Those Hillites looking for a different way to spend their lunch hour could head to the U.S. Capitol Historical Society’s eighth annual Brown Bag Lecture Series, “The Capitol and Congress in Depression and War, 1929-1945.”

Senate Associate Historian Don Ritchie will lead the lecture, “Wartime Reporting from Washington,” at noon Wednesday in Ketchum Hall of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Building. Ritchie’s lecture will be a segment of his upcoming book, “Reporting from Washington: The History of the Washington Press Corps.”

Lectures, held on each Wednesday in August, are free and open to the public. Due to limited seating, call (202) 543-8919 ext. 31 for reservations.

Pryce Intern Is ‘Stand Up and Holla’ Finalist

Finding a ticket to a national party convention is hard to do when you’re an intern on Capitol Hill, but 19-year-old Nathan Imperiale, who volunteers for Republican Conference Chairwoman Deborah Pryce (Ohio), is close to earning a trip to New York City for the Republican confab.

Imperiale is one of 10 finalists in MTV’s “Stand Up and Holla” contest for the Republican National Convention. MTV received more than 1,000 essays from 18- to 24-year-olds for the contest. Contestants were asked to submit personal essays on how President Bush’s call to service resonates in their lives. The winner will receive a trip to New York and the opportunity to share his or her story at the convention.

“I consider Nathan an outstanding addition to my Conference staff and I am excited for him and this latest accomplishment,” said Pryce.

Online voting for “Stand up and Holla” is open through today, and the winner will be announced Aug. 16 on “Total Request Live.”

Hoyer Praises Anacostia Waterfront Corporation

On Thursday, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), a longtime proponent of the effort to clean up and revitalize the Anacostia River waterfront, congratulated the D.C. city government on the creation of a new corporation that will coordinate the massive Anacostia Waterfront Initiative.

The Anacostia Waterfront Corporation, which was created by legislation signed by Mayor Anthony Williams (D) on Thursday, will oversee and direct the 25-year plan to clean up and redevelop the land along D.C.’s “forgotten river.”

Calling the new independent corporation a “historic and bold step” in transforming a long-neglected part of the city, Hoyer said in a statement that he hopes that the new corporation will use its powers to revitalize all of the parcels of land under its supervision, especially the South Capitol Corridor.

He added that in the months ahead he will work to determine the complementary role the federal government can play “to ensure this ambitious and historic project is a success.”

— Jennifer Lash and John McArdle