Josh – The Perks of UCDC and Why Not to Insult the Former Director of the CIA

Day 20: Friday, April 11th, 2014

One of the best parts of attending UCDC for a quarter is the abundance of knowledge available to students and the incredible networking opportunities that come with being at a prestigious college program in a major political and media market.

Every Monday, a different guest speaker puts on a forum at the UCDC center, with a Q&A following a conversation with a moderator. Students even have the opportunity to meet personally with the speakers at the conclusion of the forum.

Just between February and May, the Center will be graced by the presence of journalists Molly Hooper of The Hill, Ray Suarez of Al Jazeera, and Dana Priest of the Washington Post, politicians Ralph Nader and Ruben Zamora of the El Salvadorian Embassy, and Kaya Henderson, the Chancellor of the DC Public School System.

In my opinion, we had the most interesting speaker of all this past Monday. Our guest was James Woolsey, the former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency who served under the Clinton administration. Woolsey is a Rhodes Scholar from Oxford University and received an LLB from Yale before beginning a career that spans six decades.

A foreign policy expert and lawyer by trade, Woolsey presented himself in a manner that would befit a courtroom. Walking around the room and speaking towards the audience as if it were a jury, the bulk of Woolsey’s conversation with moderator Marc Sandelow consisted of his reasoning for why protecting our nation’s electric grid should be our primary national security concern.

However, Woolsey is also a bit of a controversial figure, and when his hard-line political stances on treason and terrorism were brought into question, the evening got interesting. He is outspoken about intervention in the middle east, and he has also been quoted as saying Edward Snowden “should be prosecuted for treason and if convicted by a jury of his peers, be hanged by the neck until he is dead.”

During the Q&A portion of the forum, one student from the University of Michigan took it upon himself to question Woolsey on these statements. However, the manner in which he did so was….. unprofessional to say the least. The student rapid-fired accusations of incompetence at Woolsey before asking his ultimate question, “Why should we listen to anything you’re saying?”

The mood in the room instantly changed. The rest of the students were shocked that one of their peers would blatantly disrespect such a prominent figure in a public setting like the UC Center. Today is Friday, and the incident is still being talked about and was the first thing that was discussed in Sandelow’s class on Wednesday.

While the rest of the room was aghast, Woolsey just gave a small chuckle and kept 110% of his composure. His response was priceless. I’ll give you a couple of my favorite quotes from Woolsey. Pardon me if they’re a word or two off from the exact quote, I wasn’t recording the incident.

“I’m used to people trying to fluster me by rapid-firing questions and accusations, but I didn’t expect that in a venue like this.”

“In response to one of your 43 biased questions, you made a claim about something I said in my book. I never wrote a book.”

“You criticize us for not finding anthrax in Iraq. How well would you have done finding a couple of suitcases in the backseat of a Volkswagen somewhere within the perimeter of the entire country?”

The student was obviously not satisfied with Woolsey’s answers, as he audibly scoffed within a few words of Woolsey’s response. He then was the sole participant in the world’s most obnoxious over-clap when Woolsey finished speaking.

The student was adamant about receiving an explanation for Woolsey’s stance on Snowden. Woolsey referenced leaked information about the CIA’s fighting of human trafficking as an example of Snowden’s apparent treason.

Granted, Woolsey seemed to address the letter of the question, rather than the spirit of the question. Woolsey did not address the elephant in the room, his position on the NSA spying on American citizens and the collection of mass data.

Regardless, the way the question was presented was rude and disrespectful, especially to someone with the credentials of James Woolsey. So a note to future UCDC students: do not be afraid to challenge the speakers if they have a controversial opinion that you disagree with. But do so in a manner that you would be proud to have reflect on the institution and the rest of your peers, or else risk being known as “that person.”

Josh – Day 9: Monday March 31st, 2014

So after one week in Washington, D.C., I’ve learned quite a few things, but I’m so tired that I’ll be writing about them in list form, because trying to turn individual thoughts into coherent paragraphs sounds thoroughly exhausting.

–If you come to UCDC, the first week will be a flurry of activity. Between meeting your new neighbors and all the other students, working a new internship 9-5 every day, exploring the city, getting lost, finding your way, and seeing as much as you can right off the bat, you’ll be lucky to find time to sleep.

–Stopping to take a deep breath is very necessary. I came out of the gate blazing a trail as fast as I could, and I now know it’ll take a couple days to recover.

–The first week is kinda like freshman year, but it’s not really. Yeah, you’re living in a new place with a lot of new people, but unlike freshman year, everyone is friendly, confident, competent, and mature. Also because the quarter is only ten weeks and not a whole year, there won’t be the same intra-dorm drama. That said, GO TO THE UCDC ACTIVITIES. I quote Will Farrell in Old School, “Everybody’s doing it!” Just don’t go streaking through the quad and into the gymnasium.

–Hit the cliche locations early and get them out of the way. You’re going to feel and look like a tourist the first week anyways, so you might as well go where tourists are expected [the famous monuments, Smithsonians, the most famous hot spots to eat and drink at].

–Abraham Lincoln is frickin’ majestic. Bask in his glory and have an All-American epiphany.

–Stick to your normal routine so you’re not shell-shocked. If you like baseball, watch baseball. If you’re used to an early morning run, go run. If you need a cup of coffee at 4 PM to make it through the evening, drink up Johnny Java. You’ll feel more at home more quickly if you give yourself what you need.

So in summary, have a good time, but pace yourself. There are nine more weeks left, and while you might feel like you’ve been here for ages already, remember that back home it’s their first day of school and you’d be doing yourself a disservice to wear yourself out too quickly.

