Why I Blog

     I’ve been thinking a lot over the past week about why I blog.  I’ve never been very vocal about my opinions and I’m usually not comfortable speaking in front of large groups of people.  Being overly shy has always been an issue for me, though I’ve almost grown out of it.  So far, my personality does not seem like the type of personality that posts her thoughts on the internet for everyone to see, but there is something about blogging that make these obstacles irrelevant.

     Maybe it’s the writing.  I’ve always loved to write, and have multiple third grade diaries to prove it.  For me, writing is drastically easier than speaking.  I have the chance to articulate my thoughts in a sensible way, and there is also the ability to edit.  It’s hard to fix something spoken, but just a couple taps of the backspace key erases any error in a matter of seconds.  Having my thoughts visible on a piece of paper strengthens them, and allows me to take a stance on subjects I would not normally go anywhere near.  Other people may feel differently, and to some this may just seem cowardly, but it is a habit I could not do without.

     Maybe it’s the distraction.  Whenever I have a ton of work and absolutely no motivation, doing a little blog work helps.  Blogging provides the same distraction as Facebook, without the guilt that comes with procrastination.  Any extra writing is good for school, right?

     But perhaps it’s the experience.  Later on, maybe even next year, I’ll look back on my blog and see how unimportant and poorly edited some of my posts were, but I don’t think I’ll ever regret it.  For the first time, I’m publicizing my voice and getting involved in where I live.  Most of my posts aren’t groundbreaking Washington stories, but studying local news and formulating opinions on it causes me to feel a strong connection to the city I live in.  Spending time away from D.C. made me realize how unique the city is, and I hope to show that appreciation through my blog.

     As people seem to learn again and again, once something is posted on the internet, it is open to a big audience and a wide range of criticism.  Just because it is open to the public does not necessarily mean that they will read it or care, but it is there all the same.  I started this blog as a personal project, not really meaning to actually post anything, but just write for myself.  However I made the decision to put it on the internet, and I hope anyone who reads it feels the same enjoyment as I do when I write it.

D.C.: Demand the Vote

     When I was younger I loved going away to sleep-away camp and vacations in different parts of the country.  One of my favorite things to do when meeting other kids on these trips was to respond to the question, “What state are you from?” with “I don’t live in a state, I live in a city.”  I would get that feeling of superiority little kids have when they think they know more than the other kids.  Of course, this little tidbit of information became less impressive as the years went on, but I was still able to shock a few younger Buffalonians every once in a while.

     With a new Congress in place this January, the question of D.C.’s representation in Congress resurfaces.  There are a few different approaches to this issue, from retrocession to changing street names.  It is a multi-faceted issue and not the most urgent on the minds of most of the D.C. newcomers.  Still, it’s an issue that warrants attention.

     I think D.C. deserves its own vote in both the House and the Senate.  As the capital city and home to 600,000 Americans we have the right to Congressional representation.  I can say from experience that the city is full of opinionated people and these voices should be heard in the legislative process.  The easiest and most democratic way for this to happen is giving D.C. the vote.

     Although retrocession gives us this vote with Maryland, I would rather have our own elected representatives for the D.C. area.  However, one of the unique aspects of D.C. is its status as a city and not a state.  In order to gain these rights, we should avoid lobbying for statehood and instead consider Constitutional revision for voting rights as the capital city.  This process would be time-consuming, but well worth the effort.

     The issue of D.C. voting rights has been around for a while, and much work and energy has been put behind efforts to put it into action.  Especially after this week there are more pressing issues the Hill has been dealing with and will continue to deal with, but that will always be true.  Instead of pushing the issue to the back burner again the new Congress should take another look and put it to bed for good.

Video Essays: The Future of the Dreaded College Process?

     College applications: the most discussed complaint and worry of first semester senior year.  Now that I have finally finished mine, I have started to block the stress out of my memory and look forward to a more relaxed second semester.  However, reading an article on the Washington Post website reminded me of some painful memories and brought to mind the unnecessarily brutal process that is applying to college.

     Some universities in the United States, including George Mason University in Fairfax, have begun to accept videos made by applicants as part of their supplements.  Applicants can produce, shoot, and edit a video about themselves using whatever equipment and resources they have available.  Most schools that accept videos do not accept them as a replacement for an essay and are usually list them as optional.  Luckily, none of the schools I applied to have this option, but the article had me thinking about what this new addition could mean for future applicants.

    When I first heard about the video option offered by some schools I thought it was an interesting idea.  Videos give applicants a chance to more fully represent themselves than in essays.  Some things can’t be as well portrayed on paper than they are visually, and some people have a hard time expressing themselves through writing.  It makes the admissions officers’ jobs a little less boring and monotonous as well.  Instead of reading essay after essay, most of which they have probably seen before, they get to see the personality of the applicants in action and their creativity in a different medium.  I’m not sure how well I could do with making an application video, but I know a lot of kids who would definitely thrive with that kind of a project.

