Upcoming Column

I just penned a column for the Post about being thankful for certain things around the holidays. Unfortunately it has to follow the 405 word limit, so it'll be on the shorter side. Look for it to run around Christmas weekend.

Cover boy

If you log on to www.pepperdine.edu, my mug shot should appear right on the home page (you may need to refresh the home page a few times). Pepperdine did a student spotlight on me and here is the piece, as written by Lyric Hassler:

Student Spotlight: Thomas Lambert

School: Seaver College
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Science
Career Goal: To work in public service or Constitutional law
Hometown: Fairfield, Connecticut
Unique Interests: The Boston Red Sox, classic rock bands, and Guitar Hero

Thomas Lambert approaches life with a pen in hand and politics in mind. The Seaver College sophomore contributes articles and op-eds to the Connecticut Post and recently completed a semester in Pepperdine’s Washington, D.C. internship program. There he worked for his home-state Representative Christopher Shays and learned a few things about life in the Beltway. Before heading off to his next adventure (a semester in Pepperdine’s London program), Lambert took some time to describe how his time in Washington impacted his life, and how he's taking the reins in his education.

Tell us about your experience in the Washington, D.C. internship program.

I was fortunate to work for an amazing Congressman who represents my home district. Every day I saw him pour his heart and soul into his job to best represent the people of our district. It was really important for me, personally, considering the people I was working to help are my neighbors and friends.

In my internship, I had significant interaction with people from my community. No one realizes his duty to that community more than Congressman Shays, it seems to me. He squeezes the most out of every moment of his day for the benefit of his constituents. I’m really in awe of him and what he does.

It sounds like you had a great experience in your congressional office. What are your impressions of Washington, D.C.?

Before I got to Washington, there were aspects I liked and disliked about the city. After being there for a semester, that is still the case. Perhaps what I found most disappointing is how bureaucracy and politics create a divisive climate. Power can bring out the best and the worst in people, and that’s a lesson I intend on remembering for the rest of my life.

But Washington can be about so much more than politics. Not only is it the center of the political world, but major corporations, learning institutions, and non-government organizations all have an essential role in the make-up of the city. Washington is an incredibly active city that houses a tremendous potential for the achievement of so much good.

In my Pepperdine group, there were interns working for TV networks, the One Campaign, and communication firms. The spectrum of opportunity is so vast, it’s impossible not to find a niche there.

In addition to politics, you've found your niche as a writer for the Connecticut Post. How did your work in that field begin?

There is no doubt in my mind that I inherited my writing addiction from my mother. She worked as the assistant managing editor of the Connecticut Post and is now a journalism professor. She first got me involved in the Post’s teen publication program. The next thing I knew I was interning in the Post’s editorial desk, sitting in on editorial board meetings with local politicians, and asking questions of distinguished public servants.

Then I started writing featured columns about my life as a high school student and, later, college, as well as opinion columns about my views on political issues. I know I’m incredibly blessed to have these opportunities and I constantly look for ways to use them to reach my fullest potential and to inform my peers.

You obviously care a lot about politics. What do you say to your peers who don’t?

I’m of the belief that no one has to like or even care about politics because, ultimately, it is a free country. But, I like to say, don’t expect to be disconnected from politics and then be happy with the results because, like it or not, politics run everything!

The laws of this country affect every aspect of our lives to varying degrees, and when citizens become politically conscious, they can understand just how to make our laws work better for us.

You'll learn about the laws of a different country in your next stop: London. What motivates you to spend a semester there?

College to me wasn’t ever about spending four years on one plot of land in Malibu, or anywhere else for that matter. College is about perspective. It’s about learning. And, ultimately, it is about creating more opportunities for later on in life.

For me, the best way to accomplish these goals was to make the most of what Pepperdine has to offer, both on campus and around the world. The D.C. program helped me understand my major beyond the textbook. I am hoping that London will give me a greater perspective of how our world functions. I hope the London experience strengthens my understanding of politics, and also helps me get perspective on my own life.

I won’t say that I don’t miss Malibu. I had an incredible group of friends last year from my dorm, Peppers Hall, who are now spread across the globe. I look forward to returning junior year and seeing everybody again and continuing to have more fun and learning about each other's experiences.

Reporting by Lyric Hassler

Chris Shays Sighting!

This one made me proud. *Sniff* a perfect end to the semester.

