April 2012 Archives

On Penn State's annual Blue and White weekend (April 20 - 22), the art makers across campus premiered their final showcases. As Matt Toronto, a Penn State theatre professor who premiered his first feature film at the State Theatre in March, would say, a premiere must be taken seriously.

Duly, Matt and Aaron Toronto rode into the State College premiere of their film The Pact on "man-sized" tricycles.  

Matt explained, "When we rented the red carpet, there were these man-sized tricycles that were just sitting there, calling out to us. We started riding them around the store while we were waiting for them to get our carpet ready, and my brother said, 'We need to enter on these!' And so we rented them that day, spur of the moment."

Matt's wife Jordan Toronto, who plays the local bartender in The Pact, didn't even know about the tricycles until she saw them enter the State Theatre for the premiere on Saturday, March, 31st (The Pact ran at the State Theatre until Wednesday, April 4th with a different set of student films showing as previews on each night). I got a taste of more student films at the Student Film Organization's (SFO) Blue and White Film Festival on Sunday the 22nd, but more on that later.  

First, on Saturday, the members of Blue in the Face (BITF), one of Penn State's A Cappella groups, premiered their 2012 CD. Blue in the Face filled 105 Forum with smoke and purple-blue lighting. I filed into the full house with 15 of my closest art appreciating friends for the two-hour show.

Some in the audience had signs, since BITF's spring concert also functions as an end of year celebration for its senior members, but my two rows had 16 (including me) pairs of hands to clap and hoot and holler for Ravi Shah, BITF's resident vocal percussionist. Also a member of the Blue Band's drum line, Ravi provided a well-timed and adaptable backbone to each song BITF covered, including a dub step vocal approximation in the song "Louder."

The 2012 concert felt especially special to all the seniors, who started their time at Penn State at the same time as Blue in the Face formed in 2008. The class of 2012 is the first official class of BITF-ers. Many of its senior members had a hand in starting the vocal group and have been with BITF since its inception. Audience members and performers alike could feel the magic of the last night for the senior singers.   

Blue and White Sunday, Penn State student film makers had the same chance to say "See what we have accomplished in our time at Penn State." SFO filled the State Theatre for a three and a half hour festival featuring over 17 films. The audience responded instinctively to their classmates' films, laughing at the funny parts and gasping at the scary parts. I must say that "Sins of Another" really got my knees bunched and knuckles linked. I peeked through braided fingers to watch their supernatural mini-thriller.

But the real stand-outs of the night were the animated films and the documentaries. For student films with limited production resources, using a concentrated topic enables the film to succeed. "Specs," an animation sublime in its efficient execution, features a guy who'd rather remain in his room with his imagination - through the lenses of his glasses his drawings come alive - than go out with a friend. I only fault the sound production for providing muffled lines of dialogue slightly incongruent to, and made redundant by, the subtitles for the speech. But visually, "Specs" was a well put together short.

Of course, I can't not mention the perfect animated short, "Space for Sale," directed by Alyssa Timoteo. This short was one of the student films I saw as a preview to Matt Toronto's The Pact. Alyssa created a focused plot, compiling five reasons why monsters don't live under your bed. She employed paper made characters in stop-motion animation to illustrate the monster under the bed in each example. She has a compact sense of humor that expresses itself perfectly in a short film. One hilarious rationale for monsters not wanting under-the-bed real estate: Humans are messy. The blue kidney-shaped monster then runs back and forth under the bed, toting a trash can to catch the pizza and dirty sock discarded by the unicorn-shirt wearing, human inhabitant of the room.

SFO's Blue and White Film Festival closed the night with a handful of documentaries. Kelsey Hoffman provided a good range of interviews in her "Adam, Meet Eve," a film that sought to dissect male-female relationships. She featured herself and two friends with their boyfriends, as well as Penn State professors of psychology and sociology, plus a doctoral candidate in women's studies.

Caitlin Keller provided the most entertaining documentary of the night, and again I will compliment the topic choice. Her documentary, "On Tour with My Hero Zero," followed the State College cover band with a hefty following among Penn State students. Keller even had on stage footage of the band playing at THON 2012. Many in the audience had seen this band play live, so they felt especially connected to the short film. And it didn't hurt that the guys in the band were that right blend of quirky and charismatic.            

Over the course of Blue and White weekend, I saw many Penn Staters taking stock of their time here with their overarching presentations of their work. No wonder, when you consider the kernel of the Penn State Blue and White tradition; Penn State's annual Blue and White football game has a complex scoring method not seen in any usual game of Nittany Lions football. Since the Offense plays the Defense, each team must play their usual role plus a little extra outside their comfort zone to score points.

In fact, haven't we all done that with our time at Penn State? Performed our usual role - in my case as an English student - plus a little extra - here a hat tip from your campus arts blogger of three semesters. On May 5th, I, and thousands of others, will graduate from Penn State. This Blue and White weekend, I took stock of my time here, and I've had four valuable years. Hats off to the Class of 2012, I hope you all continue to pursue your own arts!  

