It has been three weeks since the last primary election in Mississippi, and we have another three weeks to go before Pennsylvania.
The campaigns are spinning their wheels, trying to come up with some new controversy or talking point, but there really isn't that much to say. We've heard it all before. The voters are sick to death of the Democratic primary. The news media, to an extent, is sick to death of covering the same town hall meetings, the same stump speeches, the same "experience versus change" debates they've talked about a zillion times over.
With no news to cover, I thought I'd talk a little bit about the program I'm doing this semester. Hopefully it'll spark the interest of some of you politics junkies out there.
As you probably don't know, I'm not on the Tufts campus this semester. I'm down in Washington, D.C., doing a program formally called the Washington Semester Program (WSP) at American University. Down here, we informally call it Tufts in Washington.
It's a great program that I highly recommend for any Jumbo who loves politics. Boston's a fun place, but if government is your thing, there's no city better than D.C. It's total immersion - kind of like an engineer going to the beach to learn how to talk to girls.
But it's also a great jury-rigged study abroad program. Almost everyone, I think, has wanted to spend a little bit of time away from Tufts. I like Tufts a ton, but I was glad to get a change of scenery for a while.
But studying abroad is a big commitment that lots of people just can't make. Whether it's because of logistics, expense, language barriers or credit-transfers, sometimes it's just impractical for a student to study abroad. So if you have even the slightest interest in American politics, economics or foreign policy, I really recommend you consider sliding down the eastern seaboard to the Potomac. Here's what the program entails:
You'll take a seminar course in a specific field. Although the topics range from international law to justice to peace and conflict resolution, Tufts only allows its students to enroll in American politics, economics or foreign policy. This is an error, in my view, but I can attest to the high quality of the American politics course.
You'll also get an internship in the city. For many people, this is the main reason for the program. A D.C. internship is often a great experience, and even when it's not, it's always a fantastic resume builder - much more impressive than delivering The Podunk Weekly Examiner on a bike route. D.C. runs on intern labor. You may not get your first choice, but the WSP has a great support network of alumni and faculty as well as a fantastic internship bazaar where non-profits, law firms, newspapers, NGOs and congressional offices set up shop to entice potential interns. You are guaranteed to find something.
You'll also be writing a semester-encompassing research paper. It's optional for WSP students, who can take an elective instead, but Tufts insists on the research paper option. Clocking in at around 30 to 40 pages, it's a major paper that many students have used as the core of their thesis papers. Don't let this put you off. It's doable, and your research paper advisor is very supportive as you tackle a challenge that you'll be able to talk about with potential employers years from now.
I'm having a great time here, learning the city and its quirks. Shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions.
Michael Sherry is a junior majoring in political science. He can be reached at Michael.Sherry@tufts.edu.
