After the buzz about the 2008 election died down on Locust Walk, nine Penn students followed the excitement to the District of Columbia for the Washington Semester Program - the study-abroad experience only a few states away.
According to some program directors and participants, the combination of a new administration and a bad economy is spurring more interest in opportunities in Washington, D.C.
"There are a lot more students coming in saying, 'I'm just so excited by the [presidential] campaign and everything that's going on in Washington, I've switched my major, I just want to know what's out there,'" said Dierdre Martinez, who directs the Fels Public Policy Internship Program and Penn in Washington.
WSP student participants intern at an organization or agency in Washington, and choose from four courses in the Political Science department, which oversees the program. Examples of work assignments include congressional committee staffs, advocacy and interest groups and think tanks, according to the Web site.
According to WSP director Kathryn Tenpas, student interest in the fall 2009 semester - which is now closed for applications - was unusually high.
She estimates that 20 students applied for the fall - roughly double the number of students who applied for the current spring semester.
Martinez said she has met with roughly 200 College students to discuss public policy opportunities in D.C., New York, and Philadelphia - another doubled-figure compared with last year's estimates.
College of Liberal and Professional Studies junior Paige Chambers, who is currently interning for Sen. Arlen Specter through the Semester Program, said now is an exciting time to be working on the Hill.
"I work for a Republican Senator, but on both sides of the aisle, I've seen such an energy here," she said. "No matter your political beliefs, both sides are itching to get things done and change things from the previous administration."
College junior Neel Lalchandani is interning through the Semester Program for The Constitution Project, an independent legal advocacy group and think tank.
He agreed that a new spirit has come over Washington. "I feel like even among people in my office who have been in D.C. for so long, you can tell that there's an excitement with the new administration."
In addition to an exciting election year, Martinez said, the state of the economy has served as another strong pull for going to the nation's capital.
"I've talked to a number of students who said, 'I was going to do finance, I was going to do another world, and it's just sort of dried up,'" Martinez said. "If you're interested in finance and the economy, what better place to be than Washington at this point?"
Fels brought on Martinez three years ago to launch the internship-search program, which offers guidance to sophomores and juniors in the College. The consulting service is a key component of the College's ties to Fels, which does not have a formal undergraduate program outside of course offerings, according to Martinez.
Lalchandani said a Washington internship during the academic year, as opposed to the summer, has its advantages.
"A lot of people come in the summer, but if you come in the spring or fall, you get some really good opportunities to work for the organization," he said.
This semester at The Constitution Project, one of Lalchandani's op-eds was published on Jurist, a legal blog. He has ghostwritten others, including one published on The Huffington Post.
Chambers said the academic component is as rewarding as the professional - especially because the seminars are so small.
Chambers' Religion and Politics class, for example, has only four students. Her largest class has 16 students.
"The one-on-one attention from the professors is incredible," she said, adding that the professors are active, well-connected members of political life.
In Tenpas's class, students met a former Solicitor General, watched a Supreme Court case, enjoyed a private tour and met with the law clerk of Justice John Roberts.
"She's pretty much gotten most of the authors that we've read into our classroom," Chambers said of Tenpas.
As for opportunities to meet high-powered leaders in D.C., many students are surprised to learn that "Washington is a small town," Martinez said.
"You don't realize it until you get there: You could be sitting next to a member of Congress, you could be sitting next to people who are doing really important work," she said. "If you take advantage of really important events . you can be a part of that."
College students who are interested in public policy opportunities, semester or summer, can explore Fels' new online internship database, which Martinez launched in February. The site features an internship search engine, a Q&A; blog and networking tools.
Chambers explained the allure of D.C.: "Being here, and working here, you have your finger on the pulse of politics. You hear the news, but then you're in there. The [Semester] Program gives you that bird's-eye view."
