YVC Visits White House, Meets President and First Lady - YVC Reporting from Washington - The Inauguration Blog Day 5

Our scheduled penultimate day in DC turned out not to be our penultimate day!  Today turned out to be our penultimate day… we missed our plane… but thank goodness Southwest came through for us… they thought it was a o k once we told them we got held up at the White House!  You won't believe this!

Dakota Baker:
“We woke up at 9 and set out for the 11:30 White House tour.  It was the coldest day on the trip, with temperatures in the teens to twenties and wind, which made it feel colder.  We drank hot cocoa and chatted with some people while we waited in line for the security checkpoints.  We were able to get into the tour by way of the advocacy and tireless efforts of former Mayor Yiaway Yeh’s friend from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.  The house is beautiful, of course; impeccably clean and up-kept, and full of the famous presidential portraits.  We made it through a few hallways on the first floor of the living area of the house, recognizing several of the locations where the President was standing when he gave national televised addresses, like the red-carpeted hallway where he announced the killing of Osama Bin Laden.  

Once we reached the East Room, a gorgeous gold/yellow schemed ballroom, we were joined by Yiaway’s friend who encouraged us to stay put instead of proceeding through the the next few rooms because “a very special guest was coming.”  After talking to the friend for a while and learning about her experience working in politics and the White House, she eventually let on that the First Lady, Michelle Obama, was going to come out and greet the people on the tour.  We all started freaking out.  As the number of Secret Service people in the room gradually increased, so did my anxiety and excitement.  The door to the Green Room was shut as some camera equipment was set up and behind-the-scenes work was done.  The East room began to fill with people waiting to get through, clueless about what was about to happen.
Finally the door was opened and staff members directed us to file through the Green Room, to the door to the Blue Room.  One-by-one we stepped into the Blue Room, and there they were.  Not “she”–they, plural.  President Barack Obama was standing next to First Lady, Michelle Obama waiting to shake my hand!!!!!  I was completely awestruck, my cheeks felt hot and pink, I was tingling all over.  I wanted to have somewhat of a conversation with them, but I found it was extremely difficult to speak intelligently or intelligibly.  The President asked me my name, and after I answered he said, “Hello Dakota!”.  He might have asked me how I was feeling, and I might have said I felt amazing but I don’t really remember what came out of my mouth.  Then he looked down and something along the lines of, “looks like Bo thinks your jacket is an animal”.  I guess their dog, who was standing between the two of them, was playing with my coat’s faux-fur lined hood.  The First Lady gave me a warm handshake and a beautiful smile.
But the day wasn’t over quite yet.  Yiaway’s friend took us on a private tour of the West Wing–not included in the usual White House Tour.  We got to see the offices of her department and where all the executive work and decision-making happens.  We got frozen yogurt (I know, frozen yogurt when it’s below freezing outside) at the White House Mess in these awesome White House paper cups.  Next to the Mess, in possibly the least likely location, was the infamous Situation Room! We couldn’t go in, or even take pictures of the outside, but seeing it was cool enough!
Our flight time had come and gone, but Southwest was generous enough to reschedule our flight for tomorrow.  I’ll be missing another day of school, but the extra make up work is more than worth it!!”

Nitya Kasturi:

“I predicted the uncertainty of today correctly. I packed everything up to prepare for our flight later in the afternoon. We woke up pretty late, not even knowing if we were going to the White House. With a last-minute email from Yiaway’s friend from the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, we left the house and arrived at the White House at 11:15. Today, it was so cold that I could feel the frostbite coming on after taking off my gloves for one minute. It was 18 degrees, but it felt like it was 8 degrees according to The Weather Channel. As soon as we got into the line to get into the White House, Yiaway and I decided to buy some hot chocolate, and I must say the hot chocolate was DELICIOUS. We finally passed through security and went inside to the East Wing of the White House, where all the tourists look at paintings like the famous Washington portrait, and the old residence area. Each president must have had their own portrait, and every inch of the building was taken care of. We met Yiaway’s friend and she gave us a surprise. A special guest was coming into the East Wing at 1PM, so we lounged in the East Wing for about an hour. After later discussion, she told us the surprise: Michelle Obama was coming in to greet the White House visitors. My mind was racing like crazy, and we finally stood in line to meet the First Lady. We tried peeking into the room as the Secret Service agents filed across the East room, and we finally went inside the Blue Room. Inside, one of the Secret Service agents said, “He’s also there.” I peeked in, and saw President Obama. My heart immediately began to speed up, and when I walked in, my mind literally left my body. They are such a powerful couple, and you won’t feel the power and energy they give off until you’re right next to them. Bo, their dog, was so adorable. As soon as I walked out, it finally hit me. I WAS SHAKING THE HANDS OF BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA!!!!!!! I was jumping up and down as usual. We each took a White House cookie, happy in spite of knowing that we missed our flight.
We tried finding flights in the day, but all the Southwest flights were full for today. Because of Southwest’s hospitality, we got the same exact flight a day later. Thanks Southwest!! We had a quick take-out from Shaw’s Tavern, and I had pulled chicken for the first time. The shock of meeting the President and the First Lady is still there. I remember waiting in line to shake their hands, but I don’t remember shaking their hands clearly. Luckily, the memories were captured on video, and I accomplished my new year’s goal for my history class: I met Obama! I should catch up on my homework, as I’ll be back home in 24 hours.”


