If there’s one thing Lauren Vandiver has learned during her Congressional Agricultural Internship, it’s that there’s more to do in Washington, D.C., than in Auburn.”I was talking to my mom the other night and I told her that I don’t want to go back because there’s a lot more to do here,” said Vandiver, a 21-year-old agricultural communications major at Auburn University whose internship comes to a close May 6.In just three months, the junior from Madison has experienced a whirlwind of activity — from conducting tours to writing legislation to having her photo taken with country music star Trace Adkins — all while serving as the second Congressional Agricultural Intern in Rep. Mike Rogers’ office in as many years.”I’ve learned so much more here than I learned studying agriculture for the past two years because it’s so hands on,” said Vandiver, daughter of John and Beth Vandiver. “It really brings a different perspective into it.”The Congressional Agricultural Internship program, launched two years ago by the Alabama Farmers Federation in conjunction with the state’s land-grant universities, strives to give students with an interest in agriculture, natural resources and rural development a closer look at the workings of government and public policy.The program requires interns to be undergraduate or graduate students in the College of Agriculture with at least 60 hours, the most recent 15 hours having been completed in the Alabama Land-Grant University System — Auburn, Alabama A&M or Tuskegee. Applications for the third year of the program will be accepted this fall.”We’re pleased to see the Congressional Agricultural Internship program continuing to develop tomorrow’s leaders for agriculture,” said Federation President Jerry A. Newby. “This is a program that we believe will pay huge dividends in the future by allowing our young people to help shape agriculture’s role as they learn about the legislative process.””Lauren has been a hard worker and very helpful to my staff,” said Rogers. “She has done a great job in helping take care of the folks of the Third Congressional District, and we’ve certainly appreciated her knowledge on agricultural issues important to Alabama. I’d like to thank (the Federation) once again for helping bring young folks like Lauren to Washington to work for the benefit of Alabama’s agriculture community.”Vandiver describes her internship as being “very busy” and “very educational” with 40 percent of her time spent fielding calls from constituents, answering mail, conducting tours and preparing media kits. The rest of the time, she said, has been spent attending hearings on the safety of cloned beef, learning to write legislation, and attending congressional events such as a recent Republican National Campaign Committee dinner where she heard President Bush speak and Trace Adkins perform.”I’m actually writing an irrigation bill right now,” said Vandiver who was raised on a cotton and cattle farm. “I’m learning a lot just by watching the legislative aides and going to the hearings. There are so many different sectors of agriculture — water, corn, cattle — it’s cool to see all the different issues that come into play.”One issue that she’d like to see resolved before she returns to Auburn is a new farm bill. “I’ve gone with the legislative aide to a couple of the hearings, and you pick up some tidbits, but it looks like it’s still going to be awhile before we get it passed,” she said. “I hope it passes before I leave. That would be really exciting.”