Political Science concentrators at Brown now have the opportunity to explore Rhode Island government first hand in a new course, POLS 1821J: "Rhode Island Government and Politics." Students enrolled in the course will take on internships in the state government and work there for eight to 10 hours a week in place of traditional class time.
Professor of Political Science James Morone, the course instructor and organizer, said the new course will allow students to apply their studies to the real world.
"I want students to be thinking and writing about what they've learned in political science and how it's prepared them and how it has failed to prepare them (for their internships) ," Morone said. "I ask all the students to come back and educate me on how the world really works."
Students will be matched with internships based on their personal interests, said Robert Gemma, executive director of the Rhode Island state government internship program. Gemma, who is responsible for interviewing enrolled students and pairing them with available internships, said many students use the internships to explore career options.
"There's a lot of students that want to go to law school and they make up their minds working with a judge, working with a legal defender or the department of legal council," Gemma said. "A lot of students come back as law school students after making up their minds in these internships."
Morone said the course, which is capped at 20 students and is limited to department concentrators, has a long waiting list.
"We're going to have a very committed, energetic bunch of concentrators," he said.
Stephen Chaisson '10, who is in the class, said he was given a position working for the Commissioner for Human Rights because Gemma felt it fit his goals and interests.
"I really wanted to do some work in the community, and I thought it would be a great way to be a part of something and actually do an internship in Providence," he said. "I was really excited to get this."
Daniel Parnes '10, another class member, said he will be working with House Deputy Majority Leader Raymond Sullivan Jr., whom he met last summer while working for President Barack Obama's campaign in Rhode Island.
Parnes said the course "will be a wild experience."
"To get class credit for an internship ... it's the best of both worlds," he added.