     Although, the more I thought about these videos, the more issues I began to see that accompanied them.  The biggest one I saw was equipment.  Sure, if you have a lot of creativity it should show no matter the quality of the equipment, but there are still huge advantages in having more advanced cameras and editing programs.  An applicant could have an amazing idea for a video, shoot it with whatever camera they had and end up getting terrible sound quality, making the entire project useless.  On the other hand, someone could have access to top of the line equipment and have options to add in to his video that other programs don’t provide.  If the video options continue to become popular with colleges, I think more guidelines should be put in place with the production of the videos to allow a little more fair chance in the process.

     Another major issue I saw with the video supplement was how public some of them become.  Some schools create YouTube channels for video supplements for applicants to post their videos on.  Even if the videos are on a specific channel they are still open to the public of YouTube viewers.  With something as competitive and stressful as the college process, having part of the application public is a very bad idea.  Even though high school seniors are supposed to be entering adulthood and should be mature does not mean that we are.  Classmates of students who post videos for applications could potentially see the video and use it as a judgment for or against them.  Applications are meant for admissions officers, and once a public aspect is introduced to them, their entire nature could change.  If a college decides to offer a video supplement, they should make sure to have a private and secure way for the videos to be submitted.

     I know I may be getting a bit ahead of myself.  As of now, very few colleges actually do accept video supplements and most of them have very little effect on whether the applicant is accepted or not.  However, if the idea is adjusted and revised, I think accepting videos could be an innovating step for the college application process.

New Year, New Washington

     It’s a new year.  It’s a time for new beginnings, renewed resolutions and new expectations.  Once I finished reading my favorite part of January 1, The Washington Posts’s “In and Out” list (I completely agree with the Kardashian crazy going out), I began my new resolution: blog more.  After a brief hiatus due mostly to college applications and Christmas shopping, Katie’s Capital is back just in time for 2011.

     Along with the parties and college football that roll around with the New Year are government changes in power.  With the beginning of this month Washington has a new mayor as well as a majority Republican House of Representatives.  And this new Congress plans to do more than shoot down health-care legislation; it is ready to make history.  Once they begin their term on January 5, the new House will read aloud the Constitution as a reminder of the principles the American government was founded on, for the first time in American government history.  Each new bill that reaches Congress will have to contain textual backing from the Constitution as well.  It is an interesting approach, though some see these two rules as a Tea-Partyization of Congress.  I think it is a good idea to revisit the original ideas of the founding fathers, but there are also dangers in over-studying a 224-year-old document.

     As every history teacher I have ever had has told me, context is key when studying historical documents.  Much of the principles laid out in the Constitution are still very relevant to how the government runs today.  However, some points, like the right to bear arms during a time when the most dangerous arms were muskets, are more relevant to 200 years ago.  That’s not to say Congress can still interpret and apply these points to today’s society, but I think caution is necessary when listening to and understanding the document.

     Another issue Congress should pay attention to is proof-texting.  Now a bill must contain citations from the Constitution, it is important to keep in mind the document as a whole and the relevance of certain parts.  Attempting to imply meaning to certain items in order to pass a bill could cause issues in the entire law-making process as well as the manner in which Congress interprets the Constitution.  This may be an exaggerated fear, but something to keep in mind nonetheless.

     Change is always associated with this time of year.  And with change people bring new ideas to keep things fresh, trying to avoid being caught in a stagnant state.  These new ideas may work, or they may have no affect at all, but exercising caution in the institution of these changes may be the best idea of them all.

Governing Gun Control - Inspired by "The Hidden Life of Guns"

     The latest installment of the Washington Post series, “The Hidden Life of Guns” came out today, broadening the scope of research to the nationwide effects of gun sales in the deaths of police officers.  Previous articles in the series explore gun sales in the Washington area, gun sale privacy laws and how quickly guns sold by dealers connect to crimes.  The most shocking aspect of this series is that everything that takes place up until the actual crime committed with the gun is protected under the varying and loose state gun laws.

     The Second Amendment states, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”  Gun laws differ from state to state, some taking the Second Amendment more literally than others.  In D.C., it is legal to own a firearm as long as it is registered with the police, since the handgun ban was rendered unconstitutional in 2008.  I think the laws in Washington, as well as other states, do not go far enough in regulating the area’s gun ownership and gun-related crime.

     The Post’s series shows alarming statistics on how easily people who have committed past crimes can get their hands on a gun.  Apart from stealing guns, there are “straw purchases”, in which the person with a criminal record has a girlfriend or relative purchase the gun for them or buys the gun with only a record of misdemeanors instead of felonies.  If it were up to me, gun sales would be illegal no matter what, but since our Constitution states otherwise, I think the laws should tighten up considerably.

