WASHINGTON—Mr. Smith took the University to Washington for an extended weekend of politics, tours and briefings. University students and faculty from the Political Science Department met with public officials, alumni and others as part of an annual field trip to Washington, D.C.
The trip takes place over four days and involves meeting with multiple officials involved in government and public policy, as well as interest groups. On Monday night, students met with University alumni and current interns in a conference to explain the University’s “Semester in Washington” program.
“We can say that not a few, in fact many, students were inspired to make a career in Washington based on this trip,” said Dr. Rosanna Perotti, the director of the trip.
According to Dr. Perotti, the annual Washington trip began in the early 1960s, when Howard Ball, a former University Professor and Supreme Court scholar, organized an interview for University students with Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.
Professor Emeritus Herbert Rosenbaum continued organizing the trip every year, and in doing so, inspired students such as alum Phil Schiliro, who has worked as a staffer for Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) for the last twenty-five years.
Professor Rosenbaum continues to attend the trip every year, despite his retirement from the University in 1992.
Over time, the number of appointments grew. This year, there were seven meetings, including appointments with a Congressman from Illinois, an anti-global warming group and staffers at the Office of Management and Budget. Students also met with University alum William Bodde, a career diplomat and former Ambassador to Micronesia.
“We get the access from interns and alumni of the University,” Dr. Perotti said. “Sometimes we call out of the blue.”
The “Semester in Washington” internship is an unpaid program run by the State University of New York at Brockport. It offers students the opportunity to work four days per week in a Washington office while taking a class once a week and writing a research paper related to their experience. The interns come from schools all over New York State, and the University is a partner in the program.
Students can intern at any of the three branches of government, at an interest group, research institute or non-government organization. University students and alumni that have participated include a Law professor, lobbyists and staffers on Capitol Hill.
One current student is spending this semester interning for Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) in her Senate office. Another is interning for Congressman Donald Manzullo (R-Ill.), who met with the students.
Students overwhelmingly enjoyed the experience of being in Washington. “This trip allowed us to experience government,” sophomore Christina Martin said.
Amanda Scheffer, a sophomore, agreed. “This trip has put the idea of working in politics in my heart again,” she said. “The professors have inspired me.”
Politics were not the only benefit to the trip, according to Chris Pergola, a junior. “Not only do you get to witness and experience things tourists would not normally see in Washington, you get to meet students and make friends at the University you might not otherwise have done,” he said.
1 comment:
You write very well.
Post a Comment