The Justice

Illustration by Hannah Edber/the Justice

On July 19, The New York Times printed an article entitled "Colleges Make Way for Internships." It described a new trend among colleges, where they provide stipends or financial aid to students so they can accept rewarding, yet unpaid internships. Brandeis offers limited programs like this through some departments, but Brandeis should adopt this practice on the whole.

Internships have become increasingly more important to break into the competitive job market. Students struggle with two major problems: Internships are hard to find and any organizations willing and able to pay interns don't always offer the best work experiences.

Last summer, my "sales internship" for a publication company consisted of a group of 20 college students telemarketing and doing little else. Even those of us actually interested in business learned little about management, marketing or sales. Some companies do offer paid internships-mostly involving research assistance and clerical duties-but interns gain little from such experiences. This summer I interned for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a large and important organization, but many of the interns spent the summer bored or doing busy work.

The most beneficial internships challenge students and offer them real-life experiences and future contacts. However, the organizations that offer such opportunities won't-or more likely can't-pay students for their time and effort. Social services and non-governmental organizations benefit from the insights of eager students, but students who are unable to work without pay are locked out from these internships.

The difficulty in finding internships is augmented by issues of flexibility. Stipends and financial aid credit allow students to take valuable internships away from home and still afford lodging and other expenses. All students, not just those who can pay a New York City rent for a summer, need internships. Stipends give even students on financial aid the chance to gain career experience and make contacts for the future.

Brandeis' Ethics Center and Women's Studies Departments provide competitive fellowships but only for specific types of summer internships. Social justice internships are extremely important, among the least likely to be paid, and often abroad. Still, students interested in art, business, media or government could also benefit from similar opportunities.

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