We'll be seeing you soon, Sacramento

I truly came to Sacramento hoping to see the “sausage-making” of our political system, and in such a short time, I felt enlightened. As the week rapidly progressed, I was exposed to many of the issues our state currently faced: water, education, privacy, cyber security, etc. And I was happy to meet the brilliant leaders who are working to ensure these problems will soon meet their “silver bullet” and become a thing of the past.

 Our last day in Sacramento could not have been better. We met with the Students First organization in the morning. The non-profit is working to improve our country’s education system, starting with improving the quality of teachers currently in schools as well as attracting more competitive graduates to the field. They even discussed moving towards alternative forms of education, such as dual enrollment programs & charter schools. As a product of non-traditional education, I realized how blessed I was to be able to begin my college education when I was 16. Because of the Middle College Program, I was given the time, skills, and passion to enroll in this internship program rather than attempt to take another general ed course. 

Soon, we found ourselves meeting President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, Mr. Kevin De León. Senator De León was a truly humble man, and as he described his journey to where he is today, I could not help but feel inspired. Mr. De León was a very welcoming host and did not plan on leaving while a few of us still had questions remaining. This small act of kindness truly demonstrates how well-respected our program is, and how considerate Senator De León is. 

After getting a photo with Senator De León, we made our way to the Nossaman Lobbying Firm, which sat on the top floor of Sacramento’s few high rises. We sat around a large glass conference table that overlooked the construction site of where the King’s new stadium is to be built. Our hosts at Nossaman gave us insight into their careers as lobbyists, and how different it was than running for office and implementing change as a politician. They gave us a few examples of who they represent (mainly other government agencies around the state) and explained some of the cases they are attempting to “sell”. It was a great experience to see how other people are able to make policy without running for public office, or fearing re-election campaigns. 

In short, this internship has opened various doors for me and my peers, and I believe I speak for us all when I say that we are now at another tier. Our resumés now have this opportunity listed, and we will now be more competitive as individuals when we return to Sacramento in a few years and attempt to become legislative aides, policy consultants, lobbyists, or even as representatives of this district. 

I’m thankful for the chance to go on this trip and experience everything from the 3 a.m. train ride home to meeting Senator Jackson. I also want to thank Dr. Eskandari, Adam, Desiree, and Anastasia for all the countless hours they have put into making the trip as inspiring and fulfilling as it was. 

A special shout out to Sutter the Corgi, Governor Brown's dog. 

Thank you all, 

Elmer Martinez 

Exploring Sacramento

During our first day in the beautiful city of Sacramento, my roommate (Gerardo) and I explored the capitol city and what it had to offer us. We began our week long experience by walking to Old Sacramento, where the cobble streets are a reminder of the city’s rich past. We ate a quick lunch, and made our way to the Crocker Museum, one of the city’s cultural & artistic hubs. The Crocker Museum had amazing works of art which ranged from Native American pottery to paintings of the Santa Barbara coast! I also found a painting that brought the story of Antigone and her father Oedipus—one of many stories from my Political Theory class with Doc— to life. 

After our stop to the museum, we stopped by the mansion of California industrialist, Leland Stanford, one of the “Big Four”. This group composed of some of the most powerful men in the country at the time were responsible for completing the Transcontinental Railroad. Leland Stanford would later go on to found Stanford University, as well as shape the future of the newly integrated state as the eighth governor. Gerardo and I were also able to get into the Capitol along with a few other curious tourists, but our adventure was quickly cut short when a CHP officer told the group that the building was closed, yet someone forgot to close the front door! 

Our free day truly showed me how a different perspective of a city I had visited several times. The day ended with Assemblymember and former SBCC student Das Williams and his legislative aide joining the program’s first group dinner. The Assemblymember was very kind and answered as much questions as he possibly could, and both offered insight to careers in the Capitol. Our week began with the history of our great state, and I knew with all the meetings, hearings, and sessions Doc and his “minions” had set up that week, we would all get to see what California’s future might look like.  

 The Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco. One of the few remaining buildings of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, which celebrated the Panama Canal in 1915. 

 A painting of the Santa Barbara coast that made me miss our beautiful sunsets!

 My favorite piece of art at the Crocker Museum. The Yosemite National Park is illustrated in this large painting that includes some of the park's iconic features, such as North Face and El Capitan. 

I can't escape Doc's Political Thinking course even in Sacramento! Here's the famous painting of Antigone aiding her blinded father Oedipus. 

