Robert Caro, Master of the Senate. A book about legislative power. "I cannot conceive of a better book about Capitol Hill," Ron Chernow (author of the biography that inspired the play, Hamilton)
PDF excerpts from Danielle Allen, Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship since Brown V. Board of Education.
Complete and discuss (Sunday night at 9 p.m.) a weekly reading assignment. Discussions should be well grounded in the text we read.
Weekly blue-book reflections on the reading; DUE AT 9 P.M. SUNDAY. Not accepted late. What I'm looking for:
The reflection should be grounded in the concrete, specific content of the that week's reading.
Summary and quotation is okay, but there should also be analysis.
Develop questions that can be answer via information from the reading. EG, "What is Caro doing/showing with this story? Why did he include these details?"
Look for and write about tensions and paradoxes.
Attend screenings of 2-3 related films. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington; Turn Every Page; All the Way .
Keep a WIP diary on your work in Congress and time in DC on a Google doc you will share with me.
Contribute to the Instagram. Extra credit: other WIP Promotions (e.g. Exonian)
Share photos I might post on the website
Responsibilities related to the weekly alumni seminar: Each of you will be assigned a presenter. The job: Correspond; develop questions and focus; prep the other interns (an article to read?); write a thank-you note.
Grade: Attendance at films and Sunday discussion; Meeting deadlines for above jobs; blue book reflections; WIP diary; attendance (BE ON TIME) at and participation in the alumnus seminars.
March 29: "Introduction" and "Desks of the Senate," ix-23 (38 this refers to the number of pages of reading)
April 5: Interlude: Read and write a reflection on two excerpts (PDFs) from Danielle Allen's book, Talking to Strangers: Anxieties of Citizenship since Brown V. Board of Education. We won't meet Sunday night for this unit.
April 12: "Desks of the Senate," and "Seniority and the South," 23-56 (33)
April 19: "Seniority and the South," 65-68, Dick Russell, 175-206 (34)
April 26: "We of the South," 206-222 (16)
May 3: "No Choice," 350-366; and "Gettysburg," 463-487 (37)
May 10: "Zip, Zip," 598-609; and "The Rising Tide," 685-710 (36)
May 17: 740-743; 754-760 and 832 (top) to 835 (middle) and "The Working Up," 886-894; and "Hell's Canyon," 895-902. (38).
May 24: "Yeas and Nays," 967-989, "Omens," 990-998. (29)
Final grade:
A= at least 47 points.
A- =at least 36 points.
B+ =at least 31 points.
B =at least 18 points.
Points added for:
Blue book reflections, depending on length and insight into the assigned readings (and my subjective judgement).
Hill Journal google document.
Extra credit (see below).
Points subtracted for:
Not producing a Hill Journal.
Missing a discussion even for a legitimate OOT (1)
Missing an alumni seminar without prior notice (2), or arriving late at same (1)
Extra credit points:
Read and discuss with me (over "coffee" in a House or Senate cafe) one or more of the many articles I'll be sending you (on Maya's advice).
Prepare a portfolio of photographs illustrating highlights of WIP 26 and quotations/testimonials from this years' interns that can be passed along to Mr. Groneau to use in producing a new WIP bulletin board in the new Academy building.
Add to Master of the Senate google spreadsheet.
Writing thank you notes (I have a bunch you can use).
Other TBA
Organizing a volleyball game