Alec Furrier:
“We met President Obama and the First Lady!!! Obama!! Oh and we got a private tour of the West Wing of the White House. Can you say “Oh my god” a million times for me? Definitely the most exciting day of my life, as I have never been around such important people. I can’t believe he actually shook my hand. Looking back, I don’t even remember what I said because I was so shocked. It was an amazing experience and I can’t believe he was nice enough to take time out of his day. Especially since it was the day after the Inauguration.

My second highlight of the day was the White House frozen yogurt. Strawberry froyo is probably the best froyo there is. I am super thankful for the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs’ generosity, as they made everything possible for us. I can’t believe they got us in and made it happen. It was great. Also Southwest allowed us to switch our flights for no cost so that we could meet President Obama. Overall this was the culmination of our trip. This day required the efforts of everyone around us, and that is the definition of this amazing experience. Everyone came together and helped us out to make it possible, and that fact is unbelievable.

Day 5: ❤”


Kenny Jones:
“Although I have been starting my blog posts from the start of my day, in this one I will start from the middle because, well, WE MET THE PRESIDENT! He was standing in the Blue Room of the White House alongside the First Lady, with their dog, Bo. We came in and shook his and her hands. I SHOOK THEIR HANDS!  The experience was beyond amazing. We were waiting in the East Room when our White House insider informed us that we shouldn’t go anywhere because a ‘special guest’ was arriving soon. We then learned that the special guest was going to be the FLOTUS herself, but none of us were quite ready to see her husband too when we opened the door and saw the flashing cameras. The feeling was indescribable. A euphoric rush followed that was so powerful I didn’t even notice the below freezing temperature outside. It was a truly momentous occasion -- we were in the right place at the right time -- and I will treasure the memory for the rest of my life. The rest of the day was awesome as well. We received a personal tour of the West Wing -- I almost stumbled into a door labeled ‘Situation Room’ but then a government official told me it would be a good idea to get away from that door. I took her advice. It was also really cool seeing the original portraits to the famous pictures that were inside my AP US history textbook last year such as George Washington’s portrait and the Crossing of the Delaware. This has been one of the crazier days of my life, and I am so thankful that former Mayor Yeh, the Media Center, the DMO and Southwest Airlines (who have been so great!) have made this opportunity available to me and the rest of the YVC. I continuously count my blessings and pinch myself because I am pretty sure that I’m dreaming. And, as Channel 4’s newscaster once said: don’t act like you’re not impressed.”

Caroline Clark:
“Today was supposed to be our last day in DC. There was a slight situation that arose...we met the President and First Lady.

We woke up today and started to pack for the trip home. A while later we left the house and were struck by a gush of 23 degree air. To say it was unpleasant is an understatement. We found our way to the White House for a tour, but had to wait for a little longer than planned because the previous tour was running late. After being colder than I have been in my entire life, we went through impressive security and finally entered the White House for a self guided tour. We had only been there for about a half hour before hearing that there was a "special guest" coming at 2:00, and we were faced with the decision to either meet the guest, or risk missing our flight. We chose to take the risk. It was definitely a good decision.
After anxiously waiting for some time and meeting Yiaway's friend who works in the White House, it was revealed that Michelle Obama was the mystery guest. Everyone was ecstatic. We waited in anticipation for the opportunity of a lifetime.
Finally 2:00 came around, and one-by-one guests were ushered into the Blue Room. To our absolute astonishment, Barack was there with Michelle. I had a good 10 seconds of processing time and mind screaming before approaching the President and shaking his hand.
I went by Malia, my middle name, for all of middle school and intro duced myself to the President this way. His response was something like "Oh you're a Malia too? Are you from Hawaii?", to which I replied that my mom was, and that she actually attended the same high school as him. He asked if she and him had been classmates or something, and I answered that I wasn't sure if they had overlapped.
I then went on to shake Michelle Obama's hand, and she said told me it was a pleasure to meet another Malia.
I'm amazed that I managed to speak. The entire time I was completely in shock; "I'M TALKING TO THE PRESIDENT!!!" were the only words I could think of.
After coming down from the shock a little, Yiaway arranged for us to have a private tour of the West Wing. We were introduced to some of the people who worked in the offices there, and saw the (closed door of the) Situation Room.
Today has been completely surreal. I can't believe I met the Obamas, or got a chance to tour the West Wing. It's been beyond any dream of mine. Words can't even explain how overjoyed I am. Heading home tomorrow's going to be a real bummer.”

Becky greets the President and First Lady in the Blue Room!

Wes and Caroline meet the Obamas!

Alec shakes hands with the President!

Kenny and Dakota meet the President and First Lady!

Caroline and Kenny shake hands with the Obamas!

Dakota and Nitya meet President Obama and the First Lady!

Yiaway Yeh and Wes Rapaport meet the Obamas!

Becky Sanders and Yiaway Yeh meet the President and First Lady!

The YVC outside the White House just after meeting the Obamas!

The YVC outside the NW White House entrance.

In addition to regular blogging, updates from the YVC can be found on the Media Center's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MidpenMediaCenter and Twitter feed:http://twitter.com/midpenmedia

More information about the Media Center: www.midpenmedia.org

*The Photos from inside the White House on this blog page are credited to the White House.

YVC Reporting from Washington - The Inauguration Blog Day 4

Our penultimate day in DC - began at dawn - with a walk to the Capitol where our small party soon enlarged to one million as we progressed to the Mall through two checkpoints.   After the Inauguration, gratified emotionally but physically spent we made our way to the 1300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue to the National League of Cities for an afternoon of snacking and networking with representatives of cities from all over the nation.  The view of the parade and the Capitol skyline from the fifth floor office suite and balcony were nothing less than spectacular.