Thanks for reading, 

Elmer Martinez

My State Capitol Internship Experience

Our week of rubbing shoulders with influential people, looking somewhat important and standing in crowded elevators and hallways is now over, and I’m now going to share my experiences with the brilliant people who I shared this excellent experience with, and also folks who are considering joining the program next year.

I wouldn’t consider myself someone in the target demographic for programs like this, as Finns like me tend to shy away from the company of strangers, but my love for US politics overpowered my insecurities and I informed Professor Eskandari on my interest in the program. Despite my lack of extracurricular activities or Ivy League GPA I got in, and I bought my self a nice Mad Men-esque suit jacket at a thrift store in Oxnard and ordered a California state flag pin online. I arrived at the train station on Saturday and met with my fellow interns as we prepared ourselves for the 12 hour train ride ahead. After the sluggish (seriously, I’m fairly confident I could walk to Sacramento faster while carrying a fellow intern on my back) train ride and six dollar Digorno’s pizza (how they fit 770 calories into a “pizza” the size of a quarter is beyond me) we arrived at Sacramento and hauled our stuff into the hotel.

Despite the Rocky start I must say being a part of this program has been one of the best experiences of my long (it sure feels like it) life span of 22 years. How often do you get to ask one of the top legal aides to the Attorney General about the possibility of legalizing murder in the state (this one was for you Martorana) or a powerful lobbyist about their opinions on the 2011 Citizens United case? We met with State Assemly member Das Williams (I actually got to ask him about having rent control in IV), State Senator Hannah Beth-Jackson (who asked for 3-4 interns from our program) and California Pro Temp Kevin De León (he had a great story on entrepreneurship) and despite not actually getting to meet with Governor Jerry Brown we did get a nice lecture about the state dog, Sutter. Also, we got vital insider information about ways to get a job at the building (reading, writing, internships) and some of my fellow interns actually managed to get an internship with the connections they forged on the trip (too bad I cant do any of that due to the my F-1 visa limitations). Sacramento, despite what most Californians might tell you, is not a dusty, meth ridden post-apocalyptic hellhole.
 

If you enjoy American politics (or just California politics),wearing suits and flag pins, want to make important connections with influential people ( or just like minded people your own age) this program is for you. I want to give a special thanks to all my fellow interns, and especially Professor Eskandari and the PTK leadership for making this trip a reality. 

Nossaman Policy Advisors

On the last day of the program we met with two lobbyists from the Nossaman law firm in Sacramento. The Nossaman office was absolutely amazing! It is located on the 25th floor of one of the biggest skyscrapers in Sacramento. Walking into the office, I was stunned by the amazing view of the city that it offered. We sat down along a long glass meeting table where we were greeted by two of Nossaman's best lobbyists in Sacramento. They explained what a lobbyist does exactly and how they have such a large impact on policy decisions in California. I was amazed at the variety of clients and issues that Nossaman works with. They explained how a lobbyists job is to serve as a voice between a client and government officials, such as legislators. The experience to sit down with two of the best lobbyists in Sacramento and learn about their highly influential profession was unforgettable.

                                                         The Amazing Meeting Room

 

Artwork Inside the Lobby of the Skyscraper.

 

 

Lots of Trains, Lots of Friendship.

It was a difficult morning for the group. After waking up at 3 A.M., taking a train which lead to another train which led to a bus, which lead to another train, we finally made it home safely. Despite the long and tiring trek to make it home, everyone made it safe. The most difficult part about saying the journey was having to say goodbye to everyone. I speak for the entire program when I say incredible friendships were made that will last a very long time. I personally could not have been more grateful, not only for the life-changing opportunities I experienced, but also for the life-endearing friendships I have made.
-Michael Mathis

The Beginning, Not the End

All good things must come to an end, and so, the Sacramento Internship's end has arrived. However, the experiences and memories will surely last. The amount of driven people in one group never ceased to amaze me, and the overall kindness and positivity from everyone made this trip that more enjoyable.

       The amount of inspiring staffers, interns, and politicians that we met was beyond belief, and their kindness and sincerity was humbling. Did I mention that Assemblyman Das Williams spoke with us for two hours at Pizza Rock? And Pro Tem Kevin de Leon took the time from his busy schedule to answer our questions, shakes all our hands, and take a picture with us? Truly amazing. 

Dr. Eskandari outdid himself with his program, and his assistants, Adam, Anastasia, and Desiree were more than helpful and insightful throughout the trip. I normally would not join a program of this kind, and now that it is over I cannot imagine not being a part of it. For all these experiences I am eternally grateful.

Oh, What a week it was.

What a week it was. A few weeks ago Dr. Eskandari informed me of my addition to the program. 

