enough room to house all of their offices in the Capitol. Some of them resorted to using committee rooms and other Capitol hideaways as their makeshift offices. It was named after former Speaker of the House Joe Cannon in 1962.

And this is the office where I work...Cannon 341. We occupy three rooms. One is solely the congressman's office, the other is the reception area and the chief of staff's office, and the third is a bullpen-type area where me and the rest of the staff are.

A few feet outside our room is the Cannon Rotunda. Between the Capitol and the Cannon, we're pretty big fans of rotundas here in the Capitol. There are 18 Doric columns in the center. You may recognize the setting as the backdrop to live reports from Capitol Hill on cable news stations. Oftentimes, when you see a reporter standing in front of columns and talking about Congress, thery're located right here.

Heading downstairs into the basement of Cannon, you can head in a couple different directions. There's a direct tunnel to the Capitol. This is often used by members of Congress who are heading over to vote and their staffs. But there are also tunnels that connect over to the other two House office buildings: Rayburn and Longworth.

The basement of Longworth is the de-facto mall for House staff. We have a large cafeteria -with a pretty good menu-and plenty of seating so you can enjoy your lunch. There is also a little convenience store and even an ice cream shop called The Creamery. I haven't tried the ice cream yet, but I hear they have pretty good shakes.

There is also a barber shop and dry cleaners located in the basement. I haven't tried either of those yet, but I hear the barber shop has cut some pretty famous hair.

There is a short tour of all that the House Office Buildings have to offer. Next we'll head into the Capitol to give you a glimpse into the new Capitol Visitors Center.

That's all for me. Take care everybody!

J. Lo, Buzz, Monuments, and More!

2009-09-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well, what a week it has been! Let me start from the top...

On Thursday, I was fortunate enough to have breakfast with Buzz Aldrin. Every Thursday morning, staffers, interns, and a few members of Congress get invited to a speaker to talk about a certain issue or policy. It was pretty interesting. He was on the Apollo 11 mission and was the 2nd man to walk on the moon. (He was also the namesake for Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear)

Back in the office, I've been quite busy working on constituent mail and going to different policy briefings. The briefings are a great way to study-up on different issues. Working in the Capitol is really something! I really still have to pinch myself everyday! I work in the Cannon House Office Building. (which is technically across the street from the Capitol.) The days can be long sometimes (I normally work from 8:30am-6pm), but I really enjoy the work I do. The office I work in has a beautiful balcony that looks out over the street, with the Capitol on the left and the Library of Congress on the right. However, all the House and Senate Office Buildings, as well as the Capitol and Library of Congress, are connected by tunnels and subways. That way it is really easy for members and staff to walk from building to building for votes or meetings.

While this is really a neat feature of these historic buildings, it is quite a headache when trying to learn your way around the place. Walking back from listening to Buzz Aldrin speak, I attempted to find my way back to the tunnel back to Cannon. However, after encountering a few locked doors and descending down some strange looking tunnels, I ended up in the basement of the Library of Congress?! (which is clear across the street!) After walking around the basement for some time, I made my way upstairs to see noted author and primate scholar Jane Goodall signing books. By the time it was all said and done, I had to walk outside and go back across the street quite embarrassed and quite late.

That weekend, I met up with some Stonehill friends and we made our way around the National Mall. One of my favorite things to do in D.C. is to go see the monuments at night. It really is moving seeing them all lit up and looking out over the beautiful view. My favorite view in the entire city is on the far left of the Lincoln Memorial looking out. There you can see the reflecting pool, Washington Monument, and the Capitol. It is breathtaking on a clear night! On the right, you can some Stonehill kids spelling out the name of our 16th President!

The next day I went back to the Mall with my friends Sam and Diana to check out The National Archives (which houses the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution) and The National Botanical Gardens. The Botanical Gardens is one of the few places that I hadn't been before in Washington and I really enjoyed it. The flowers and plants were very colorful. That night, I went over to my cousin's apartment. His girlfriend made some chicken noodle soup and we watched the MTV VMA's and Entourage.

When the work week started, things really got going again. Today I gave my first tour of the Capitol. It's an awesome part of the job. Last Friday, I did a walk through of the tour route and took notes on what to point out and some history behind it all. I was a little nervous with the actual route. (As you read before, my sense of the direction in the Capitol is like a bloodhound's...) But I used that good ol' tourguiding experience from Stonehill to pull it off. But the tour itself was secondary to what happened while I was on it...

