Political Contact Auctioned to Fund Interns

Those looking to support a good cause could find themselves having lunch with the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, reading a signed copy of Hillary Rodham Clinton's "It Takes a Village" or drinking from old-fashioned bar glasses with Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.)--as long as they are willing to pay up.

Tomorrow's eighth Annual Summer Student Internship Fund Auction at the Kennedy School of Government will put these and other items on the block to raise money for students to work at agencies that otherwise could not afford their services.

Organizers hope lunch with former Clinton adviser George Stephanopoulos and an autographed Lamar Alexander plaid shirt will draw enough funds to sponsor between 25 and 30 public-service internships, which they estimate would cost about $30,000.

"This auction is definitely the most fun event at the Kennedy School all year because faculty, students and the public all get together to have a good time," said Judy F. Kugel, director of career services at the Kennedy School.

According to Kugel, "a huge core of student volunteers" look to the school's faculty, alumni, students and local businesses for the auction's support.

The live auction, which begins at 7 p.m. in the ARCO Forum, will feature about 30 items and will be conducted by faculty members in addition to a professional auctioneer. An additional 150 to 175 items will be up for bid at the silent auction from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Other items to be auctioned include an 11-day trip to Turkey, two tickets on Southwest Airlines, meals cooked by faculty and students and escorted biking and hiking tours.

The auctioned items were obtained by a committee of about 20 first-year students at the Kennedy School. Organizers sent letters to businesses and alumni, faculty and students at the Kennedy School, said Ben M. Mangan, chair of the auction committee.

"I'm incredibly impressed by everybody on the committee who's worked on the auction so far," said Mangan, a first-year at the Kennedy School. "I'm extremely optimistic."

"I think that the auction represents the Kennedy School at its best," he added.

The internship stipends, which are available to students between the first and second years of their master's programs, are allocated by a student committee through an application process.

Kennedy School students applying for the stipend must submit a personal statement, a job offer and a statement of need from their employer.

If the organizers hit their goal of $30,000, a figure the auction has approached but not reached in recent years, it will be a record for the fund

"I'm incredibly impressed by everybody on the committee who's worked on the auction so far," said Mangan, a first-year at the Kennedy School. "I'm extremely optimistic."

"I think that the auction represents the Kennedy School at its best," he added.

The internship stipends, which are available to students between the first and second years of their master's programs, are allocated by a student committee through an application process.

Kennedy School students applying for the stipend must submit a personal statement, a job offer and a statement of need from their employer.

If the organizers hit their goal of $30,000, a figure the auction has approached but not reached in recent years, it will be a record for the fund