At that exact moment my thoughts, with respect to the program, were not that enthusiastic. Rather, my focus had been to gain first hand insight about the driving mechanisms governing the most important state in the U.S.A, California. However, I had not anticipated the next pitch, a curve ball, that would change my Sacramento endeavors for the best. Opening night we had dinner with Dr, Eskandari's former student and current Assemblymember of district 37 Das Williams with a question and answer session. Furthermore, Das Williams gave us a brief moment of fame in the Assembly Chambers with a "Recognition" as the  Assembly began a legislative session the following day. Aside from Das, the class met State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson in her office and participated in active Committee Hearings ranging with issues such as the "Right to Die" and the controversial Vaccination bill (SB 277) in the Senate Health Committee. Most of us were moved by the amount of pain, passion, experience that many citizens of the state and even those testifying in favor of bills expressed that most of us could relate to in our life experiences. 

Nevertheless, the opportunities granted to us was simply amazing. Being welcomed by both Democrats and Republicans alike provided us significant insight into the vantage points of the differing political spectrums. Each day brought about greater opportunities for us to gain knowledge. Personally, my favorite experience from the program happened on the last day when we met the second most powerful man in California, President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon. Not only was he in a Senate session, on limited time and have a flight to catch, Kevin De Leon raised a connection by giving us time in his busy day. That was awesome. As we prepped for pictures the President pro Tempore and I had a brief discussion that hit at home. Being a fellow latino as the first Latino President pro Tempore elected in over 130 years gave me a renewed sense of ambition for my future aspirations.

Truth be told there is a lot I would like to mention to you all that are reading this, but I will leave that up to you lot to experience if you have an interest in future internship programs offered by Dr. Eskandari. Lastly, this experience, the friendships made, the activities, and this opportunity could not have been made possible without the man I respect the most. His wisdom, his knowledge, his persona all draw you in to want to learn and apply lessons echoed through the ages into your life. What makes this man respectable is not just the above mentioned, it is also the confidence that he has in each and every one of us to get far in life. Thank you for having faith in us to be apart of this program Dr. Eskandari-Qajar.

--Jose Negrete

                                         Kings game with Spencer and Mick. Kings won!

 

Free tacos with an extra coupon for two more tacos!(with any purchase)-Noteworthy

 

                                                                  "The Germ Bear"

                                          Us chilling with the President pro Tempore Kevin De Leon

                                                     Could be my Assembly seat one day.

All good things come to an end...but not politics

Linn Sanneskär

Friday Morning, 

I walk down to floor one at the hotel for breakfast. Something is missing; usally I would meet my lovely classmates, friends, fellows, and peers, and with the help of caffeine we'd discuss the special day ahead of us with excitement. Even though it's 7 AM. Bless coffee! 

But this morning, there is me and the tourists, standing in a line for waffles...I want to go to the Capitol. It almost started to feel like home over there. Running around on floor three in the wrong building, or should I say the old building, realizing that the floors don't match; taking notes like never before, struggling to ask fundamental and important questions, and squeezing frequently in fancy elevators and claustrophobic offices. It is a good thing that we all get along so well, this could be the perfect recipe for an old couple looking for a divorce. 

I believe, this trip will symbolize a turning point for many of us, of course, in many different directions, but with the same goal; to be successful. We have all seen what it takes to get there, meaning, no slackers will ever step their foot into the capitol, unless they are there to support a bill with the name "we don't need no education." But again, they would probably get lost on floor three. 

It has been an outstanding trip, over all my expectations- and they were high to begin with. Dr. Eskandari created this program for US students. I am so incredibly grateful, not only for this opportunity, but for everything that he has thought me and my peers so far, and directing us in the right paths. It is a true fortune to have him as a professor. 

As a political science major, this internship can be your way to fulfill your dreams. Among the students, some were offered internships, what we learned is the most common way into politics on all levels. Not only that, to be able to make your dream more tangible, (I'm not talking about touching the germ bear) but actually shaking hands with Kevin De Leon, sitting in Hanna Beth Jackson, the Governor, and Kamal Harris's office, the assembly floor, the senate floor, attending controversial committee hearings; basically: breathing, talking, and feeling why politics is our passion. 

All good things come to an end, I think for myself when heading up to the hotel room to pack by bags and get ready to go back to Santa Barbara (at least it's warmer), leaving the annoying tourists behind me to explore more of Sacramento. 

