Anna Jacoby - at the Capitol

On the afternoon of July 24, 2007, my fellow students of the Georgetown University Journalism Program and I shuffled into the Capitol for a tour of the House and Senate Press Galleries. Before doing so, while going through security, I dropped my bag on the x-ray’s conveyer belt after I was kindly told to throw away my empty water bottle, and walked through the metal detector. When I passed, the machine began to beep furiously. To my utter horror, the security guard, giving me a suspicious look, said, “Please step over here miss,” gesturing toward a station where a man holding a hand-held metal detector was ready for any terrorist bold enough to walk into the Capitol with a gun or knife hidden in their clothing.

As I reluctantly moved toward the station, I felt my cell phone, the cause of the metal detectors beeping, rustle inside my jacket pocket. Thank goodness! I showed my phone to the guard, and she let me pass.

A guide led us up to the House Press Gallery, where students spoke with Superintendent Jerry L. Gallegos about the press. We sat in on a hearing (in the section where the press sits) where a man was arguing that putting in thousands of dollars into constructing a mule museum was a worthy cause. The opposed were not convinced. “Mules were a significant means of transportation, and nearly 750 mules are being used by our armies in Afghanistan,” said the man.

We were then led to the Senate, where, before entering the Senate Press Gallery, students nearly collided with John Kerry and his entourage as they rapidly turned the corner. Several people had to turn around for a second time to realize who had just passed by. The day was exciting and full of surprises for students, and much was learned about being a Washington journalist and the exclusive access that goes with it.