A DAY IN THE LIFE


24 Hours with Andreea Florescu, 2nd Year Graduate Student
Graduate student from Romania

PM
8:00 - Shake hands with Mikhail Gorbachev, as he addresses me with a few words I don’t understand. Smile. (Note to self: I should learn some conversational Russian).
8:15 - Walk in the Library Rotunda after the last guests have stepped in, take my assigned seat, two tables down from the initiator of glasnost and perestroika, the man who made possible the end of the Cold War, Romania’s transition to democracy, and my leaving the country to immerse myself in the world of international affairs in the Masters program at the Whitehead School.
9:33 - Leave the Library and take the five minute walk to the coffee shop in downtown South Orange to sip a cup of chai and chat with friends about the day and what Gorbachev had shared with those who met with him for a face to face meeting.
10:58 - Pick up the article I have been editing for the upcoming issue of the Whitehead Journal of Diplomacy for a last reading before I turn it in to the Senior Editor tomorrow.
11:40 - Lay in bed, thinking about tomorrow’s busy schedule. I should worry less and get to sleep. Gorbachev’s words about priorities in today’s world, democratization, bridging the gap between civilizations and environmental awareness—come back to mind. Great food for thought—keeps me awake until late, which I will regret in the morning.

AM
7:54 - Catch the train to New York.
8:23 - Get off the train, take the 1 or the 9 to Times Square, then the shuttle to Grand Central.
8:40 - Walk into the United Nations Association of the USA office on 2nd Avenue, fresh cup of coffee in my hand, picked up from the downstairs deli.
9:30 - Read the web edition of the New York Times and the morning’s email messages, then meet with the UNA-USA managing editor to touch base about the day’s duties—fact check a few articles for the InterDependent, write two brief news stories and research about UN peacekeeping in Central and South America for the Global Agenda that will come out in a few months. My first byline in a book certainly not the last.
1:55 - Walk over to the United Nations for opening of photo exhibit on war veterans. Proudly show my UN pass at the entrance so as to not wait in line.
5:48 - After exhibit, one more hour’s work will go by quickly. After the train ride back to South Orange, stop by the Pirate’s Cove to grab a sandwich before class.
6:15 - International Criminal Law. Discussion should be engaging—genocide and the responsibility to protect civilians, the focus of Secretary-General Annan’s latest report.
8:00 - Final stop of the day—editorial meeting for the Journal of Diplomacy.

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