Christopher Shays describes himself as a casual baseball fan. He's the kind of guy who tracks the Red Sox and Yankees hardball rivalry from a distance but would never be caught dissecting box scores in the morning's Washington Post. Actually, after coming face-to-face with some of the leading characters -- namely a handful of players, commissioner Bud Selig and union leader Don Fehr -- during Congressional steroid hearings in 2005, the Connecticut lawmaker has a somewhat more jaded perspective on the game.

Rep. Shays smiles thinking back on the likes of Mark McGwire and Rafael Palmeiro parading before the House Committee on Government Reform -- the sense of entitlement they carried on their broad shoulders, the way they dismissed allegations of widespread steroid use in the game, even though committee members suspected otherwise.

"Let me just say that they were deceitful,'' Shays, a Republican, said of the collective baseball group. "They weren't cooperative. And they were arrogant. And they were like, 'How dare you question us,' kind of attitude. And I want you to know I don't take offense at that. There are certain things as a member of Congress I don't like. But personally, I was just stunned by it because I haven't see worse behavior in anyone in my 20 years in public life in Congress.''

And so, Shays believes baseball has only itself to blame for the PR mess it's in today.

"The union is extraordinarily powerful and the commissioner doesn't run it,'' he said. "It is run by some of the major teams, as far as I can tell. You need someone who really has the [will] to do some really tough things . . . It has just been a long tradition of tolerance. The irony sometimes is people cover up in order not to give baseball a bad name, but in the process everything just ferments. It gets worse. And in the end the name suffers even more. So it is a commissioner who is not willing to take decisive action and it is a players' union that feels very privileged.''

Led Zeppelin Reunion!

Led Zeppelin came together for a one-night only concert the other night in London and the reviews have been spectacular. Talks of a full fledged tour have been circulating too. Just to hype this incredible act even more, enjoy these clips soon as their likely to be taken down by Youtube. Still, you won't regret watching. Somehow, these guys can still rock. As someone who was never fortunate enough to see Zep or any of the other great bands perform live in their heyday, it's pretty encouraging to see some of these guys still have it in them. I'm struggling to think of a price that would be too high for me to see them in concert; I may just blow my whole life's savings.

NEWS REPORT- Black Dog


KASHMIR


Stairway to Heaven


Good Times, Bad Times

Surfs Up

The Pepperdine Men's basketball team just completed an 83-65 victory over the perennial NCAA tourney team Pacific last night. The win is significant because it brings the Waves to 5-6 thus far this season, just three wins shy of their total from all of last year. Pepperdine is clearly a team on the rise after some pretty fallow years. New coach Vance Walberg, a success on the JUCO circuit and responsible for showing Memphis coach Jim Calapari the system he now uses, has a distinctive way to run his team that requires certain players. Simply put, the player he inherited last year were not the right fit. This year, though, the stellar recruits Walberg landed are living up to the hype. Granted they are freshman and inexperience has dealt numerous blows to the team, but with the expected maturity, this team should be fun to watch. That includes the recruits coming in next year which by all accounts seem great in and of themselves.
So as the schedule increases in difficulty, including a big game at Memphis, look for the team to make some news and play some competitive ball.

A Whole Lotta Dome

Congressman Shays was kind enough to bring us interns up to the top of the Capitol dome for a tour on this snowy Wednesday. Enjoy some of the pics:

Before going on the tour, a candid view of the office.

Interns Brian and Chris outside the office.

I'm all about the Connecticut pride.

Me posing with my favorite statue in the Capitol.

Congressman Shays pointing out some of the details of Brumidi's work.

The men of the office atop the Capitol Dome.

Look at that talent.

View of Longworth from outside the Dome.

View of the Mall from outside the Dome.

Me with the Mall in the background.

Goofing off atop the Capitol Dome.

Conquering the District.

Hope you enjoyed. This really was a treat for the rest of the interns and I as it's quite an honor to go to the Capitol Dome. This is the last week of my internship so I'm really trying to treasure these moments while at the same time getting as much work out of the way as possible. This has been an incredible semester to say the least with so much learned. I hope to better encapsulate my thoughts later on in the blog. But for now, I offer some images of my last week.

SWAMPED!

I had a fantastic weekend at home and in the city this weekend, but I now have to deal with the inevitible crush of work that's been building up. I'll try to resurface soon, hopefully with some good news that's in the works (possibly more media profiles of me or the like). Until then, keep me and all other interns and sutdents in your thoughts as this crucial time for work comes to a close!