Life on ‘the other hill’

The Lugar Interns pictured here are, from left to right — Front row: Nicole Jimenez ’12, Sarah Kelly ’12, Stephanie Hynes ’12, Christina Bazak ’12, Umeshi Rajeendra ’13, Brooke Felts ’12; Middle row: Connor Ford ’14, Robert Moore ’12, Stephen Czujko ’13, Atanu Chakravarty ’13; Back row: Will Rumford ’12. Andy Gordon ’12, Sam Fleuter ’13, Steven Profitt ’12, Robert Gardner ’12, William Altman ’12.

Being a scholar in the summer definitely has its up side. Check out this group of Denison students who’ve spent four weeks interning in D.C. They’ve just fulfilled the four-week internship requirement for Denison’s unique Richard G. Lugar Program in Politics and Public Service that took them from College Hill in Granville to Capitol Hill in Washington. The program is named after U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar, a 1954 Denison graduate, Rhodes scholar, and university trustee. It was established in 1995, inspired by the senator’s legacy of academic inquiry, distinguished service, and leadership in foreign affairs and international relations.

Here’s what Brooke Felts ’12 of Moscow, Ohio, had to say: “My experience interning with Senator Lugar in his D.C. office is a memory that I will treasure forever. It allowed me countless opportunities to experience what work, and life, on the other hill is like. Being able to talk frankly with Senator Lugar about politics, his life, and his time at Denison is an opportunity few will ever have, and his insight was amazing. But aside from the work we did, it also was a great chance to explore D.C. with my fellow Denison interns and to see how we worked together as a team, both in the office and socially.”

Says Lugar Program director and political science professor Andy Katz, “It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to go to hearings and to see how a Congressional office works, the various elements that go into a Senate office, and how they deal with different constituencies.”