I was in a room right off the Capitol rotunda about to talk a little about a lifesize statue of George Washington, when a group of people came from the stairs leading above the statue down to the hallway I was in. Being in D.C., you get used people dressed nicely traveling in packs so I waited paitently for them to pass. When all of sudden, I saw a stunningly beautiful women in the center of the entourage...it was Jennifer Lopez!! She was dressed in a long pink dress and by her side was her husband, Marc Anthony. Both the two people in my group and I sat in stunned silence for a minute. I mumbled a "Good Afternoon, Jennifer." But I was still in shock. She is one of the last people I would expect to be there! It was the Capitol Rotunda! It's a place normally chock-full o'tourists! She just waltzed right on through.

Not five minutes later, as I was in the Capitol Rotunda, I saw a somewhat familiar face walking towards me. Sure enough, it was Senator Arlen Spector . I was quite a bit more confident in my greeting and got a pleasant response back from the Pennsylvania Democrat. J. Lo and Arlen Spector! Being the political nerd that I am, I'm almost as excited meeting Arlen Spector as I am J. Lo!

Honestly, I mean it when I say that everyday is something new here in Washington!

A special treat for all you out there in cyber-land! Announcing a new feature in the Gorm-zone: with every new post, I am going to take you on a virtual tour of the Capitol! I show you a small room or part of the Capitol and tell you a little piece of history or the stories behind it! Stay tuned in the coming days!

Alright, that's going to do it for me! Everybody take care and I'll be seeing ya!

Weekend with the Stonehillers!

2009-09-10T19:31:00.000-07:00

Hey again folks,

In the middle of the work-week here in the nation's capital. But before we get too lost in the daily grind, I think I should recap some exciting things that happened to me over Labor Day Weekend. I was fortunate enough to meet up with some fellow Stonehill students, who I know quite well, that are also in D.C. for the semester. Some of the them are in The Washington Center program, like me, and others are part of American University's semester in Washington program.

Brenna and TJ are interning in Senator Ted Kennedy's office (Brenna actually started the day after he passed away). Sam is interning at the Department of Homeland Security and Jen is interning at the Center for Education Reform. We all decided to meet up in Chinatown Friday night for some dinner. It was so good to see everybody again. I hadn't seen Brenna, TJ, and Jen since school got out in May! We all caught up pretty quickly and we were swapping stories from our summer and what it was like to finally be in D.C. It felt so odd; we had talked about it in the abstract for about a year now and here we were-right in the thick of it!

We headed back to where TJ, Brenna, and Jen are living: the campus of American University. I was able to meet many of their friends. Surprisingly to me, many of them were from outside of the country. For example, both of TJ's roommates are German.

The next day, I woke up early with my roommates Alec and Russel to head to a few Smithsonians. We decided to conquer the American History and Natural History buildings today. I'm a big fan of the American History museum. For both a political and pop culture junkie like myself, it's exhibits could keep me there for days. I particularly enjoyed seeing the American Flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln's suit, and...the original Kermit the Frog! (Hellooo, Kerrmit deeee Frog herrre!) A personal favorite from my childhood, as you can see! The Natural History museum is pretty cool too! They have plenty of stuffed wildlife including a grizzly bear, panda, and a giant elephant to greet you at the door!

(I have no idea what the heck kinda animal this is, it was on display at the museum and just makes me laugh)

The grand foyer of the Natural History Museum

The famous Hope Diamond, on display at the Natural History Museum

Brenna, TJ, and Jen invited Alec and I to a Washington Nationals game that night. The Nats are D.C.'s baseball team, but they are pretty bad. Getting a good seat usually isn't a problem. We all bought tickets at the stadium for about $10 and just kept moving up a few rows an inning. (Shhh!) Also during the game, mascots of different Presidents race in the outfield. It was a beautiful night for baseball though! And what a beautiful stadium; it just opened last year!

But the most exciting moment came towards the end of the game. We had just hunkered down in a new row of seats when Nationals outfielder Elijah Dukes hit a foul ball that was headed right for me! I reached out my bare hands and...caught it on the fly!! The entire section stood and cheered! After waving my prized ball in the air and thanking the crowd, I sat back down in awe of what just happened! I still can't believe I caught a foul ball! It now has a home on the nightstand next to my bed.

Me and my foul ball and all of us with Thomas Jefferson!

