Well, this is it.
As the month nears it's end my time as an intern comes to a close, and I have to say it's been great fun. I got to experience quite a bit during my time and I got to meet great people out and about during my ground work. They've all been absolutely fantastic people, but I'll have to call out two people: My mentor Griselda and our candidate Jordan Beane. First of, Selda the queen of Canvassing. She has to be one of the most chill mentors out there. She was somehow helpful without holding my hand, relatable and easy to get along with. She was a lot of fun and helped all of the work seem less stressful. She worked a day job at Mid-city CAN which I actually tried to get an internship for once, and she had been in the politics field since she was 18. She was a lot like I was at my age, starting out with the same stuff along with the same interests and fears about getting into it all. At first she said that after doing a lot of phone banking and canvassing that she called her mother and said that she didn't want to do this anymore. However, she stuck with it for awhile longer and really got into it more as she went along. I'm not sure if I can get as far as she can, but If I plan to then she would be more than a good enough role model to strive for. The second person I need to mention is the man himself, Jordan. I always hold that nobody is perfect, but he seems to get pretty damn close. He is thoughtful, focused, down to earth, and ambitious for a better tomorrow. He came with us canvassing whenever he could and personally got along with all of the volunteers. Hell, when I called him up for a favor he was more than happy to do me the solid and record a video of him for my project movie. I only wish I could do more for him and his campaign. He may have lost, but something tells me he isn't finished yet. I wish that man well is his mission, and I hope he calls up me and Selda again when the time comes for round II. -C Hey, how’s it going? As a follow up on the mind map, I’ve got. short video to run through it with my own personal commentary! Check it out!This week we are going to do something a bit different from the standard blog post. This week, I little art project to help me measure the feelings I have about possibly continuing to pursue a career in politics, wherever that may take me. In other words, my opinions about how I would perform in different popular jobs in politics, ranging from the ever ambitious POTUS to the humble analyst. I know there are more jobs than the ones presented, but I just listed off the first ones that came to mind as they are the ones most other people know so they can follow me a bit better. A short summary to follow this beautiful graphic, I think I have some potential in politics. I have always strived to do whats best for as many people as possible, so I think I can do the job that the people who depend on me want me to do. However, I am not so naive; I know that politics isn't a fairy tale, often times people have to be aggressive to win campaign, they have to go back on promises they never could keep but made so they could win the population's affection. Those with weaker will even end up crossing the law just to advance their agendas. While it is theoretically possible to have a successful political career without having to do any of these things, you'd have to be something special. I'm not sure if I am that person, so I fear that a job as a politician may be impossible without sacrificing my integrity. That leaves jobs like working as an analyst or working for an organization or governmental department. While there may be little glory and money in working as a simple civil servant, it is just as important since it's these jobs who actually carry out the task of keeping our country running. I could be one of these people, maybe.
Where have I seen this before?
With this internship, as I've written before in previous blog posts, taking to people is literally all there is to it. Talking, talking some more, and talking. Total strangers, every time. Makes me thankful for the times when we went out to liberty station to survey random shoppers, and those times we were asked to interview our neighbors about their political beliefs. While we didn't do it much, we did it more than most high school students did, and even those small interactions taught me what to expect. People are aren't they way we think when we are scarred of them lashing out for disturbing them, they same way we might act but never seem to expect to see from others. People are polite, helpful even, when you just respect them and their time. Our fears of threats and curses from disgruntled strangers when trying to get their attention is just the loudest minority of possible events, only showing up from the very rare person with a short temper and a bad mood. It's not as scary as we seem to think it is, because we think other people are so different. So far so good.
Since my last update, I've began working a phone bank as well as canvassing on the weekends. And to be honest, it's hard work. It might not require a lot of effort, but talking to lots of strangers with varying degrees of willingness to stay on the phone can be rough. However, it's an important job. People need to be kept engaged in their local elections, now more than ever since our already loose interest in politics are drawn to the national level, when often the elections for our governors. mayors, and city council members have just as much in impact, often more. But as valiant my efforts are, doesn't mean the task can't be rough. Often most people would just not answer their phones, either by not being present to pick up or not wanting to. Sometimes, people would just hang up after I say I'm calling for a campaign, which was kind of crushing but I don't really blame them if they don't want to talk. However, it's a boost whenever I get that one person one responds positively, know my efforts worked toward something productive. Doesn't happen as often as hang ups, but that makes it sweeter. Of course, Griselda has helped me loads doing all of this. She works it all likes it's no big deal. Probably because she's been doing this for quite some time, got the ropes of it down. I'm getting there, with her help of course. Slowly but surely, I get faster each and less drained each day. Step by step, right? Very busy week so far, Let me tell you.
I have finally began my internship with Griselda at the Beane Campaign, and so far it's been fun. I have began Canvassing for the first two days with my mentor and a friend of hers. If you have forgotten what that is, it's going door to door in a neighborhood within District 2 (our city council seat) and asking registered democrats if they are interested in voting for our candidate. Because we are taking specifically to voting democrats, we aren't expecting to get yelled at by anyone who answers, at least not for our political affiliation. In fact, we Canvassed specifically on Saturday and Sunday, so not a lot of people were even home unfortunately. However, some did answer and we got some positive responses. If I had to say I've learned anything from this experience, it's sharpening my people skills. Have you ever dreaded making a phone call or a taking a meeting with someone you've never met before, and who probably is very important to you like a future client or employer? The feeling before the interaction is horrible, you are nervous that you'll mess up or that the other person might not be so pleasant. Then, when the time finally comes, you get through it with little issues and feel just fine afterward? I get that all the time, and let me tell you that knocking on strangers doors has certainly put me to the test. After all this knocking and taking with people I do not know and might not even want to talk with me, I'd say I've gotten better at the "before" part of an interaction. It gets easier with each knock I make, each face I see. Someday, maybe I can stroll up to someone with complete confidence. Only time will tell. -C Well, here we go.
If you do not know, I am Christian Moller, Senior Student at High Tech High and the new "up and coming" intern at the Jordan Beane campaign for City Council District 2. I've always been interested in politics, something about their importance and weight on everybody's lives drawing me to it. This internship is to be my first true involvement in the game, even though it's the low level groundwork. What type of groundwork you ask? Canvassing and Phone banks, AKA knocking on doors and calling phones. Not the most glorious of roles, but everybody starts somewhere, and I still value this experience and am looking forward to my efforts helping shape San Diego and all who live here. After all, my mentor Griselda Ramirez started off doing this exact same thing as well as my mother a long time ago volunteering for Planned Parenthood. In a way, I am following in their footsteps. However, I am worried a bout a few things. I know what I am doing is important because we simply do not vote enough in this country, and Canvassing and phone banks are all about getting people out there to vote. Unfortunately, not a lot of other people can sympathize and I am expecting some less than friendly responses one of these days. Taking to someone in person is not usually that bad since we would be face to face, and if they don't want to interact with me there would merely not answer the door or finish the conversation quickly. However, over the phone when we cannot see each other's face, people's manners will somtimes suffer since they may not feel like the consequences will matter. I am not looking forward to getting an earful over the phone, but it is something that happens and I am confident that I can managed the situation properly. I guess I'll have to see for myself, right? Wish me luck, -C |