Nitya Kasturi:
"I was so pumped up for the Inauguration that I had a dream about meeting Obama. I didn’t get much sleep, but I was able to wake up easily, probably because I’ve finally gotten over my jetlag. It’s kind of unfortunate that I got over my jetlag right before we depart for the Bay Area. We left the house at 7 AM sharp to walk to the Capitol Hill. It wasn’t as cold as all of us were expecting it to be. It kept a steady 35 degrees throughout the day. After separating with Yiaway and Jama, we went to our wonderful yellow ticketed area. I almost lost my Inauguration ticket twice: I dropped the ticket and also left it at the screening counter. After some discussion, we decided I was too immature to handle the responsibility of holding the tickets. We finally found the sweet spot for viewing the jumbotron screen in the yellow ticketed area, as the Capitol Dome was too far away for us to see Obama or Beyonce. The energy that was given off by being at the Inauguration was purely amazing, because if almost a million strangers were able to enjoy a single event together, the energy pulling all of us together must have been strong. All the Republicans that were announced such as Paul Ryan and Newt Gingrich were booed, and I felt a little bad for Paul Ryan. We socialized with the nearby citizens, and shared the joy of waiting together for my birthday twin, Beyonce. As soon as she came out, I was jumping up and down and screaming at the top of my lungs. Dakota and I shared a laugh when the reverend paused at the word “shower” during his speech and the sentence sounded like, “We pray that you will shower...”
The sea of people moved over to Pennsylvania Avenue and our group walked to the National League of Cities reception party in their office. The crowd at the party was originally small, but that all changed after a couple of minutes. Mayors and elected officials quickly rolled in and the party kicked off. Our group condensed into one conference room the whole time to catch a good glimpse of the parade, but as soon as the President’s car rolled in, we knew we weren’t getting any chance of seeing Obama. People immediately left their bleachers as soon as Obama passed them, but our group watched Vice President Biden and many of the marching bands from all of the states roll by. We socialized with all the elected officials, and I even played with a couple of little kids. Playing with the kids made me miss my little sister, but luckily I will see her tomorrow. After a couple of drinks (I only drank Sprite, peeps!), the party died down and we decided to head to the Official Inauguration Store. I almost bought pins for my friends, but things were just way too expensive. We took a Metro ride back home, and just had a simple dinner of pizza and sandwiches. With our trip concluding, I’m slowly realizing how much I will miss this experience. Good times always pass by fast, but I’m excited for the last unclear day ahead of us. "

Alec Furrier:
"I thought waking up early at 7:00 was hard, but when I woke up at 5:30 today I knew, without a doubt, that I will forever be a night person. We got up, got ready, and walked to our Yellow-Ticketed area for the inauguration. We stood for seven hours in a row. Did you hear me? SEVEN hours of standing. Needless to say, my legs were dead by the end of the inauguration. Despite the leg pains, the inauguration was awesome to witness. It was great to be at a part of something that will go into the history books forever. After Beyonce’s ending with the national anthem, we walked over to the NLC. The National League of Cities. The NLC was great, and once again we met some great people who care about their community. It was also cool to see the parade. Unfortunately, Obama didn’t even roll down the window for our portion of the parade. Even though we didn’t see him walk, the parade and NLC reception were great experiences. I hope to come back and see another inauguration after being part of this one. I really like how the community comes together behind one cause, and I have never been part of something so big.

Day 4: ♚ (“King” Obama)"


Kenny Jones:
"Wow! Today was definitely our most exciting, exhausting, and incredible day so far. It started early -- if you haven’t picked up on that particular theme yet. For some reason I was the last to wake up today, but not to worry as I got ready in 15 minutes for our long march to the Capitol Building. I packed up my ‘little hotties’ (hand and foot pads designed to combat the brutal elements) but found out they should actually be called ‘little warmies’ after a so-so performance in the field. We could tell the day had a different feel to it as soon as we exited our host’s home as a Humvee and four uniformed soldiers were stationed outside the house. Even with only half as many attendees to the inauguration compared to the 2009 one -- only a million -- we decided to take the 30 minute walk instead of risk getting stuck in a crowded Metro station. We made it through security and found a spot in the yellow ticket area, where we were close enough to just make out some specks of movement up on the Capitol Building. Oh and by the way it was freezing! All in all we were standing for about 7 hours straight, but it was definitely worth it! It was a truly amazing environment. Watching one of the 57 peaceful transitions or continuations of power was really powerful, plus the musical performances were great. We next made our way over to the NLC headquarters where we proceeded to watch the Inaugural parade. Although Obama didn’t come out of his limo in front of our building, it was still a really cool experience seeing all the floats from every state come through. By the time the parade ended we were more than ready to head back to the house and ‘Veg out’. It’s kind unreal that we’re leaving DC tomorrow, BUT by the beard of Zeus we have been confirmed for the White House tomorrow morning which will be unreal-er. I don’t even know if that’s a word. But to paraphrase Brian Fantana: 60 percent of the time, it’s a word every time."


