Getting a taste of the political life

The Semester in Washington program offers real-world experience, as well as classes. After learning of Monica Lewinsky's alleged affair with President Clinton, it seems plausible that Penn would discourage students from choosing White House internships as part of its Washington Semester Program. But by the time news of the affair reached the public last month, program officials were already discouraging students from accepting White House internships because too many students were receiving menial internship assignments there. "It was boring," said College junior Susan-Joan Mauriello, who was in the program last semester. "I'm not going to sort mail." Mauriello sent out birthday and other types of greeting cards on behalf of the White House for six weeks before leaving to work for the Wexler Group, a conservative lobby organization, where she attended hearings and wrote various reports for clients on deregulation in the energy industries. "We have come close to banning the White House" because of the lack of interesting assignments, said program director Jack Nagel, a Political Science professor. Despite some unglamorous White House jobs, however, most students on the program usually find excellent internships. "Penn students do a lot better [finding internships] on their own," Nagel noted. The program, which began with five students in the spring of 1994, was the brainchild of then-Political Science Department Chairperson Oliver Williams. Nagel and Assistant Director Russell Riley took over the program in its infancy. "I stuck with [the program] longer than I might have because of the value that it had for students," Nagel said. Students seem to share Nagel's high opinion of the program, as it has drawn a full capacity of 20 students during each of the past few semesters. The students in the program work at different internships -- arranged prior to arrival in Washington -- ranging from work with the District of Columbia public defender's office to lobbying firms and congressional committees. Students must apply for internships on their own. Every internship is a unique experience, with responsibilities ranging from photocopying to writing official reports, depending upon the nature of the position. "These matches [of people to internships] are highly idiosyncratic," Riley said. After one student had a great internship and was offered a permanent position with the organization, another student took the same internship a few weeks later and had a horrible experience, Nagel explained. Some tradeoffs must be made in choosing an internship program -- especially when choosing between an organization with large internship program and an organization with very few interns. In a large internship program, Nagel noted in an introductory meeting with next semester's prospective program participants, there may be many special programs such as guest speakers and tours, with increased social interaction with other interns. In a smaller internship, however, a student's work will often be more important to the firm, providing more challenging and rewarding work opportunities. When asked if the program has had any problems with inappropriate advances by employers, Riley replied bluntly: "Absolutely not." But the 20 students per semester that participate in the program do much more than simply work for a government office about three days a week. Students also take a full load of four credits of Penn classes and still manage to enjoy themselves. "I worked really hard? and had a really good time," College senior Melissa Wu said of her fall 1996 experience in the program. She interned for ABC's Nightline during the semester, where she occasionally offered a third opinion on airing clips. Living in the Woodley Park section of Washington, students take frequent trips around the city -- a city which several students said offers more than Philadelphia. But free time for sightseeing is limited for those participating in the program. "When you come down [to Washington], three full days a week are completely spoken for," said Riley, who Mauriello considered to be the "father of the program." "It makes you wonder what you did with your free time at Penn," added Mauriello, a Sociology major. Students are urged to apply for the program two semesters before they intend to go to Washington, though some spots may still be available only one semester in advance. The application process consists of a simple informational form, a transcript and an interview with the program director. The rolling admissions are generally not competitive, but there is "a degree of self-selection" due to the rigorous nature of the work, Nagel noted. As for the courses students take, two are regular seminar courses taught by professors who commute from Penn to teach their course once a week. The third course, designed specifically to complement the program, is the two-credit Political Science 301 class entitled "The Politics of Governance in the Washington Community." Taught by Riley, the course usually includes a 40-page research paper in which students have the opportunity to use sources connected with their internships. "Riley coached you through [the paper]," said Wu, a Communications major. Wu and Mauriello praised the course for its constant adaptation to the current state of national political affairs. For professors who commute to teach for the program, it "squashes everything else in the week," Nagel said. But he hopes that "faculty would see this as an opportunity" to do research in Washington. Housed in a building owned by Boston University at 2807 Connecticut Avenue N.W., the program is located in a prime location with easy access to the Metro public transportation system. Although students complain about BU's strict policy on having guests in the building and members of the opposite sex in their rooms at late hours, Nagel noted that "the building is one of the main assets of the program." In addition to housing Penn students, the building also houses student from other universities' Washington-based programs, with whom many Penn students share rooms. The building is the home of the program, housing all of its students, classes and offices. But this was not always the case. After a tumultuous spring 1996 semester while the BU building was being renovated, students had an extended stay in the Omni Shoreham hotel. The accommodations were luxurious, "but you can only stay cooped up so long before going a little stir crazy," said Riley, who serves as the liaison between Penn and the BU housing. He added that those "hearty souls will have my enduring gratitude for life." Before moving into the BU building, the program was housed in the "isolated" Berkshire building on Massachusetts Avenue at the end of Embassy Row.