Sunday, we made a daytrip out to Six Flags America in Maryland. Supposedly by car it only was only 15 minutes away, but our auto-less selves had to make due with public transportation. After about an hour on the metro and another 45 minutes on a bus, we arrived!! I had never

been to a Six Flags before in my life so this was a huge thrill. I was really excited because I had also never been on a roller coaster that went upside-down before. Let's just say I'm a pro now! Superman: Ride of Steel is a favorite of mine. It has a 200 foot drop! Another is Batwing: it's is a roller coaster that you lie on your back for. Once you go up the ramp on your back, you turn over and are suddenly 100 feet in the air, soaring as if you are flying. The entire ride you are either on you back or on your chest. It was nuts! Brenna, who is not a fan of those types of rides, was a real champ all day and did most of the rides that we dared her to!

After such a whirlwind couple of days, I spent Monday relaxing at my cousin's Ed's apartment. They live in Arlington, just a few short Metro stops away from me. Both diehard Yankee fans, we were in luck since they were nationally televised that night. We ordered some Chinese food with his girlfriend and watched the Yanks put a beating on the Tampa Bay Rays. I had to call it an early night though, my internship would start in the morning!

More to come from D.C.! Stay tuned in the next couple of days. We will have a "Guest Blog" from some friends at Stonehill and a whole lot more! Take care!

Welcome to Washington!

2009-09-07T14:09:00.000-07:00

Hey folks,

Well, here we are! On Wednesday, I moved into my apartment in Arlington, VA and officially began my Washington D.C. experience. Traffic on the Beltway was pretty nasty and we had a little trouble finding the place, so it took us a little longer than expected but we finally made it and I finally saw where I was going to be living in person! It was really nice: a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment on the 11th floor!

Our living room( as you can see we're not interior decorators)

I met each of my four roommates: Russel is from South Africa, Andy is from Southern California, and the third, Alec, is from Arkansas. They're all really nice guys. Russel had never been out of the country before! Andy and I spent an hour trying to explain American football to him. It's a really diverse group and it's nice to meet people from all different walks of life.

On the right, you can see the view from our apartment balcony

On Thursday, we had orientation at the Washington Center. I was able to meet all the folks in the Political Leadership Program with me. We were told of all the requirements for the semester as well as some do's and don'ts for our internship.

Later in the day, all of the students in our program made a field trip to the Newseum. The Newseum is huge museum right on Pennsylvania Avenue that provides a retrospective on news and the media. It was a real treat for this news junkie! They had a really cool exhibit on "Gangsters and G-Men", which showed off really cool artifacts from the Unabomber's cabin to what John Dillinger was wearing the night he was shot. They also have a huge collection of historic front pages, the door from the Watergate break-in and the TV antenna from the North Tower of the World Trade Center on display. (Below you can see the antenna, recovered from the Ground Zero rubble and a lookout tower and large piece of the Berlin Wall)

But there are two things that I really like about the museum. First, it has a beautiful terrace that overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue and provides a great view of the Capitol. The second is the infamous dry-erase board used by Tim Russert on Election Night 2000. His insistence on the state of Florida being crucial in the hours before the polls closed became a historic moment in both politics and pop culture. He's a big role model of mine. On Sunday mornings, my Dad and I used to always watch him on Meet the Press. (By the way, Russert's book Big Russ and Me is all all-time favorite of mine. I highly recommend it!)

Well, that's going to do it for now. I start my internship on Tuesday and I need to get up to speed before then! Take care everybody!

A Night in Baltimore

2009-09-03T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hey again folks!

I left Stonehill early Monday morning to head home for the day to pack and get my things together for D.C. It was weird saying goodbye to Stonehill and to people that I wouldn't see for either a few months or a whole year. As the students came on campus the perpetual peace and quiet that had been summer Stonehill gradually broke. It felt so odd for me: I obviously was a student here but as the other students moved back and got themselves ready for a new semester, I felt as though I didn't exactly belong.

Monday was spent putting the finishing touches on packing and spending time with family. I visited a few aunts and uncles and went to Bertucci's with my mom and dad.

We awoke early Tuesday morning and headed for the airport. The flight from Hartford to Baltimore was short and smooth. I'm not a huge fan of flying, so it was for the best. Once we landed, we spent the day in the beautiful Baltimore inner harbor. There's stores, museums, the National Aquarium, and even an old warship- The U.S.S. Constellation-so there was no shortage of things to do. A highlight for me was going to the Babe Ruth birthplace and museum. As a Yankee fan, seeing the room where the Bambino was born was a dream come true! It had some really cool artifacts in it, including Ruth's personal radio, ashtray, and a collection of bats and jerseys.