Caroline Clark:
"Today was Inauguration day. A day of crowds, cold, cheering, anticipation, celebration, and patriotism. We had standing Inauguration tickets, and ended up walking/standing for a total of seven hours.
It was worth it.
Getting into the Inauguration was the hardest part due to the massive crowd and temperature. Everyone thought they were more important than everyone else, and on top of that we were in 40 degree weather with wind chill. Once we were situated, things moved more quickly. The ceremony passed by quickly, and before we knew it Obama was being sworn in. I loved his speech, particularly how central equality was to it. The performances following were incredible, I thought Beyonce's rendition of the National Anthem was amazing.
In total the Inauguration was a success. It was amazing just to know that we were near the President. The energy throughout the crowd was inspiring, there was a sense of unification: we were all here to experience a part of history.
After this, we found our way to the National League of Cities Headquarters to watch the Inaugural Parade. It was nice to relax and sit down in a warm place while waiting for the Parade to make its way around. I met a number of people from around the country, and enjoyed watching the Parade both from the balcony and on TV.
After having stayed at the NLC reception for several hours we headed out to look at the Official 57th Presidential Inauguration Store and eventually arrived home.
Today has been phenomenal. I've loved being able to witness the Inauguration and meeting the folks at the NLC reception. Today's been exhausting and unbelievably fun."

The YVC, former Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh, and the Media Center's Becky Sanders & Wes Rapaport on Inauguration Day! 

Former Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh and Media Center Intern Wes Rapaport

The YVC, Yiaway Yeh, Becky Sanders, and Wes Rapaport watch the Inaugural Parade at the National League of Cities Headquarters on Pennsylvania Avenue!

The YVC in front of the Capitol on the National Mall! Many thanks to Congresswoman Anna Eshoo for setting us up with Inauguration tickets!

The Presidential Motorcade drives down Pennsylvania Avenue during the Inaugural Parade.

One of our Inauguration tickets!

In addition to regular blogging, updates from the YVC can be found on the Media Center's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MidpenMediaCenter and Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/midpenmedia

More information about the Media Center: www.midpenmedia.org

YVC Reporting from Washington - The Inauguration Blog Day 3

Today the YVC hit its stride in its second day of interviews at NAB where the team interviewed seven electeds.  We were joined for lunch by Kim Delevett of Southwest, our sponsor airline.  We quickly relocated to the offices of Ch2mHill, the event host for the DMO reception.  There the YVC interviewed close to a dozen electeds, pretty much on their own, with minimal assistance from Wes.   We’re back at our host home, getting it ready for a crack of dawn excursion to the Hill for the 57th presidential Inauguration.

Alec Furrier:
"Today was filled with a vast amount of interviews. It was great meeting the local officials that make our democratic system possible. The highlight of the day had to be the phone call meeting with our Congresswoman Anna Eshoo. She even said that we were an inspiration for her. Just that fact alone could make my day, but we didn’t stop there. Next we hustled over to the DMO Reception. This reception was filled with fantastic elected officials. Every person there had their own amazing story and it was exciting to interact with them. An example was Edward Zipprich, who did lots of work with the Democracy for America and was a prominent figure in New Jersey. It was a busy, but great day.

In other news, the Patriots lost today. Next year... Next year.
At least Obama is getting sworn in tomorrow, and that’s what’s really important.
Day 3: ★"

Dakota Baker:
"Today we started off the same as yesterday.  We got up and headed over to the National Association of Broadcasters around 10 am.  At 10:30 we had a phone call interview with our U.S. House Representative from California’s 18th Congressional District, Anna Eshoo.  This was a fantastic conversation.  She gave us extremely clear, focused, informative answers.  She spoke warmly and conversationally, making it easy to relax, even while being aware of what an influential person we were engaging with.  She answered our questions for nearly a half hour.
Between 11 and 3 we interviewed five other municipal officers from a variety of cities around the country—significantly more productive, exciting, and exhausting than yesterday.  At the end of each interview, we took a few photos with the elected official.  In several of these photos we posed with a Southwest Airlines inflatable toy plane to thank them for their generosity for flying us out here.  One woman we interviewed, Mildred Crump, a city councilwoman from Newark, NJ, said she knew a former Southwest pilot who she played bridge with and asked if she could take the toy with her so she could tease him with it!  We had several spares and were, of course, happy to give it to her.
We re-energized with lunch from the delicious burger joint Shake Shack, for the second day in a row.  At 3:30 we took the Metro (which looks really awesome and kind of reminds me of the set of the Chamber of Secrets, the home of the Basilisk, in the second Harry Potter) to the location of the Democratic Municipal Officials’ Inaugural Reception.  We set up a few pieces of equipment in a side room there and shot short interviews of DMO members who came to us.  We met a huge number of intelligent, dedicated, influential people who were all putting their hearts into improving their communities.  Everyone who spoke with us stressed the importance of political participation and youth involvement, so they were very excited and encouraging about our work.
When the reception concluded, we took the Metro back “home” and the girls and I ate Thai food across the street (literally), while the guys stayed in and watched the Patriots v. Ravens game.
Tomorrow is Inauguration Day and the weather forecast says high: 27, low: 18 with a chance of snow—the first really cold, lousy weather we’ve had, on the one day we are spending 90% of our time outside! Isn’t that lovely!  But I’ve got long underwear, a giant down coat, and hundreds of thousands of people in the crowd to keep me warm!"


