DUKE IN D.C.

Washington D.C. - They say it's a small world. Imagine walking through a large city and seeing countless familiar faces against an unfamiliar background.

Duke students working as summer interns in Washington, D.C. constantly meet acquaintances and friends on the bus, in bars, on the Mall and around Georgetown. In a city of almost 600,000 people, many Duke students say that even though they're in the capital city, they feel like they're back on West Campus.

"It's ridiculous how many Duke people are here," says Trinity senior Brian Culang, an intern at an online policy research magazine. "There's a bus that most of the people in my house take, the D-1, and you would think the D stood for Duke."

Trinity senior Lisa Giulino, who is interning at a mental health clinic, adds: "I just drive down the streets and see Duke stickers on the back of every car."

Trinity senior Christina Cordes says that even people she randomly meets are usually connected to Duke in some way. "Even if you're not hanging out with Duke people, you're with other students or co-workers who know your friends," says Cordes, who interns at both a non-profit organization and a consulting firm.

In a world where politicians and policy-makers are at the top of the food chain, it is no wonder that majors in public policy-one of the largest majors at Duke-would flock to the capital city after their junior years to complete the department's required internships. Elise Goldwasser, public policy internship coordinator, says that of the 190 rising seniors in the department, between 115 and 130 of them are interning in D.C. this summer. Granted, the Class of 2001 boasts the largest number of public policy majors ever; still, even in the past, about 100 public policy majors flooded the city during summer break.

"It's not too hard for Duke students to get internships in a representative's office if your other D.C. choices don't come through," Goldwasser explains.

Public policy types are not the only students drawn to the capital city for the summer. Karen Feaver, a staff assistant in the political science department, says the majority of the 25-plus political science majors who intern in the summer go to D.C. "Our students seem to be drawn more to national/international politics than to state politics and policy issues/opportunities," Feaver says.

Duke isn't the only school that sends its students to Spin City for the summer-another of the capital's allures for Blue Devils seeking summer jobs. With Georgetown University at the heart of the city and a large Stanford University contingent traveling cross-country for their summer jobs, Blue Devils frequently encounter other college kids out for a good time and a productive summer. "It's a great chance to network and meet people from across the world," says Trinity senior Travis Gayles.

Trinity sophomore Julie Carrier, who is working for House Democratic Whip David Bonior, says her housemate from Yale goes to events set up by her university. "After attending the first Yale function with [my roommate] I found that Duke students don't need organized events to meet," she says. "I run into Duke students [everywhere], even at Yale functions."

But Hack says it seems like Duke has one of the biggest presences. "Duke either has the largest contingency after Georgetown or has one of the largest," says Hack, who is interning as a software developer at Fannie Mae.

World beyond Washington

Of course, not everyone makes the summer pilgrimage to D.C. Goldwasser said that more than 20 Duke public policy majors are based in New York City this summer.

Trinity senior Elaine Guerra, who is researching Internet security for the United Nations, says she chose New York because she finds it more interesting than D.C. "As much as I like the occasional Hideaway, I'm really glad I'm not in D.C. and [living] it every day," she says. "I'm sure it's a great city and there's plenty to do, but there's much more here in New York, for my preferences, in terms of plays, museums, and new experiences."

Anthony Josephson, a Trinity senior who is working at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco says he never felt pressure to work in D.C. with the hordes of other public policy majors. "I do not feel left out from the crowd in D.C.," he wrote in an e-mail. "I view the summer as a time to get away from school and that lifestyle, as well as an opportunity to simulate life after college."

Still, Culang suggests that the capital city's job options suit the character of Duke undergraduates, especially considering the University's large public policy department. "This seems like more of a Duke town than New York City," he says. "In New York there's more business and investment banking. I bet if we had an undergraduate business program, more people would go to New York."

Work hard, play hard

Although the concept of "the intern" summons stereotypes of mail-fetching and copy-making, many interns say they are involved in real projects. "I'm really busy," Culang says. "It's great that as a college junior I have responsibility and am not just making coffee."

Gayles is working for a public relations firm for non-profit organizations. One of his major tasks is writing opinion-editorial pieces about uninsured U.S. citizens. Although he will probably not work in media or public relations after he graduates, he says he is gaining valuable experience learning how to raise awareness about medical issues.

But Cordes, who is working for the nonprofit organization Share Our Strength and the consulting firm Community Wealth Ventures, says that although she has been involved in an enormous amount of interesting work, she has also had to complete some menial tasks. "Every internship is going to have its share of stapling and paper pushing," she wrote in an e-mail. "I've learned that even the executives have to do their own share of the grunt work."

For many Duke interns, getting up early to work long hours puts a damper on weekday social life. Still, happy hours provide post-workday relaxation; bars, clubs and house parties provide plenty of excitement on the weekends. Since many interns are rising seniors, the heavily carding 21-and-over venues are still filled with students, Gayles says.

Although Duke has a strong presence in the city, Cordes says Blue Devils do not completely overwhelm the social scene because D.C. is so big. "There are college bars, but I wouldn't say that I feel overwhelmed by [Duke people at] any particular place," she explains.

Others, however, testify to a life saturated with Duke faces. Culang says that on his 10-house block in Georgetown, four are full of Duke interns. Hack mentions a similar experience: "I go to the Georgetown gym and there's more Duke kids than Georgetown kids."

'Life after Duke'

The lure of D.C. does not end after summer. Goldwasser says many students use their internships to help them find jobs once their days in the Gothic Wonderland are done. "A lot of people who do D.C. internships want to end up back in D.C. and use their summer internship to make the kinds of contacts that will help them find a job," she says.

Indeed, Gayles says the president and senior associate of his public relations firm are both Duke alumni: "We are everywhere!"

And Culang says he has seen quite a few recent-graduates-turned-D.C.-executives wandering around the capital city; he expects there will be more come fall. "In August I think a lot of people are going to move down," Culang says. "It's good to know that there's life after Duke."