Later that night, we headed over to Camden Yards to see a baseball game. My beloved New York Yankees were taking on the Baltimore Orioles. My dad got some great seats and we were able to get right up behind the Yankees dugout. The strange thing was that there was definitely more Yankees fans in attendance than Oriole fans. My mother had never been to a baseball game before so she was slightly bored by the three hour long game. She decided to pass the time by making runs to the concession stands and bringing us all back new and different foods. From sausage and pepper sandwiches and hot dogs to funnel cakes and ice cream cones: we all ate like kings. But she was in line for a pulled pork sandwich when out of the corner of her eye, she saw people going up to this older, overweight guy sitting in a stool near the counter. He kept talking to them and signing things for them. She had absolutely no idea who he was, but she figured she was probably somebody important so she went up and had him sign her ticket. About an hour later, we're sitting in our seats and she pulls out her ticket simply as an afterthought. She asked me if I had any idea would this person was. I looked closely and then it hit me...Boog Powell! Powell was a 1st Baseman for the Orioles in the 1960s and 70s. He was a 4-time All Star and the 1970 MVP. Not bad for some guy near the BBQ stand!

It was a pretty good night all around! The Yankees won and it was a beautiful night for a ballgame. I was really impressed with Camden Yards and I could understand why it's so consistently ranked as one of the best ballparks in the country.

Before I go, I caught something really neat on camera that I want to show you: I was trying to get a video of the multitudes of Yankee fans chanting "Let's Go Yankees!" While taping, I actually caught Eric Hinske's home run on camera! Not bad! Check it out!

That's all for now!! More to come from DC!!! Take care!

Fall Orientation 2009!!

2009-09-03T15:03:00.001-07:00

Hey folks!

Coming to you live from the nation's capital! I moved into my apartment yesterday and started my program's orientation today! (More on all that in a later post!)

So I promised some pictures from Fall Orientation and here they are! Move-in day was really rainy! My friend Julie and I grabbed some umbrellas and walked people to and from the parking lot; just so they could possibly stay a little dryer while lugging those TVs and fridges. That night, each residence hall had a social/dance party so that the residents of each building could get to know each other. I was over at Corr Hall and it was awesome! Everybody was really having a great time and let's just say that we put the other residence halls to shame with our moves...

Generally, fall orientation is a lot less hectic than it's summer counterpart. There's a lot more free time for both the Peer Mentors (PMs) and the incoming students. There is also fewer icebreakers and more academic presentations. On Sunday, we all took the incoming students into Boston for the afternoon. Meagan and I let the students in our group do as they pleased for the day. Meagan used to the time to visit with family and I used it to walk around Newbury Street. I bought some last minute items that I knew I needed for D.C. and then just sat at a Starbucks and read the newspaper. I knew quite well that it would be the last day of total relaxation I would have in quite awhile, since I would be leaving early the next morning to get ready for my trip.

We all had such a great time. I can't believe that orientation is all over! Enjoy the pictures! I'll see you all on down the road...

Top: Kate and Tracy welcome the students into O'Hara

The Wilderness Explorers from each session meet each other for the first time at dinner

RA's check students into their rooms

On a break: Katrina, Randy, and Lisa dance along to the famous "JK Wedding Video" on Youtube

Wyatt, Lauren, and Christine take a break from the dance party

Senator Ted Kennedy's Wake

2009-09-01T21:07:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Last Friday, we all had a day off from orientation training. I decided to wake up early and make use of the day by heading up to Dorchester for Senator Ted Kennedy's wake at the John F. Kennedy Library. Originally, my friend Brian and I were supposed to go but he had to work so I drove up by myself. I didn't really know what to expect when I got there. I had been to the JFK Library with Brian just a few short weeks before. It is really an interesting place. I had heard reports of long lines with people waiting outside for hours upon end. I was a little worried.

As I drove up on I-93, highway signs read "Thanks Ted, from the People of Massachusetts." Once I parked my car in a nearby lot, we were shuttle via coach bus to the library. While there were a lot people there, the line wasn't unbearable and they said they only expected about an hour wait.

A very classy touch on the whole process was the members of the Kennedy family going outside and shaking hands with those who were waiting in line to pay their respects. I was able to meet a few of Teddy's nieces, but I was very fortunate to meet his sister and last surviving sibling Jean Kennedy Smith. Shortly after meeting me, she was swarmed by cameras and gave a statement to the press. Upon entering the museum, I saw Rep. John Lewis of Georgia. I actually met Congressman Lewis a few months ago as I was flying down to attend President Obama's Inauguration. Rep. Lewis was a pivotal figure in the fight for civil rights in the 1960s. A close friend of Martin Luther King Jr., Lewis was bloodied and beaten as he walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in the infamous march on Selma, Alabama.