Nitya Kasturi:
"Another late night got me a little cranky in the morning. We didn’t have enough time to eat breakfast, so I grabbed a muffin and ran out. The format of the day was practically the same, but we started with a phone interview with our district Congresswoman, Anna Eshoo. It’s because of her generosity and appreciation for us youth that we received the tickets to the Inauguration tomorrow! We got the equipment out of the closet that we’d stored the day before at the National Association of Broadcasters and set up. Our first interviewee was so early that she got some special time alone with Katie Couric on the projector in the conference room next door. Several interviewees came in and out, but I practically blanked out due to my lack of sleep, but still made sure to check the audio on the camera I was monitoring. After a quick lunch at Shake Shack (again!), we were informed of a last minute interview of Kevin Brown, so I rapidly got onto my iPhone for some research, and came up with a couple of questions to ask him.
After the interview, we said good-bye to Robert and the security guard that has been watching over the NAB studio. We took some pictures and to ok the Metro to the DMO reception. All of the people we had interviewed were there, and even more. I quickly caught up with Mr. Brown, Councilmember Lowery, and his wife. These people definitely got a couple of laughs out of me. We set up the cameras and went around for B-roll and some more interviews about the DMO. I had a small awkward encounter with some other DMO members, who towards the end offered me an orange ticket to the inauguration tomorrow, but I kindly refused. We went back to the house and stopped at Beau Thai for some delicious Thai food, but extremely spicy. I drank about 3 glasses of water. Tomorrow’s the big day!!! I hope we will be able to catch a glimpse of Obama, Kelly Clarkson, and my birthday twin, Beyonce. Yes, we are twins. We’re only 16 years apart."


Kenny Jones:
"With an added extra poofy comforter I slept like a rock! Today was more of the same: early wake-ups and hectic waking hours. But by now I have adapted to the sleepless lifestyle, and we had another very fulfilling day. Our schedule was a lot busier; we ended up interviewing over 10 municipal officials, including our House Rep Anna Eshoo, which was an awesome experience. We have taken so much footage over the past few days that at this point I’m pretty sure we could make a 3-hour documentary on the DMO. The “electeds” we talked to came from many different cities and areas all across the US, but the overarching theme of the day was their passion and commitment to public service. They also reminded us -- almost continuously -- that the Inauguration tomorrow was going to be cold. Really cold. Really really cold. So now I am very prepared to be very very cold tomorrow. But my excitement will not in any way be diminished for the upcoming ceremonies. We were originally planning to leave the house at the ungodly hour of 5:30 am, but cooler heads have prevailed, and our plan at the moment is to leave at 7. Also, tangentially, the Patriots have finally been knocked out of the playoffs. Which is pretty awesome. But not as awesome as our President’s swearing-in ceremony tomorrow should be. It’s kind of a big deal."

Caroline Clark:
"Today has been a very productive day. There was more freedom and independence with interviews. After getting a late start in the morning and having our production meeting at the Metro station, we arrived at the NAB with just enough time to set up before our first interview. This was a phone interview with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, which ran for almost a half hour. Being able to speak to a member of Congress was amazing. She was very warm and easy-going, and her enthusiasm towards youth involvement in politics was clear. Her interview went smoothly and was recorded well.
After finishing this we began to prepare for the next set of officials we were to interview. These also went well....it's almost as if we're getting the hang of it!
Next we packed up our stuff and headed over to the DMO reception. There we conducted a series of short interviews, with each of the YVC members trading off interviewer, camera, and light holding jobs. We were self-directed, and it was incredible to learn that we're capable of successful efficient work. Around 6:00 we packed up our supplies and headed out. It's been a phenomenal day. We've talked to a member of congress, interviewed many municipal officials, and become much more comfortable with the interviewing process.
All in all, today's been incredible. I am completely psyched for the Inauguration tomorrow! Let’s hope we survive the cold!"

The YVC with Becky and Wes in front of the Washington Monument!

The YVC conducts a phone interview with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo.

The Men keep guard of California!

In addition to regular blogging, updates from the YVC can be found on the Media Center's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MidpenMediaCenter and Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/midpenmedia

More information about the Media Center: www.midpenmedia.org

YVC Reporting from Washington - The Inauguration Blog Day 2

Day 2 of the Media Center's Youth Video Corps (YVC) Inauguration trip was a long, but rewarding one. The students worked hard all morning and afternoon to interview elected officials from across the country for the Democratic Municipal Officials. Posing with an inflatable Southwest Airlines plane brought welcome levity to the elected officials. After taping interviews in the National Association of Broadcasters studio, the group, with former Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh, and the Media Center's Becky Sanders and intern Wes Rapaport walked along the National Mall and gathered footage while taking in the historic monuments and buildings. The YVCers blogged about their Day 2 experiences.

Alec Furrier:
"I’m sitting here with sore feet, because we did so much walking. Since I am from Palo Alto, I am not accustomed to the metro and walking mentality of DC. The morning started out slow, as we set up our cameras and equipment. After a great burger at ShakeShack, we started the interviews. The content was great, and I enjoyed hearing the elected officials’ opinions on issues. Also, they all worked hard to get to their elected positions. They ran for office multiple times despite setbacks and challenges. They wouldn’t let adversity get in the way of them helping the public.The DMO is the program they all worked with, and it is a great way for municipal officials to stay connected. It provides them with tools to become better public officials. After all the interviews, we went to visit the monuments. This was easily the best part of the day. Being in the nation’s capital really brought out my nationalism and American pride. We saw numerous statues and buildings, and then went back to the house to play a game of Trivial Pursuit. Unfortunately, the girls won. But still the day was pretty darn awesome.
Day 2: ☺"

