Since all four government staff members are teachers / professors / or retired from teaching, it only seemed appropriate that I should dedicate a blog to some of the lessons I have learned this week.
1) If a bus trip is supposed to last 20 minutes, factor in at least 30 minutes.
2) Schedule changes happen at Girls Nation, and frequently.
3) I learned how to sign “good morning, good afternoon, and good night” in sign language – and how to sign “my bad” for when I make mistakes.
4) Staff members never grow too old to collect and swap pins with the senators.
5) After 10 years of cheering for the Federalist party, it is tough to be the Assistant Nationalist Party Leader…I’ve joked that I have been a “Fat Ned” this week.
6) Even after eight straight days of it, a brownie with vanilla ice cream at lunch is still delicious. Plus, there are over 700 possible ice cream combinations available at lunch.
7) Nats don’t die, they multiply. Whereas the Feds are fabulous, fun, and funky.
8) I smile too much to be a part of the Not-So-Secret Service.
9) The novelty of meeting the President of the United States never grows old!
10) Our PR staff is amazing and they can Photoshop just about anything that we ask of them.
11) Mia, Catherine Gayle, Addison, Laura Kate, Talley, Francesca, Cori, and Jen are the JCs this week. The rest of the world might think they are Junior Counselors, but I know that they are Junior Cherubs. Those girls have handled everything that we have thrown at them this week…motion sickness…home sickness…the endless counting of votes…singing songs on busses…and they do it all with a smile on their face. I learned that I am going to miss this group of angels.
12) We can be confident in the future of our country. Patriotism and pride are alive and strong at Girls Nation. This group of girls is ready to run things – we just need to get out of their way. This point was emphasized tonight when Senator Christina Ostmeyer of Kansas mentioned on the Senate floor, “We’re not just the future, we’re the now.”
Katie Cochran
Government Staff
Indiana / Missouri
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