I entered a large room and saw the casket of Senator Kennedy. It was very moving. People of all backgrounds and walks of life came to pay their respects. I met people from all over the United States while waiting in that line, many of them with their own stories of being touched by the life of Teddy. Though I probably could have used the sleep, overall it was not a bad way to spend a morning...

Clockwise from top right: Jean Kennedy Smith (sister of John, Robert, and Ted Kennedy) addresses the press; the doors to the library; people quickly filled up behind me in line at such an early hour; the scene when I first arrived at about 9:45am

The Summer Wind Came Blowin In...

2009-09-01T20:33:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Well, the month of August has been a whirlwind so far for me! I’ve been working all summer as a Summer Student Ambassador in the Admissions Office (so if you visited campus this summer, you probably saw me)! At the beginning of the month, my good buddy Brian moved in and started his job in the Admissions Office. For most of the summer, our room was pretty empty while I waited for him! Luckily, my friend Steve also worked on campus and lived right above me. We spent many a night chowing down on Chinese food and then going for ice cream at a local homemade ice cream shop named Flint Farm.

My parents also came down for a weekend to take me shopping for my time down in Washington. We spent most of our time at the outlets in Wrentham shopping for shirts, ties, pants, and a suit or two: all essentials for the epicenter of the political world.

However, as the month quickly drew to a close, some lasting memories of the summer came to pass. The first was Gormstock! What is Gormstock, you ask? Well, it is really just a barbecue but it is also a little bit more than that. The termed was coined by my friend Conor a few weeks back. Quite a while ago, I decided to have some friends over my house at the end of summer to say goodbye before many of us go our separate ways for the semester, whether they are heading back to Stonehill, studying abroad, or interning somewhere off-campus like me.

We spent all day on August 15th (the 40th anniversary of Woodstock oddly enough), swimming, grilling, and enjoying each others’ company. But my personal touch on the event was making Gormstock t-shirts that we all wore throughout the day! My parents, as they usually do, outdid themselves when it came to food. With the usual snacks, like chips, pretzels, and popcorn, we grilled up ribs, burgers, hot dogs, and sausages for lunch. There was also garden salad, potato salad, and broccoli casserole. For dessert, we had Friendly’s watermelon roll, homemade cookies, cakes, and cupcakes. That night, we started a fire and ate s’mores and dug

into a 30 inch grinder for a late dinner.

Clockwise from top: Everyone by the fire; Conor and I by the pool; my friends Sam, Corinna, and Meg; Brian and I grilling some grub !

We also held “chicken fights” in the pool. Apparently, my 6’3 high frame is not well-suited for the game. Brian and I lost pretty badly! We also played some badminton and wiffleball on my front lawn (Fun fact: the official Wiffleball factory is located an hour from my house in Shelton, CT)!

In the morning, we were greeting warmly by bagels, Taylor ham (a New Jersey specialty courtesy of Conor), eggs, bacon, and waffles. Wow, I’m hungry just thinking about all that stuff!

Just one week later, I began quite a hectic weekend. On Friday, my roommate Brian and I grabbed some dinner at our favorite area restaurant, Cheng-Du. The General Gau’s Chicken is out of this world! We then saw Quentin Tarantino’s new movie at Patriot’s Place.

The next day though, was an amazing day for me! I saw Bruce Springsteen at the Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA. I am a huge Bruce Springsteen fan. I have been to seven shows in the last year and half! That night, whether he and the E Street Band were improvising Elvis’ Burning Love, strumming the joyful guitar riff on Rosalita, pounding the snare drum on American Land, or making the bass guitar pulsate through our ribcage like it did during the rarely-played Born in the U.S.A., he never ceased to amaze me! Many of the songs he played I had never heard before! He even takes requests every show from the crowd! I took my good friend Meagan and we were “dancing in the dark” during every minute of the 3 hour show. My other friends Ben and Liz came with us and sat on the lawn on the amphitheater. Like us, they also came out in total awe of the show that the 60 year old rock star put on. What a night!

-Not a great shot but Bruce and the band are in there somewhere!

