Teen Voices
By Ellen Paolini, Special to the Town Crier
 Ellen Paolini, right, met Dianne Fenstein when the senator addressed the Silicon Valley Leadership Group last week. |
The heat was almost unbearable Aug. 22 as we stood in the Hyatt San Jose hotel’s unshaded parking lot. As I swung open the shiny glass door to the lobby, my father and I were welcomed with cool darkness.
I chuckled to myself in disbelief. I had never seen so many people in business suits. We were there to listen to Sen. Dianne Feinstein give a report from Washington. I could not wait to see her.
All of us - journalists, business executives, politicians and I - had to wait to be admitted to the room where Feinstein would speak. I was there only because Dad (George Paolini) found me a seat at the last minute. (His company, SAP, belongs to the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a sponsor of the program.) “Is the senator here already?” I wondered. “Is she standing in this room?”
It seems you cannot even look at a businessperson without having to introduce yourself. Within five minutes of entering the dining hall I had shaken at least 15 hands. I was excited to discover, however, that across from my seat was a placard that announced “the Honorable Anna Eshoo” and six seats down from mine was another that read “Senator Dianne Feinstein.”
A hush fell over the room. And then, there was the “Honorable” senator, surrounded by television cameras. She wore a suit of deep, dazzling purple, a shimmering mother-of-pearl necklace and sensible black pumps. She seemed very much at ease. Although not much taller than I am at 5-feet-3-inches, Feinstein looked every bit as powerful as I had hoped she would. She took her seat, saluted us with her fork and ate. The mundane table talk resumed, and we ordinary citizens began to eat our lunch.
When she finished eating, the senator made her way around the table to shake hands with her guests. As she approached, I choked on my chicken and stood up, dropping my napkin. She raised her eyebrows when she heard that I am a reporter.
“Are you tough?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, “I think so.”
The senator’s hazel eyes smiled at me. “Uh-oh,” she said, “sounds like trouble.”
During her address, she talked at length about the Rehnquist court and its inconsistent rulings. She is on the Senate Committee on the Judiciary and has met the nominee for the Supreme Court, John Roberts. She said she is impressed by his intelligence but afraid he might be the deciding vote in cases restricting civil rights.
Next she gave her opinion on tax cuts and global warming. Although she used humor earlier, the senator became serious when discussing climate change.
“Global warming is real. And it is happening. And we need to do something about it,” she said.
To me, her words made perfect sense and heightened my respect for her. I appreciated the way she came directly to her point. Feinstein seems to have a good deal of common sense and responsibility.
My favorite part of the day, however, was when I went on stage to be introduced as the youngest journalist in the room. As I stood next to Feinstein while we closed the event, I felt incredibly lucky. It isn’t every day a girl gets to stand next to one of the most famous women in the world.
When she whispered, “It was nice to meet you, Ellen,” with an encouraging nod, I felt as if I had an iron backbone and was ready to do anything to live up to her standards.
Yes, Dianne Feinstein, I guess I am tough. If I weren’t, I probably would have fainted on the spot.
Thirteen-year-old Ellen Paolini will attend eighth grade at Heidelberg International School, Heidelberg, Germany, this year.
