The MacJ DC crew poses with NBC political director Mark Murray on the NBC Washington DC studio set where “Meet the Press” is filmed. Photo by Dave Winter.
Writing off more than you can chew
WASHINGTON D.C.—The second day of MacJournalism’s excursion to the nation’s capital has come and gone, and despite not waking up at 5 a.m. and sitting in an airplane for two and a half hours, it was just as fun as Day One.
For most of the staffers, the day started with an early morning breakfast at a local patisserie, “Le Pain Quotidien,” which received much praise from adviser Dave Winter, even though he had to split one bill 13 ways (which ended with much confusion and a cluttered pile of cash).
For four brave Mac journalists, started their day a bit earlier with the 8 a.m. JEA Journalism Quiz Bowl qualifying test. Shield staffers Mia Terminella, Alex Dowd and JK Smith and Knight editor-in-chief Mira MacLaurin headed to the Marriott at Wardman Park to compete in this quiz about all things journalism.
They then headed to meet the rest of the group for their visit with NBC’s senior political editor Mark Murray at the NBC News Washington Bureau. And as an unexpected bonus, they also had brief words with Thursday’s keynote speaker Chuck Todd before heading onto NBC’s studio A, which among other things is the set for his weekly television program, “Meet the Press.”
The group then took turns asking Murray questions about his experiences as a journalist and tips he has for young journalists. After taking many photos and even filming a McCallum update on the NBC set, Macj headed back to the metro but not before stopping to shop for a few minutes.
Back on the metro, the group split up with a majority of the group headed to the JEA/NSPA Convention to catch the 1 p.m. sessions. Three Shield staffers, however, found themselves locked out of their sessions at 1:03, so they headed to the free Smithsonian National Zoo to pass the time.
At 2:30, the Shield staff met up for their website critique with Vin Cappiello, the adviser of The Prowl at Powell (Wyo.) High School. Then came the 4 p.m. write-offs where each journalist chose a different newspaper or yearbook category involving either writing or photography to compete with other journalists from schools across the country.
They finished off a fun-filled day with an Italian dinner at “Al Volo” followed by a picturesque walk back to their hotel on Embassy Row.
Photos by Bella Russo, Gabby Sherwood, Dave Winter and courtesy of Mira MacLaurin.
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