Winner of a week in Washington

Thanks to Con Edison, one lucky Long Island City student got the chance of a lifetime - an all-expense paid trip to Washington DC. That student, junior Tiffany Cermak, got to attend the Presidential program that enables high school juniors and seniors the chance to observe the federal government at work while gaining a better understanding of the electoral process and how individuals can make a difference in America.
Cermak stayed at the Georgetown campus with other students from across the country and got to experience political life first hand. “We wanted to get the kids excited about the program,” says Arthur Cronson of Con Edison, “which is why we joined up with Long Island City High School and got the contest going.”
Several students were interviewed, but it was a junior, Tiffany Cermak, who was chosen. “I was so excited, I didn’t think I was going to win as the competition in the school is really great,” said Tiffany, although having taken Honors, Advanced Placement and College Now classes as well as being involved with JSA - a debate team that deals with politics and national debates - she was clearly an ideal candidate.
With only two weeks between winning the scholarship and leaving for Washington, Cermak had slight apprehensions, having never been on a plane before or met so many new people all at once. “I was scared at first,” she says, “but my family was so happy for me and said ‘just have fun and enjoy the experience.’ ”
Having taken their advice, Cermak enjoyed meeting the other students. “I met a Native American girl from South Dakota, and I was so intrigued by her,” she said. “We became so close and we still talk.” She also met people from Hawaii, Kansas and many other states whose experiences were entirely different from hers. “I met someone from Kentucky who ate squirrels,” she says. “They go cow tipping and possum kicking!”
As well as seeing inside all the buildings on Capitol Hill and visiting the Library of Congress and meeting several members of the house of representatives, the students were instructed to compose a bill of legislation throughout the week which would be voted on at the end.
“Learning about the bill process was the best part of the week,” the Long Island City junior said. “We really took it to the heart and were so upset when our bill lost by just two votes.”
During the process Tiffany’s political views remained the same, but she did change her opinion about aspects of the system. “Making a bill is really difficult; I thought it was easy, but that’s not how it is at all,” she says, “It has made me appreciate the congressmen and women more. I thought they just sat around and were paid to do nothing. Now I know they have to work really hard.”
Her experience has also made her more aware of the media. Prior to Cermak’s week in Washington, she would only watch one news channel. “Now I watch every news channel,” she said. “I learned that we need to get a broad outlook.”
So, despite breaking her toe on the steps of the White House on the penultimate day of her trip, Tiffany says this was the best week of her life and plans to return during the summer after her first year of college. And while she plans to study psychology not politics in college, she still intends to keep up her interest. “It’s a good area to have a background in,” she said. “You can’t live in this world and not know about politics.”