The author describes his internship experience working in Senator John McCain's office in the United States Senate. On his first day, he felt intimidated passing through the grand hallways and finally receiving his Senate ID. As an intern, his tasks included sorting mail, fulfilling constituent requests like flags and tours, and giving tours to important visitors. While the work was meaningful, he also gained a more cynical view of how the government operates, such as bills being written by young assistants and theatrics driving legislative work. Overall, the internship provided unique knowledge of American politics that will help advance society.

1. Zachary Toubman Internship Experience
On my first day working in the United States Senate, intimidation overwhelmed me as I
approached the office where I would spend my fall semester. Making my way through the grandiose
hallways of Russell Senate Office Building, I passed by the offices of Senator John Kerry and Lindsay
Graham before I finally made it to my destination, Senator John McCain’s office. I first met with my
office manager and we travelled via the underground tunnels to take care of my initial paperwork and to
get my Senate ID. After I could officially call myself an employee of the senior senator from Arizona, I
was introduced to the intern stomping ground, also known as the mailroom. The excitement of working
just a few feet away from a former presidential candidate gave me a sense of pride in whatever I was
doing. The things I would do and learn over the next few months would rival anything that could be
taught in a classroom.
Daily life on Capitol Hill varied greatly, especially for an intern in an office with over 25 staff.
Clear downsides to working for such a well‐known senator arose when it came to constituent
correspondence. Three times every day, at least one or two crates full of hundreds of letters and
packages would arrive from people all across America and often foreign countries as well. To someone
who was unfamiliar with the process by which this massive amount of letters is dealt with, it might seem
like an impossible undertaking. In fact, it would be impossible to respond to everyone were it not for the
driving force behind political correspondence that is the form letter. I found it amazing that there is a
form letter to apply to almost any question comment or concern a constituent may have. For the very
few subjects which a form letter cannot be found to respond with, a new one is created. Besides just
answering constituent mail, legislators provide a slew of other services in order to keep their voters
happy. The most common requests are for flags that have been flown over the capitol, tours of various
government buildings, and autographed photos of the senator. For the most part, satisfying these
requests are the responsibilities of the interns in any given office. While these tasks may seem colorless,
each one was welcomed with enthusiasm and hope that one might be recognized by a staff member and
given something more meaningful and interesting in the future. It was those special tasks given to you
by a staff member that really enriched the experience and made it memorable. The highlight of my
internship was the tours I was entrusted to give to some of the various VIP’s that came through to visit
the senator. I was able to meet and escort around our nation’s capitol people like the Defense minister
of Estonia, Jack Brennen (Nixon’s chief of staff during his interviews with Robert Frost), and various
friends and family of the senator.
Almost everyone I met on the Hill loved their job, but none left without at least a slightly more
cynical view of the way our government operates. The fact that almost every speech, opinion, or piece
of legislation is written by a young legislative assistant leaves one wondering sometimes what a
legislator’s real responsibilities are. The realization that theatrics are the engine behind the work done
on Capitol Hill can cause one to doubt a legislator’s true intentions when hundreds of amendments are
proposed with the full knowledge that they have no support. Finally, the incapability of some of our
nation’s leaders’ social skills until they are in front of a camera can be disappointing to a group of
highschoolers who pass by their favorite politician, only to be ignored “due to their busy legislative
schedule.”

2. All in all, my experience working in the U.S. Senate this past fall has granted me knowledge
about politics in our country that could be gained nowhere else. I have not, as some would suspect,
become a cynic of the process by which our laws are made and enforced. Rather, I would consider
myself an optimist. I am now back at Northern Arizona University where I hope to further my insight into
our political system. After this internship, I feel prepared and motivated to continue my education and
to eventually use it to advance our society in the area of politics.