Dakota Baker:
"The alarm clock went off at 6:45, was shut off immediately, and the rest of the ladies and I went right back to sleep for another two hours.  We started our day taking the Metro to the National Association of Broadcasters.  We arrived there and started setting up our interview set a little after 10 am.  In addition to providing us with recording space and lighting equipment, the NAB had an entire table of snacks and beverages set out for us and our interviewees!
It wasn’t clear until the last minute who all our guests were going to be or how many were going to show up.  A few canceled and a
 couple others tagged along with a friend or colleague.  I finally got the name of the woman I was to interview, Gale Jones Carson, a DNC representative from Tennessee, about 15 minutes before she arrived.  We had done background research last night on all the interviewees we had confirmation from at that point, so with Caroline’s help I did some lightning research and prepared questions as fast as I could.  We had three people come in today, with several more coming tomorrow.
We finished up at 3 pm and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking around the city and collecting B-roll at the National Mall.  By the time we reached the Lincoln Memorial, my new boots were really taking a toll on my feet--and we still had a ways to go to get back to our lodgings.
  Kicking those off and slipping into my Uggs was such a relief!  Kenny, Alec, and Becky picked up dinner for us from a yummy pizza place nearby and we played a heated boys v. girls game of Trivial Pursuit.
I was a little nervous when we first set out this morning, having no idea what to expect, and I ended up having a ridiculous amount of fun today. Looking forward to another great day!  Better get to bed so I can get started on tomorrow ASAP."

Caroline Clark:
"Today has been hectic, fun, productive, tiring and highly successful. After arriving at the NAB studio, we had some extra time to prep before the interviews started. I had prepared to interview an official whose name was mistaken, meaning that the research I did last night was irrelevant. This turned out to be fine, because we corrected the name and had time to prepare a new set of questions more appropriate for the new interviewee.
He couldn't make it.
There were a lot of "trouper" comments.
After receiving the name of a third interviewee, I did my research and came up with more questions. He's confirmed to come tomorrow.....success!
Despite having to roll with the punches, today was an amazing experience. I loved the flexibility of the environment and
 everyone’s collaboration. I was pleasantly surprised with how well everyone worked together. Three other YVC members conducted successful interviews, and I was able to practice reading questions and handling equipment.  We finished up just in time, and walked along the National Mall for several hours. Today's been incredible. We've gotten work done and had fun. After returning home and having dinner, we played a loud game of Trivial Pursuit full of poker faces and strategically placed giggles.
I can only hope tomorrow is as amazing as today was.
 DC has been an awesome adventure so far!"

Kenny Jones:
"I am finally getting a chance to relax after a very fulfilling, very awesome, and extremely exhausting day. It started early; we had to hustle over to the NAB studios in order to set up our equipment so that we would be ready for our interviews. We ended up interviewing three really cool and unique local government officials for our video: Myron Lowery, Gale Jones Carson, and Karen Davis. Afterwards we had a chance to sightsee a little bit under the pretext of “finding b-roll”. We first visited the William Tecumseh Sherman Memorial, then the White House,
 the World War II memorial, and rounded it out with the Lincoln and Washington memorials. Having never visited DC before, the experience was truly indescribable -- and I still can’t over the size of the Washington Monument! It’s really tall! We rounded out the day with some pizza and an intense game of Trivial Pursuit. Although by this point I am somewhat sleep deprived compared to my usual 9 peaceful hours of shut-eye, I look forward to what the next days’ adventures brings."

Nitya Kasturi:
"The day began with a wake-up call from the lovely Becky Sanders. My body physically could not get up for a couple of minutes, and Caroline and Dakota finally got me up. After we discovered that we woke up an hour and a half too late, we quickly rushed into our business attire and ate a delicious banana chocolate muffin with orange juice. Carrying the tripod and my HUGE purse, we sprinted out of the house. Our Obama Metrocards definitely enhanced the experience of riding in the Metro. I was surprised at how well the public keeps all of the stations clean! We arrived at the National Association of Broadcasters studio at around 10:30 AM. We set-up our equipment, and I began preparing for my interview with Councilmember Lowery from Memphis, Tennessee. Yiaway soon shocked us with the news that two more interviewees would be arriving, so the rest of the YVC took out their iPhones and began research on these mysterious members of DMO. Half of the group made a quick stop at Shake Shack for lunch and I had a veggie burger, known as a “Shroom Burger.” The name kept me cracking out loud all throughout lunch. As soon as I finished my lunch, we went through one interview, and I handled one camera. Soon after, Councilmember Lowery entered the room and we began the interview. He brought an aura of energy into the room, and even though it was my first time interviewing, I felt comfortable. I didn’t exactly show it, as my hands were shaking. After I finished the interview, I had a huge sigh of relief, but inside, I still wanted to interview Councilmember Lowery, but we had to rush out of the studios by 3 PM, so we locked up all the equipment.
We went around the city for some sightseeing and B-roll. We stopped by the White House, the World War II memorial, and the Lincoln memorial. Our group had an interesting conversation while walking down the National Mall about the presidents that have been assassinated. After all the sightseeing, my feet were aching so bad, that my feet were still tingling several hours later. The cold weather finally got to me, so I took out some hand warmers to stuff into my gloves. On our way back to the house, we stopped at CVS to buy some last minute essentials, and ordered some delicious pizza from Bacio Pizzeria. We walked into the house, and immediately started playing Trivial Pursuit. We split by gender, and by the immediate knowledge that Kenny and Alec had under their sleeves, I was sure that the guys would win. Surprisingly, we won due to Becky’s knowledge. She claims it’s her age. I have to say, this DC experience would be incomplete without the members of the YVC, Becky, Yiaway, and Wes. The reason this trip has been amazing so far is because every person brings something to the table, may it be their humor, knowledge, or sarcasm. Wes says this blog post is getting way too long, so I’ll have to cut it here. I can’t wait for the rest of the interviews tomorrow."