...But i turns out though; this is only the beginning! It's like eating an In and Out burger; once you get a taste of it, you want to eat it again, and sure you will! I am more certain now, more than ever, that politics is my passion and my path to fillment - like that bittersweet feeling you have when you finish that burger and you just want another one. Politics never ends, It starts with the people, We ARE the people. 

Linn Sanneskär

Privacy & Technology : A Relationship not meant to be.

We live in a generation that is continuously engaged with technology. Our whole lives revolve around it. It is sad that less emphasis is placed upon individuals to solve a problem as opposed to these devices we live by. Indeed technology has made our lives effortless, nonetheless it has exposed us to threats from a multitude of sources.

Business Insider recently reported that with meager means of $120, one could easily hack into the new Iphone 6. I find this horrendously scary because to me it is a matter of life and death.

What if all your medical records were accessed through your phone via that one application you  decided to store it ? What if the whereabouts of you and your family were tracked ? So you see ladies and gentlemen, losing a couple of nudes is not that big a thing in contrast  to actually putting your life in harms way.

The world we live in is a scary place and technology accentuates this further but then again there are laws. Laws which keep our cities safe. Unfortunately these laws currently do not apply to private technological industries.

I had the privileged to ask hard hitting questions with regards to this issue during this internship. Major General  David S. Baldwin in conversation with me told me that there should be greater regulations. But then again the NSA scandal exemplies why this may not be a good idea.

There should be however greater security standards that has to be met by these firms. Unfortunately from a legal perspective this may not be achived as said by Mr. Thomas Lawson, head of Legal affairs for the Attorney General . The reason being that by forcing firms to adhere to certain security standards, it may violate intellectual property rights

The question about technology and privacy is a double edged sword. This whole internship has provided me with a platform to understand the challenges involved. Only the future can tell where we will be at with regards to this undeniable issue.

Last Day....

This trip was everything and more then what I was expecting. I honestly didn't know what to expect being students and having no say in the political realm thus far. Meeting Pro Tempore Senator Kevin de Leon today was definitely a treat considering he is the second most powerful person int he state (which means very influential in the world).  I found that surprisingly every politician and lobbyist we met were nice and pleased with how well informed we were as a group. I was also surprised and very pleased that all the politicians were excited and cared about the people and the policies that were in front of them.
Over all this trip was a 5 out of 5 stars and I may receive internships in the near future because of this amazing experience. I highly recommend this internship for anyone who is interested in politics and policy making.

     Today was the last day of an amazing trip. The focus of our last day was lobbying and we visited and heard from two very different firms about what they do. The first one was Students First a firm founded by the wife of Sacramento mayor and hall of fame NBA player Kevin Johnson in 2011. This organization engages State legislatures across the country promoting and supporting Pro education reform legislation. It was very interesting for those of us focusing on education while on this trip as it broke down the different coalitions in favor of and against reform. The second firm we went to was called Nossaman. This firm works primarily with various private interest. In addition to being a lobbying firm they are also a law firm. Nossaman made lobbying seem a lot less sinister than many people make it out to be. What I found most interesting during our time there was that the largest clients of most lobbyists are different governmental agencies.

      In addition to visiting those Firms we were able to get an unexpected audience with Kevin de Leon the President pro tempore of the senate which was a big deal since he’s basically the number two in California. He was really amiable and even took time out of his busy schedule to answer some of our questions.

      In all this has been an awesome experience and I highly recommend it to anyone thinking about doing this program next year. 

House of Cards

To be critical of the system you must first have the knowledge and knowhow of the system and who is in charge. This internship gave us the opportunities to not only understand the system, but also to see it live while meeting the people who are running it.

            Visiting the California Senate and the California Assembly we where able to see past the pages of our books and watch first hand how law is created. Meeting with lobbing groups we where able to comprehend how their pressures influence the creation of law. The office of the Governor and the Attorney General displayed how the executive power implements the law.        

            Meeting with Das Williams, Hanna-Beth Jackson and Kevin de Leon was one of my most humbling experiences. The realization that these people are just like you and me shows me that the system is doing its job to represent the people. Meeting with these three powerful people and seeing their humility showed me the greatness of our system.  

            This internship has changed the way I see the Government and think of the system. Although there is no such thing as a perfect system and there is much room for improvement, I think we are on the right track. Thank you Dr. Eskandari for the opportunity and I look forward to the change our representatives are making. A special thinks to my new friends and a shout out to Adam for keeping us all in line.    

Gloomy Tuesday

April 7th, our second day in Sacramento, began with a light breakfast and a cup of coffee before our group stepped out into the rain and walked the four blocks to the capitol.  With damp suits we passed through security and made our way to our first appointment of the day, a meeting with California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson.  

