Rachel Brooks, Missouri State Capitol intern – 2014
Rachel Brooks is a University of Missouri sophomore and intern for Missouri State Representative Stacey Newman. Her article on her first day as a State Capitol Intern:
My first day at the Missouri Capitol several weeks ago was just that – my first day at the Capitol! Being from Texas, I had never visited Missouri’s Capitol building. I ran up the steps and tried desperately to orient myself in the circular building, searching for Rep. Stacey Newman’s office.
I found it, just in time to be whisked away to an Elections House hearing where she is the ranking senior Democrat. The day was packed full of hearings, conversations with other representatives and trying to get bills filed. I was shocked at the lack of time to send e-mails, make phone calls, or simply sit down and take a few deep breaths. The day was a constant blur of faces and speeches. I was overwhelmed in this foreign world, where unknown words and references appeared in every conversation.
I did not have many expectations coming into my first day. I had no precedent or stories from friends to clue me into what it would be like. It has been incredibly eye-opening just to have some first-hand experience into the workings of our government.
As a journalism major, my main goal for this internship was to gain some perspective into the workings of government, so when I wrote about the legislature, I could picture in my mind exactly what was happening. I was surprised by both how partisan and how united our system is. Democrats and Republicans sit on opposite sides or in differing rows of committee seats.
However, the aisle in the House chambers is not to divide the parties, but based off of British parliamentary tradition related to sword fighting. I saw people being ignored simply because of their party designation, but I also heard stories about hours of hide-and-seek played in the Capitol during a snowstorm, where politics were far from the forefront of anyone’s mind.
I have been very fortunate to listen to Governor Nixon’s State of the State address from inside the House chambers, walk on the floor where great laws have been made, learn fascinating trivia about the state of Missouri and watch the legislative process on a daily basis.
I truly appreciate this opportunity and cannot wait to continue learning about this great state and the political system.