Sixteen sophomores and juniors have begun the spring 2012 Semester in Washington, which combines academic seminars, independent research and internships. Internships this semester include the House, Senate, Department of Justice, Republican National Committee, and a variety of thinks tanks, consulting firms and non-profits. The Semester in Washington also has a rich co-curricular program, including meetings with those who make and influence policy and excursions to take advantage of Washington’s educational and cultural assets.
On January 19, the group visited the Newseum. Billed as the most interactive museum in the world, the Newseum is comprised of seven levels, 14 galleries, 15 theatres and two television studios.
Hovering high above in the 90-foot atrium are a TV news helicopter and a communications satellite. Visitors can check out a giant 40-foot Berlin Wall guard tower, a bullet-riddled truck used by Time reporters and photographers during the siege of Sarajevo in 1990s and the 9/11 exhibit featuring the twisted remnants of the huge broadcast antennae from the top of the World Trade Center.
Museum-goers can see a wall-sized map comparing press freedom from around the world and the Freedom Forum Journalists Memorial, a tribute to more than 1,800 reporters, photographers, editors and broadcasters who have died in the line of duty.
To follow the lives, work and opinions of Washington students, visit their blog, Potomac Fever http://potomafever.blogspot.com/