     Gun control should be regulated under federal law, and should not be subject to the discretion of the state.  In gun-related crimes, the basic human right to life is at stake, from the lives of police officers to innocent bystanders, and these violations should have uniform regulation and punishment by federal law.  Lax gun-control laws in some states make it possible for people to buy guns and smuggle them into other, stricter states, making some of their regulatory laws difficult to enforce.  Strict laws would be easier to enforce if they were the same nationwide and every state put them into action.

     The series’ article, “How politics protects gun dealers”, discusses the Tiarht amendment and its effects on legal gun sales and crimes.  Under this amendment, information tracing guns used in crimes to gun dealers is confidential, protecting the gun dealers from lawsuits and criticism.  This amendment should be repealed, encouraging gun dealers to exercise more caution and discretion in selling firearms and limiting the instances of straw purchases.  The amendment helps these businesses stay afloat and make some sort of a profit, but at what cost does this profit come?

     Gun control is a difficult issue due to the varying values and opinions tied to it.  Some people think it necessary to own a gun for self-protection or protection of loved ones as well as occupational requirements.  I realize it is almost impossible to create federal gun regulations and stricter gun sale standards, but I strongly encourage anyone interested in the issue to read the series and consider the cost of our current gun control situation.

     

DC Urban Moms: From Advice to Gossip

     This week, Washington City Paper published an online article about Sidwell Friends’ football team.  It discussed our somewhat disappointing record and the possible causing factors.  However, what stood out to me most, aside from the incorrect facts and insertion of opinion in a news article, were the references made to the website DC Urban Moms.  On the site, a whole discussion board had been dedicated to the topic of Sidwell football, spanning a total of 33 pages.

     I had never heard of the website before this week’s article, and had no idea parents discussed high school sports in such depth online.  I looked at the site a bit more and its purpose was not so surprising anymore.  DC Urban Moms was initially created in 2001 as an advice forum for parents in D.C. on absolutely everything from finding toys for their children to help in the high school admissions process.  It is a community of over 5,000 members who can discuss and support each other on common issues of parenting in the D.C. area.

     But, there is a flipside to this type of online community.  Just as in any community, news can turn into gossip quickly, and with the added bonus of anonymous posts, it gets ugly fast.  Topics such as “What’s the Most Obnoxious Thing You’ve Heard a Parent Say at Your DC’s Private School?” and “Where Do Douchebags Send Their Children?” just beg for online drama.  I have yet to meet a parent who would post on this site in discussions such as these, but the fact that there are parents who do is a little troublesome.  There are plenty of websites where kids have these types of discussions, like Juicy Campus or Campus Dirt, but aren’t parents supposed to be a little more mature than their kids?

     There is no question the internet changed how most communities function.  It now provides new forms of communication, information and organization that were not available 10 years ago.  But, with this evolution of communities and the new cloak of anonymity, members need to keep in mind the purpose of that community.  Asking for and giving advice is a great way to create a strong community, but using it to discuss a high school football team’s off season or the reputations of certain schools causes that community to lose a certain credibility.  Parents, along with everyone else, are bound to gossip and talk about their kids at parties or on the sidelines, but bringing it to such a public platform as the internet may not be the most sensible idea in the world.

The Pros of Visiting a D.C. Bookstore

     Politics and Prose will always hold a special place in my memory.  When I was 11, I was extremely obsessed with the Harry Potter series (I still, less obviously, am) and the third book had just come out.  One rainy Saturday afternoon my mom told me we were going to Politics and Prose to see J.K. Rowling, and I could not contain my excitement.  We waited outside in the rain for two hours, and then we finally reached the book signing table.  My sisters and I proudly presented our copies of the first three books as they handed us lightning bolt tattoos.  My mom decided this was the perfect opportunity to try to be funny, and told Ms. Rowling, “My daughter Katie is 11 and we’re still waiting on her letter from Hogwarts.”  Ms. Rowling looked a little worried, and then asked my mom, “You know it’s not real, right?”  Years later and I’m still embarrassed.  I had met the author of the global phenomenon of Harry Potter and she thought I actually believed I had magical powers.

     Carla Cohen, the founder of the bookstore where this great childhood memory took place, passed away last Monday.  As I read her front page obituary I was surprised to see how famous Politics and Prose was throughout the country.  It was described as one of the political hubs of D.C. and had been acclaimed on multiple occasions in the New York Times. 

   To me, Politics and Prose means books, and more importantly, field trips.  Once a year in elementary school, my entire grade went down to Politics and Prose to listen to a different picture book author speak and show us his or her book.  Afterwards, we would have 20 minutes to explore the store and look at books.  These field trips were significantly more entertaining than the art museum trips, and I looked forward to roaming the store with my friends every year.

     Cohen’s partner, Barbara Meade, is in the process of selling the store.  As one of the most successful independent bookstores in the D.C. area, the next owner has some very big shoes to fill.  I hope, along with many other Politics and Prose fans, that the store will continue to be successful in future years and still be a place for great political minds to go as well as a site for elementary school field trips.  And of course, I will always need the physical reminder of that rainy Saturday with J.K. Rowling.