Senator Jackson was gracious enough to give us about 30 minutes of her time before she had to continue preparing for the committee meeting on senate bill 128.  SB 128, known as the End of Life Option Act, is a bill which Senator Jackson is a principal co-author as well as the committee chair handling the issue.  The bill proposes allowing residents of California diagnosed with a terminal illness and given no more than six months to live, the ability to receive a prescription for drugs that would end their lives, rather than suffer through the remaining six months.  Having watched her mother suffer through her last days this bill is an issue close to Senator Jackson’s heart.  

What made Tuesday the best day of the trip in my opinion, was the fact that our group met with the Senator in the morning and then proceeded to attend the committee meeting dealing with this controversial issue.  It was an extremely emotional meeting as numerous members of the public supporting the bill as well as those in opposition had personal experiences with the issue, plus valid and thoughtful reasons for taking their stance.  It was an incredible experience watching the democratic process unfold, and demonstrated how valid the arguments on both sides of an issue can be.  

I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to witness the discussion on such a controversial issue first hand.  It gave me a greater appreciation for the role of government in this country and the effect to which individual citizens can affect it.  After having had a personal interaction with SB 128, I look forward to following the bill through the legislative process and seeing the final result.  

Wednesday, April 8th

Hi everyone!

This is Viktor Petersson writing, President of Phi Theta Kappa on our campus. This trip has already been incredible, intense and filled with learning.

Wednesday, April 8^th, we started the day by seeing the Governors office, an important part of the Executive Branch of California Government. Outside of his Office there is a huge golden bear, the symbol of California, which was donated to the Capitol building by former Governor Schwarzenegger. It is also known as the germ-bear, considering how many people who touch it on a daily basis. The Governors external affairs coordinator showed us around his office – as you walk in there are pictures of the First Ladies of California along the left wall of the long corridor, and on the right wall there are portraits of the former Governors painted by artists of their choosing. The Governors office was actually pretty basic; one of his characteristics is that he has a long picnic table where he conducts his meetings. Understandably, it was not super comfortable as the Governor has a very busy agenda and one can presume that this helps speed up the numerous meetings that take place in that office, as it did for us.

After our brief meeting with the Governors external affairs coordinator we hurried to make it to a Senate Committee on Education hearing that State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson had invited us to regarding Community Colleges and their percent of full-time versus part-time faculty. The Bill, SB 373, still in committee, strives for a 75% full-time faculty at Community Colleges on the basis that students need access to their teachers in order to ensure success. Some very valid points were made by both the support, mostly in terms of accessibility and quality of education, and the opposition that primarily dealt with budgetary issues but nothing was resolved and the Bill was passed on to another Committee.

Sitting in on these numerous Committee hearings has been valuable not only in the sense of the Internship we are doing, but also in terms of being well-rounded in your education as a whole. Understanding what is going on in the Capitol and how many bills and hearings there are every day definitely makes you realize that Government actually works and that the regulations and laws are seemingly endless.

After the hearing we had a speedy lunch to then rush to a meeting with Hannah Beth Jacksons principal consultant Chris Reefe to discuss further the political issues we are writing our papers on. I am personally writing in regards to water and the drought that we are notably in right now in California, but the topics range from Higher Education, K-12, affordable housing, alternative energy, homelessness and many more. Chris was most helpful and he, like so many others in the Capitol building, strongly advised us to pursue INTERNSHIPS. Every meeting we have had and every person we have met have all said the same things; Try to get Internships or Fellowships if you are interested in working with anything that has to do with Government, and also work on campaigns. I believe that everyone we talked to had done some type of internship before their career started or worked as lobbyists or on numerous campaigns.

I would also like to do some advertising here and say that the Phi Theta Kappa Leadership are going to be looking for new Leaders next semester, so in terms of internships; keep an eye out for that too!

After our meeting with Chris we headed to the Attorney Generals office to meet with some of her top lawyers. The Attorney General has something of a dual role in Californian Government; She is a Constitutional Officer, Head of an Executive Agency but also takes on clients, such as the state of California. In short, the Attorney Generals job is very different from any other but briefly it is to refer to the Constitution & statutes to see if there is authority for the Government to act.

This meeting was probably one of the most rewarding we have had; we were treated with a lot of respect and we got to ask questions until our time ran out. It was very beneficial to the multiple students on this trip that are considering going into Law School - I believe that the meeting persuaded some more of us to look into that.

I think that was it for me, I want to thank you for reading and if you have any other questions: Take the internship next year. You will not be disappointed.