A helpful aspect of Career Services that many students are unfamiliar with is the mock interviews they host every week. These one hour appointments consist of a 20-30 minute interview and a 30 minute feedback session directly after. The mock interview is videotaped so the interviewer and student can go back and take a look at problem questions to work on for the future. The feedback session is also videotaped, and students can return to Career Services afterwards to access and save their video to a USB for their own personal use.

I did this for the first time a few weeks ago, and it is not as intimidating as it sounds! I promise the weirdest part is realizing that your voice does not sound the same on camera as you think it does. I made the appointment a few weeks ahead of time by going in to the front desk on the first floor (yes, you actually have to go to Career Services to make the appointment) and specified what particular position and company for which I was interviewing. You also must email Career Services your resume after making the appointment but at least a few days before your mock interview so they have it on file. For example, since I was in the process of searching for summer internships at the time of my mock interview, I specified that I would like to interview for an internship with Madison Square Garden Company in the Entertainment Division in either Rockette Operations or Concerts/Entertainment. This does not mean that my interviewer was an actual employee of MSG (it was actually a Penn State student!). This frame of reference just helps those at Career Services tailor your interview to a more specific need. Career Services suggests for both guys and girls to wear a business suit, so if you have one, wear it to the mock interview. However, I did do not own a suit, and I wore business casual, and my interviewer said that my dress was perfectly appropriate. If you want to know more about what to expect for an interview, the Career Services website has a specific page with all the information you need.

The interviewer asked me mostly "behavioral" questions, which required me to describe a time in which I faced, for example, a certain ethical dilemma or uncooperative co-worker, and how I dealt with the situation. Other questions included why I wanted to work for MSG and why I thought I would be a good candidate, my strengths and weaknesses as an individual, and what I thought my greatest accomplishment in life was. I did not have any particular answers prepared, though I did note the sample questions that Career Services has posted on their website. I just went with the flow. I tried to act as naturally as possible, answering the questions as honestly and openly as I could. The important thing that I learned in our feedback session was to always end with a positive - if you are explaining one of your weaknesses (as this is a common question in any kind of interview), try to turn your answer around at the end by saying how you can improve upon that trait or what you have learned from it. My interviewer actually suggested to never use the word "weakness", and instead to use "something I could improve upon", re-enforcing positive dialogue within the interview. She also noted that good posture, steady eye contact, and a comfortable attitude attribute to a successful interview - all simple gestures that you already know how to do.

Whereas before I may have suspected that a mock interview would have been awkward, now I have to say that I would suggest doing one to any of my friends or fellow students engaging in their internship or job search process. Though some of the things I heard were tips I have seen before, some of the advice was quite new to me. The mock interviewers are there to help you and they want you to have a positive experience, so don't feel like you will be severely criticized for every minute detail of your interview. If you know yourself and you do a little background research on the company you are interviewing for, you will be just fine. The key word here is mock - these interviews are not real (though they are realistic) so there is no need to stress yourself out for them. It is only simply another step you can take to help yourself become familiar with Career Services and what they have to offer.

The Center for Global Studies (CGS) at Penn State is dedicated to the growth and support of global studies. The center engages in various outreach activities in which I have been very involved with this semester as an intern. One of the most exciting events, in my opinion, is our World Stories Alive! Tales in Many Tongues program, where guest speakers read stories in their native language to the children of the community and their parents. This is a weekly event and we have an average turnout of fifty people, which is relatively high for something of this nature. I believe that exposure to foreign languages at a young age is crucial, and this is an amazing opportunity the center provides for the community.

Another outreach event is the annual teachers' workshop, which allows local K-12 teachers to participate in a day-long workshop where they learn methods to include global studies in their curriculum. Moreover, the CGS hosts various lectures relating to global studies at least once a week, where speakers come not only from Penn State, but from universities across the state and country.

The highlight of my internship experience was this year's Touch of Culture event. On Friday, March 23rd, the Center for Global Studies partnered with the Young Scholars of Central Pennsylvania (YSCP) to host the charter school's annual Touch of Culture event. This year, the focus was on Eastern Europe. Countries including Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, and Ukraine were represented through traditional song, dance, garb, and food. The program consisted of a presentation on Eastern Europe, Russian poems, songs, and folktales, a Romanian poetry reading, piano performances, a raffle, and a buffet style dinner. Some dishes prepared were deruny (potato pancakes), Moldovian potato salad, Moscovite beet salad, salat iz kapusty (cabbage salad), vinegret, bliny (Russian pancakes), pierogies, borscht, and a variety of cakes and candies. The event drew around 200 people, including nationalities such as American, Russian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Indian, Bengali, Turkish, British and Saudi Arabian.

Personally, I enjoyed the event very much, as I was involved in the program and I had the opportunity to meet several international people as well. My contribution was a Romanian poem recital and a power point presentation on Eastern Europe. I enjoyed all the performances, but the one that stood out was a Russian song sung brilliantly by a ten year old girl. The audience and I were utterly impressed by her singing capabilities - it was absolutely stunning. The event ended with traditional cuisine- lots and lots of mouth-watering dishes!

