The executive board of the Tufts Democrats hopes Tufts students will continue working in politics and adding progressive ideas to American society in the future. As a result, they have established an internship program with Tufts alumni who are involved in Washington politics.
"We have been working with the University College [of Citizenship and Public Service] and the Tufts Republicans to start a D.C. alumni network program," said sophomore and Tufts Democrats Vice President Kayt Norris. "We're using students as resources for contacts and connections to set up this summer internship program."
"You get two groups of students who come to the meetings - the really hardcore ones who want to have a life in politics, and the students who are coming in and don't really have an idea of how to get involved," said junior and Tufts Democrats Communications Director Anne Stevenson. "I think the internships create a happy medium for both those groups."
Norris' program pairs undergraduates with an alumni mentor in Washington for the summer. Each week, the students, along with the Washington Tufts Alumni Network, will meet for lunch and attend a lecture.
Additionally, the Tufts Democrats are creating an alumni network "so when students graduate they can join our network, and 10 years down the road, when these people are in positions of power, they can help out future Tufts Democrats," Parnes said.
Internship programs based in Washington aren't the only ones the Dems are instituting.
"We've started an internship program to get people out in the local community on the state and local level so that people on campus can learn how to contribute and be a part of politics on a local level that is meaningful to them rather than just reading about it," Stevenson said. "It's all about making politics tangible for students on campus."
- by Rebecca Dince
