Welcome to Washington!

Hello viewers of the William & Mary Blog! My name is Bertram Reed Timoner (I go by Reed), I am a freshman at W&M, and this winter I am participating in the DC Office’s Winter Seminar on the topic of Political Polarization. I am so excited to share my experiences with you over these next 10 days about the class itself, and in a larger sense, life as a new student at William & Mary.

 Me on move-in day in front of my dorm, Monroe Hall

First, an introduction. I am from Fairfax, VA, so I am actually commuting into class everyday by Metro (DC’s amazing subway system) and not living in the housing provided by the office (although I’ve heard the housing is amazing). I just graduated from Oakton High School in Vienna, VA last spring, then went to be a summer camp counselor for adorable 9-year-olds before arriving in Williamsburg to start orientation and classes. I love William & Mary and have always been interested in government, and so the DC office and the opportunities it provides was on my radar from the beginning. As an aspiring government major, I am so excited to be analyzing one of the defining features of our current political system: polarization. We have already had many readings on the topic, and I will fill you in in subsequent blog posts about my thoughts based on speakers and sites we go to visit.

Within government and politics, my narrow interests include the role of the media and its relationship with  the government, young people and their interaction with the American system, and political psychology (for which I have been selected to conduct research on over the next two semesters).

I cannot wait to take you on this wild, intense, and short-lived yet amazing ride these next 10 days will be!

Until tomorrow,

Reed Timoner, ’19