And so even though my feet are sore from my daily four mile round trip in work shoes, I quote the great Ice Cube, “today was a good day.” Because I’ve still got over two months of exploring to go.

~JPF, signing off

Josh – Day 1: Sunday, March 23rd, 2014

I had a fierce debate with myself about when I should choose to arrive in DC. “Get here as soon as possible!” I said. “Carpe Diem! Seize the day!” Well, to get here as soon as possible required taking a Saturday night red-eye flight, resulting in me writing this journal entry at 2 AM on Monday morning when I haven’t slept since Friday night. And truth be told, I wouldn’t change a thing.

I’m glad I gave myself ample time to let everything soak in, starting the moment my plane landed at 4:30 AM. I sat in the airport cafe, watching The Life Aquatic starring Bill Murray (hilarious, that Bill Effin Murray), but moreover eagerly anticipating the arrival of my fellow UC Santa Barbara Gaucho with whom I had arranged to share a cab to the UC Washington Center. What would the people here with me be like? Surely the elite few chosen to participate in this adventure would be something out of the ordinary compared to the average college student.

After almost 24 hours in Washington DC, I can easily say that the highlight so far has been the people I’ve already met, and I expect nothing less going forward. From my fellow Gaucho and lingual enthusiast who split a cab with me, to the early early bird who shared his tales of limbo after arriving eight hours before check-in and being banished to the lobby (boundless enthusiasm, good show ole’ chap) , from my fellow Smithsonian interns with a knack for having a good time to the American Association of University Women intern from Michigan who shares my love of journalism, from my late-arriving roommate who I instantly built a rapport with (The Dodgers-Padres rivalry will be intense) to the group of light-hearted UCI Anteaters who asked my opinion on the identity of their mysterious absentee roommate, everyone I have had the pleasure of meeting so far has been intelligent, enthusiastic, interesting, thought-provoking, and friendly.

But anyways, back to my first day. After dropping off my bags in the room and finally getting the opportunity to rest my eyes, I was overcome with the urge to go exploring and survey my new neighborhood. It was when I walked outside that I noticed the first big difference between DC and Santa Barbara: the cold. But it wasn’t an uncomfortable, freezing cold. There was no blistering wind battering my face. It hit me, pardon my cliche, like a breath of fresh air. It was the second wind I needed to get out there and see what’s good with the town after suffering through a sleepless night on a cramped flight.

I must have wandered for three hours. I covered a 5 to 10 block radius in any direction around the UC Center, starting with my first visit to the outside of the White House. However, after gawking at the iconic palace for a couple minutes, I was distracted by a hippy in a colorful, flower-covered tent just past the school tour I was following. I don’t know if it was the lack of sleep or if he was actually as well-thought-out and articulate as I thought he was, but he made some very compelling arguments outside of the typical “make love, not war” jargon that we’ve all heard a thousand times. I was definitely surprised by the apparent enlightenment of a gentleman living out of a cardboard box. The main lesson I learned from that encounter: in DC, everyone has an opinion, and they’re all right (or at least they’re thoughtful enough to make it seem that way).

After a whirlwind day of exploring the facilities here at the UC Center (I love the fourth floor study lounge already, I think I will make it my home base), scoping out the bar scene in the area (can’t wait to hit Happy Hour at that Italian Restaurant), reacquainting myself with the Underground Metro System (much nicer and less crowded than I remember), stocking up on supplies and Five Guys Burgers with a buddy from UCLA (Cajun fries for days), and showing up late to the first unofficial dorm social of the quarter (the knowledge I gained from the concurrent conversation was as valuable and thought-provoking as any I had heard all day), I find myself here, in my room on the 7th floor, feeling at home already. It’s going to be a hell of a ten weeks. Let’s do it.

~Josh Fiacco: Adventurer, Insomniac, Citizen, Journalist, Gaucho

P.S. It’s my new friend Sam’s 21st birthday tomorrow. After orientation you should all come help her celebrate.

About Josh – Spring 2014

Hi everyone, my name is Josh, and I like to write. I hail from UC Santa Barbara and I just finished my last classes needed for graduation before coming to UCDC for the spring quarter of 2014. I feel like doing a full-time internship in Washington is the perfect preparation for the impending and irreversible condition of adulthood, as well as being an awesome resume builder and overall great experience.

I am a communication major with an emphasis in writing and journalism who spent most of my time dedicated to the internship experience. During my time at UCSB, I worked at KCSB 91.9 FM as a sports broadcaster and reporter and The Daily Nexus as a sports columnist and beat writer. I also helped launch the ESPNU Campus Connection team on campus and served as program director until I left for DC. On top of that, I’ve spent time with the UCSB athletics department, and I’ve been a Windows marketing ambassador for three years. On the side, I waited tables at Outback Steakhouse. Somehow, I still managed to find plenty of time to relax and enjoy the college life. I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

However, after focusing on the sports industry in college, I’ve decided to go an entirely different route at UCDC. In just a few hours time, I will begin my internship with the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, where I’ll be working with the Arctic Studies Center, writing and designing for their website and newsletters. I’m hoping that my internship takes me to all different parts of the museum and I get the full behind-the-scenes rundown.

I’m honored to be writing about my experiences in Washington, D.C., for the program’s blog, and I hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoy writing it.

Cheers, and stay fresh everyone.

~Josh Fiacco: Blogger, Gaucho, Beer Snob, Philosophizer, Facebook Addict, General Nuisance