In addition to regular blogging, updates from the YVC can be found on the Media Center's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MidpenMediaCenter and Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/midpenmedia

More information about the Media Center: www.midpenmedia.org

The YVC students set up and practice for their interviews in the morning!

Dakota Baker interviews DNC Board Member Gale Jones Carson at the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington DC!

Kenny Jones interviews Karen Davis, Councilmember in Glendora, CA.

YVC Reporting from Washington - The Inauguration Blog Day 1

A few of the crew with Kim Delevett of Southwest Airlines who assisted us in securing the airline tickets ... at 7 am Friday morning at Mineta Airport, San Jose

The Media Center's Youth Video Corps (YVC) is in Washington DC for the Inauguration. The five students, Nitya Kasturi and Dakota Baker from Gunn High School, Alec Furrier and Kenny Jones from Palo Alto High School, and Caroline Clark of Woodside Priory, worked alongside former Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh to create videos with the City of Palo Alto to inform the community about important issues. The Democratic Municipal Officials took interest in the YVC and invited the students to travel to document various parts of the Inauguration. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo graciously provided tickets to the Inauguration ceremony, and Southwest Airlines generously donated airline tickets. The Media Center's Becky Sanders and intern Wes Rapaport are in Washington with the students to facilitate production. Over the next several days, the YVC students will share their stories through regular blogging.

Friday, January 18th--

Alec Furrier: "2nd Semester. January 18th. 2013.... So far, the trip has been great. Southwest gave us free tickets and the flight was nice and comfortable. Washington DC is an amazing city, with cool, old-fashioned buildings. Here in DC, I find that people talk about politics WAY more than back at home. It’s probably just because of the upcoming inauguration, but I enjoyed the discussions. They were very entertaining. When we got to our generous host’s and hostess’ house, we spent the night researching and brainstorming questions for our potential interviewees. Overall, today has been a pump up day that has made me excited for the rest of the trip. Day One: ✔"

Dakota Baker: "Even though travelling East made the day three hours shorter, today has been a very long one. Great, but long. It started a little early for my taste, but my nervous anticipation for the activities to come made getting out of bed an easier task than usual. With only about three hours of sleep last night and eleven or so hours total travel time today, I know I’ll still have a hard time falling asleep. We didn’t have a chance to see much more of D.C. than glimpses through the windows of our Supershuttle as it was getting dark; we still have everything ahead of us. Our hosts are fantastic people, beyond hospitable. They even served us homemade spiced brownies! Mmm-mm. . . Former Palo Alto Mayor Yeh provided us with tons delicious sustenance from the wonder of Costco Wholesale. If these people aren’t too careful, I may never leave!"

Nitya Kasturi: "After a long day of traveling, the group came together to share our experiences from the first day. Our day started at 4 AM, and even though I felt extremely lethargic, the thought of the inauguration kept me running. We reached the airport at around 6 AM. A trip to the airport is incomplete without a completely ridiculous airport purchase: a cup of fruit for $6. Our first flight took off at 7 AM. The flights were free courtesy of Southwest Airlines. THANKS! The flight was great for catching up on sleep, and listening to the stories of the passengers next to us. Some passengers were attending black tie galas, while others were returning home to continue their work for President Obama. As soon as we landed in DC, we took a super shuttle with foreigners from London, here for the Inauguration as well. Seems like the second term of President Obama not only affects the US, but affects people around the world. As soon as we went into our house, the hosts warmly invited us, and offered us an amazing meal from Costco, including the spice brownies. The spice from these brownies can really kick you when you least expect it. We concluded our day with a little research on the local congressmen and mayors we will be interviewing tomorrow. I can’t wait for an interesting day filled with interviews."

Kenny Jones: "I don’t usually wake up at 4:30, but when I do, I make sure that it’s for an awesome trip to Washington DC. Although every fiber in my body was resisting the VERY early morning wake-up call, I managed to drag myself out of bed and arrive at the Southwest terminal for our 7 o’clock flight. The flight was great, and I managed to scarf down some food, but the water bottles, at $3.50 each, can only be described as highway robbery. At the end of 6 hours of total flight time, two twenty minute naps, and one failed crosswords puzzle, I finally set foot in DC. We haven’t had much time to absorb the city yet, but my first impressions have been nothing but positive. We encountered some very personable foreigners, met our excellent hosts, and have settled down in preparation for a big day tomorrow working at the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters). Can’t Wait!"

Caroline Clark: "Traveling to DC for the Presidential Inauguration is one of the few circumstances in which waking up at 4am is acceptable. After a tiring day of flying and long time in DC traffic, we finally situated in the comfy (and warm!) hosts' house. We all sat down to dinner together, discussing the friendly rivalry of our neighborhood schools back home. We soon got to working, preparing for the following day which will be filled with action. We sat brainstorming B-roll areas, researching DMO members, and discussing potential interview questions over milk and brownies. Despite having to wake up at an ungodly hour, today has been a lot of fun. Our group worked surprisingly well together, and I am looking forward to a promising trip in DC!"