Right now, I am at Stonehill and getting ready for the entire incoming freshman class to move in. The Peer Mentor team moved in on Sunday and is working hard to help the incoming students feel comfortable in their new college home. Meagan (the same one who joined me at the Springsteen concert) is my partner on the orientation team. That means we work together with a small group of students during the summer and fall orientations. We’ve really gotten to know them quite well and are looking forward to seeing them on campus full-time! During our training in the summer, we were all given a word that we needed to incorporate in our group names. Each of us was given a balloon with a certain word in it having to do with love; ours was “smitten”. It took Meagan and I a little while, but we decided to use the Disney movie UP as our inspiration…our group is named the Simply Smitten Snake-bitten Wilderness Explorers! (If you haven’t seen the movie, I highly recommend it. One of the best movies of the summer!)

Top: My partner Meagan and I

Bottom: The Simply Smitten Snakebitten Wilderness Explorers from the 2nd Session of Orientation

Anyways, during fall orientation, we look to build on the friendships with the students formed during summer orientation. Incoming students will be taken into Boston for a day, give back to the community through our “Into the Streets” day and also meet with their academic departments and advisors during the two-day program. Pictures will follow! But for now, it’s a little almost 3:30am and I think it’s about time I go to bed! Take care everybody!

Hey Folks!

2009-09-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my brand-spankin’ new blog! I’m really excited to give you all a glimpse of my life…

But first, who the heck am I and why do you want to hear from me? Well, let me start with the easy one: my name is Matt Gorman and I’m a Junior here at Stonehill. I’m from Torrington, Connecticut and I’m majoring in Political Science with a minor in Journalism.

When I’m at home, I live with my Mom, Dad, and Golden Retriever named Molly. I really enjoy reading (mostly nonfiction), watching TV and movies (The Office and The Sting are my two favorites), listening to music (love Bruce Springsteen), and spending time grilling and relaxing in my pool. I do also really love to drive! I am always down for a road trip! In fact, my friends and I are in the early planning stages of a cross-country road trip after our graduation. I graduated in 2007 from St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol, CT (which is right down the street from ESPN headquarters).

When I’m at Stonehill, I keep pretty busy. I just finished up serving as Vice-President of the Class of 2011 for two years. While that entails helping to run our class committee, it also means that I serve on the SGA Senate, which is the chief-policymaking body for Student Government Association. I am also the News Editor for Stonehill’s student-run newspaper The Summit. I’m in charge of both writing and assigning stories, enforcing deadlines, and have total editorial and layout control of my four page news section. It is such a feeling of pride every Thursday morning when the paper comes out! My time is also well-spent being a Student Ambassador Coordinator on campus. So when any of you out there visit Stonehill, either me or someone like me will talk about our experiences at the school and take you on a campus tour! As a coordinator, I am one of the leaders of the program and focus on our Senior Day Visit program. I also serve the college as a Peer Mentor. As a PM, I am charged with helping incoming students transition from high-school to college. Our duties include being orientation leaders during the summer and facilitating transitions meetings during the first part of the school year. Another one of my passions is the radio show I co-host with my buddy Conor on WSHL, the college’s radio station. Every Thursday from 10pm – midnight, Lower B Tonight with Matty and McGlade (named after our freshman year hallway) helps to kick-start the weekend with eclectic musical stylings: everything from Bruce Springsteen to Bob Dylan and Bon Iver to Lady Smith Black Mambazo.

However, I’m just getting ready to embark on an exciting chapter in my life. This fall, I am interning all semester in Washington D.C. through Stonehill’s program with The Washington Center. In January, I was accepted into The Washington Center and was immediately assigned an advisor. She basically did all the legwork for me, from sending away resumes and cover letters to referring my application to sites that would interest me. I interviewed with many places in many different facets of government, everything from lobbying firms, to congressional offices, to political parties. I was actually offered every position that I interviewed for! But after much racking of my brain, I finally decided to intern with Congressman Dave Camp of Michigan. Not only will be attending briefings, congressional hearings, bill markups, but I will also graduate from giving tours of Stonehill to giving tours of the U.S. Capitol! I will intern about 45-50 hours a week, take one class through the Washington Center, and write a paper about my Washington experience when I get back to Stonehill in January…and right there is a semester’s worth of credit and courses! While interning, I will also live in a fully-furnished apartment in Arlington, VA that the Washington Center provides for us. I fly down on September 1st and my orientation into the program begins two days later. Stay tuned for more on this in the coming days…

Phew! Well, that seems to be about it. A brief glimpse into the life of yours truly. I look forward to writing about my experiences both inside and outside the walls of Stonehill. I also want to bring you perspective from some of my friends whose experiences are sometimes quite different then mine. I hope you enjoy traveling this journey with me.

I’ll see you along the way…