Students travel to D.C. for an insider's view of the govt.

WASHINGTON -- The early-morning chill Friday found 35 Wharton, College and graduate students on a bus bound for Washington, D.C., where they would spend the day learning about public policy and management in the nation's capital. This year's trip marked the fourth annual excursion sponsored by the Gruss Public Management Program, which provides speakers, fellowships and trips to encourage and promote better leadership and management skills for those pursuing public-sector careers. The program is supported largely by 1964 Wharton alumnus Martin Gruss. During the trip to Washington, Program Director Arie Schinnar, a Public Policy and Management professor, circulated hand-outs listing the day's events, along with a thick document entitled "Introduction to the Federal Budget Process." Its contents were closely tied to the general purpose of the trip, which Schinnar said was "to give students a feel for policy-making in its natural environment." Schinnar added that he hoped the trip would give students more of an insider's view of topics discussed in "dry textbooks" and in class. Three hours later, the group arrived in Washington at 2000 M Street, the site of the Federal Communications Commission's offices, where they listened to presentations on the role of the FCC and more specifically on telecommunications policy. Commissioner Susan Ness, a Wharton graduate-school alumna, gave a brief overview of the FCC's responsibilities, which she described as ranging "from being legislators all the way down to acting as judges." She stressed the importance of the FCC, saying that "the decisions that we render are worth billions upon billions of dollars." The next speaker, Robert Pepper, chief of the FCC's Office of Plans and Policy, addressed the changes in policy affecting the FCC and the nation that came with the new digital age of technology. He highlighted the emerging "very powerful force" of computers and digital technology in the U.S. economy, and discussed the challenges facing the FCC since "Congress did not [originally] foresee the explosion of the internet." Next on the group's agenda was a trip to the Russell Senate Office Building's Caucus Room, site of such historic events as Senate debates on the prospects of impeaching then-President Richard Nixon, as well as then-Sen. John F. Kennedy's announcement of his presidential candidacy. Once inside, the group munched on club sandwiches and discussed public service and the federal budget process with several senior congressional staff members. Next, the group participated in a roundtable discussion led by moderator Manus Cooney, chief counsel and staff director of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Cooney discussed, among other things, the importance of the federal budget in directing the nation's priorities. He ended the talk with an encouragement to Wharton job-seekers, asking students to "take a look at Capitol Hill before you decide what you do." Last on the itinerary were presentations on tax policy and its effect on national priorities by fellows from the Brookings Institution, which Schinnar described as "the No. 1 think tank in the nation." Opinions about the success of the trip varied. Wharton junior Joe Fernandez said he "loved being in the Caucus Hall," calling it "the highlight of [his] trip." But while Wharton freshman Joy Lin said the trip was "a good experience" and that she was "really impressed with the FCC and Dr. Pepper," she also said she "wish[ed] that on the bus they would have done more sight-seeing." She felt it was "a waste that we weren't able to incorporate more sights into [the time between] all these speakers."