The Men's Dorm in Truxton Circle 12 am  (not pictured a third air mattress and a sofa - the latter being designated for the former Mayor!)



The former mayor himself Yiaway Yeh setting the pace for a nutritious midnight snack.

Press Release: Youth Video Corps to Attend Inauguration!

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Youth Video Corps to Attend Inauguration!

In recognition of their production of two videos about Palo Alto infrastructure on behalf of the City of Palo Alto, the five high school members of the 2012 Palo Alto Mayor’s Youth Video Corps will attend Inauguration in Washington, DC from  January 18-22, 2013.

Accompanying the five students will be former Mayor Yiaway Yeh, Media Center Programming Manager Becky Sanders who managed the 2012 Mayor’s Youth Video Corps and Media Center Intern Wes Rapaport.  The five youth are Gunn High School students Dakota Baker and Nitya Kasturi, Palo Alto High School students Alec Furrier and Kenny Jones and Caroline Clark of Woodside.  Airfare for the five students and the two Media Center staff members is generously provided by Southwest Airlines.

As part of their assignments during the Inauguration, the group is tasked with creating videos for the Democratic Municipal Officials (DMO) organization about Inauguration activities and will have the opportunity to interview elected officials at the National Association of Broadcasters facility in Washington.   The DMO is a national organization open to all elected Democratic municipal officials.  The group will travel to DC with production equipment provided by the Media Center.  Tickets for the Inauguration were arranged for through U.S. Representative Anna Eshoo’s office.

This trip was the brainchild of the DMO and former Mayor Yeh, who served on its board.  He believes it is important to bring youth into the political conversation as early as possible.   He looks to develop the public servants and leaders of tomorrow, today:  “It is important that youth voices be brought into civic life and for them to know that they can and do make a difference.  Just because they don’t vote yet, doesn’t mean they can’t influence policy.  I hope that by bringing them to Washington at this historic time, they might get a little fired up.   The students worked incredibly hard on the infrastructure videos for Palo Alto, and this is one way Congresswoman Eshoo, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the Democratic Municipal Officials organization have chosen to recognize their outstanding work.” 

DMO Executive Director Barbara Moore shared her thoughts on Palo Alto’s Youth Video Corps partnering with the organization. “Youth engagement is important to the DMO and each of our member local elected officials.  We are proud to sponsor this group of students from Palo Alto to take part in the historic 57^th Presidential Inauguration and recognize their ability to capture important perspectives on film.”

“When we made a decision several years ago to encourage youth to work with the Mayor’s office to create videos around civic topics, we had no idea their work would lead to this fabulous opportunity,” says Media Center Executive Director Annie Folger.   “When Sid Espinosa was mayor, we provided volunteers to cover some of the issues and events in Palo Alto for him.  Wes Rapaport was one of those volunteers.  The two videos that the youth created for Mayor Yeh on Crossbores and the El Camino Park Reservoir took this collaboration to the next level.  We are very grateful to the Mayor for recognizing the youth for their contribution to civic life in Palo Alto and we are very grateful to Southwest Airlines for making this trip possible.”

“The Youth Video Corps is still in its nascency,” says Becky Sanders of the Media Center.  “With Sid, we ran it with a few people.   Last Spring, then Mayor Yeh, the Media Center youth coordinator (at the time) Brad Sanzenbacher and I visited the two Palo Alto high schools and pitched the idea to some of the classes.  Two students stepped up from each high school, and then Dakota brought in her friend from Woodside.  For me, ‘it was the more the merrier!’  So we went to work and I was delighted when the youth received a special proclamation from the city on December 17, but I was stunned when the Mayor announced the trip to the Inauguration. In addition to these five high school students, two Palo Alto middle school students, Ari Ugur and Carson Cordova were recognized at City Hall for their work as Production Assistants on one of the videos.

To view the two videos created by the Mayor’s Youth Video Corps, follow these links:

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/mgr/news/mayormsg/2012/090112.asp

http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/gov/depts/mgr/news/mayormsg/2012/110112.asp

For more information contact:

Annie Folger

Executive Director, Media Center

650-494-8686 ext 17

annie@midpenmedia.org

Becky Sanders

Programming  Manager, Media Center

650-494-8686 ext. 11

becky@midpenmedia.org

Yiaway Yeh

Former Mayor, City of Palo Alto

yiawayyeh@yahoo.com

(650) 380-8003

Pictured above from left to right:  Alec Furrier, Kenny Jones, Yiaway Yeh, Dakota Baker, Caroline Clark and Nitya Kasturi

Pictured above (left to right): Kenny Jones, Dakota Baker, Caroline Clark, Christen Creed of the City of Palo Alto Utilities and Jean McCown, Stanford Asst. VP and Director of Community Relations.

The Midpeninsula Community Media Center empowers citizens to use television and the internet to create and distribute media that promotes and builds community through civic engagement and cultural exchange. The Media Center provides classes, a TV studio, and digital production facilities to mid-peninsula residents and workers – with a special emphasis on youth and bridging the digital divide. The Media Center televises and webstreams city council and school board meetings for a number of communities. The Media Center was selected for the 2011-2012 “Overall Excellence” award by the national Alliance for Community Media.


Midpeninsula Community Media Center
900 San Antonio Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303

Facebook: facebook.com/MidpenMediaCenter

Twitter: twitter.com/midpenmedia

phone: (650) 494-8686
fax: (650) 494-8386
www.midpenmedia.org