The political science department is giving students the opportunity to go toe-to-toe with the political world for academic credit.
Fifty-eight UNM students are participating in political internships this election year. Twenty-five of them are enrolled in political science 291 and 491 and are supervised by Ellen Grigsby, intern program coordinator.
She said the number of internships is likely to grow as interest spreads by word of mouth.
Originally, political science professor Larry Gordon supervised the internships, but he passed the torch to Grigsby when he retired last summer.
Ken Roberts, chairman of the political science department, said he adjusts the number of internships offered through the department according to demand, which has steadily increased. In 2003, 28 students enrolled.
Interns are required to commit to 64 hours of community service for every academic hour. At the end of the internship, the students must write a paper describing the experience.
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Grigsby said campaigns usually do not pay their interns, but Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., and Rep. Heather Wilson, R-N.M., occasionally offer paid internships.
Matthew Ray, who interned with the U.S. Attorney's Office and the New Mexico State Legislature, said the experience gave him an opportunity to apply what he has learned in political science classes.
"The committees and hearings that one learns about in class are just formalities," Ray said. "Sure, this is where the votes are cast, but in most cases the decision has already been made through negotiations and political persuasion. This you cannot learn in a class."
Julie McCleary, a political science major, said her internship with John Kerry's presidential campaign has been instructive and positive.
"I really wanted to do it for the Kerry campaign since it's such a crucial election this year," she said.
So far McCleary has traveled to Santa Fe to meet with Kerry supporters, marched in protest of efforts to require voters to show IDs at the polls, and telephoned registered voters to urge them to vote for Kerry.
"It's a lot of work for one credit hour, but it's a lot of fun, and I've met a lot of great people," she said.
Grigsby said the majority of the internships have been with UNM's New Voters Project, a national nonpartisan voter-registration effort.
"That has really caught on," Grigsby said. "I'm trying to ask students to think very broadly about what they'd really enjoy doing, and it doesn't have to be a political campaign, but it can."
She said the main goal for the internships is growth, and for students to have the option to do paid internships in Europe and Mexico.