A complete list of CGS events can be found on the Center for Global Studies website.

A few weeks ago, the Career Enrichment Network's Network Assistants had the opportunity to head over to Career Services to learn more about what Liberal Arts students can find there in terms of general opportunities to begin their internship or job application process. This not only reminded me of my fond memories of East Halls and the trek up Bigler Road...but also that the advisers there actually won't bite your head off the minute you walk into the doors! I promise you don't have to know what business professional means or how to find the Nittany Lion Career Network (the what?) before you go. That is why the center is fully staffed with knowledgeable and encouraging counselors: to help you understand any questions like, "What do I want to do with my life?" or "How can my major be used to find an actual job?". I am here to explain a quick overview of what is offered at Career Services and how you can use the center to your benefit - without being too nervous to step foot inside.

A first time visitor myself, I had a vague impression of how advisers could exactly help students with at the center. We spoke with Bob Orndorff, Associate Director of Employer Relations and Counseling, and he broke it down very simply for us as to how students can approach the services offered:

Drop-In Counseling: This is a fifteen minute time slot that you do not need an appointment for. Anyone can come in for resume reviews, interview critiques, or quick questions concerning any basic application information. Perhaps this is your first time at Career Services and you would just like someone to explain to you what the difference is between business casual and business professional in terms of attire or how to frame your cover letter. Hours for drop-in counseling are 8:30am-5:00pm Monday through Friday, except on Tuesdays when the hours extend until 7:00pm. One important thing to note is that you must attend one drop-in counseling appointment before making a career counseling appointment.

Career Counseling: This more private form of counseling is available for one hour time slots for students that need a more focused and consistent approach for their career-related questions. This type of appointment would be ideal for students who are facing some out-of-school issues that are affecting their academic- and career-related goals and for those who need some personalized attention, perhaps even longer-term counseling. This is also ideal for students who are completely lost with where to begin in terms of using the programs provided by Career Services or for those who have no idea what their future goals might be. Usually when a student goes for career counseling, they will return for a series of multiple sessions with the same counselor as to progress through whatever problems they are encountering. Hours for career counseling are the same as the drop-in sessions.

Group Career Counseling: Group sessions are designed for students who wish to approach their career-related goals in a less individualistic setting. They would occur at a certain time every week and are available upon request. This form of counseling is ideal for international students, who might be less apt to approaching an adviser during a one-on-one meeting.

In addition to coming to the Career Services building, students can find information on the Penn State Career Services website that can help narrow down their search for internship and job positions. One section is the Nittany Lion Career Network, where students can connect with employers and research when companies are coming to Penn State for on-campus interviews. Two others are WetFeet and Vault, where students can search company profiles and employer guides and also find interview and resume tips. Click on this PDF for more information and links regarding these two sites. A final resource is Lionlink, a source that helps current students get in touch with alumni who volunteer as "Career Coaches" in specific fields of interest.

With three different kinds of counseling and multiple resources to help you with any aspect of the job search, Career Services doesn't sound so bad, does it? Whereas some students may be hesitant to head on over, now you know the basic information to get you started. When in doubt, you can browse their website to get a feel for more information or even just pick up the phone and call and ask (814-865-2377).

As a fellow student looking for internships and job posting myself, I can advise that my few experiences with Career Services have been nothing but positive, and I felt that everyone working there simply just wants to help. So make the trek back to the east side of campus, forget all past doubts, and take a few simple steps to kick start your career search process - you will be proud that you did.

This week's episode of Liberal Arts Voices features Manager of Alumni Relations Chris Gamble, Director of Digital Media and Pedagogy John Dolan, Dean Long, and three student mentees participating in the College of the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentoring Program.

Running in its eighth year, the Alumni Mentoring Program matches Penn State Liberal Arts alumni with current students in hopes of fostering meaningful relationships. With over 150 pairs, this program has been continuously growing since its foundation, and looks to expand even further in the future. The process of matching these mentor-mentee pairs is based upon compatible majors, interests, and goals. Once paired, mentees are encouraged to seek help with resumes, possible career paths, the development of job-searching skills, and most importantly growing their professional network.

The three students in attendance, Jim Thompson, Mike Bolze, and Rachel Miller, offered up their own experiences with the Mentor Program. For Jim, his Liberal Arts mentor confirmed his transition into the College of the Liberal Arts from the College of Engineering, while Mike's mentor's career path matched the one he has set for himself. And although Rachel's mentor did not graduate with the same major she is currently pursuing, he was nonetheless able to offer great job advice and networking connections. No matter the story, all say their experiences have been extremely helpful and undoubtedly rewarding.

If you are interested in learning more about the College of the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, please visit their website. Applications for the Alumni Mentor Program are now being accepted for Fall 2012. Students interested in applying can register online.

Liberal Arts Voices: Episode 39 "Alumni Mentor Program"

To subscribe to Liberal Arts Voice through iTunes, click here.

We encourage all of our listeners to write to us with comments, questions, or suggestions to laus@la.psu.edu. We may even respond to these comments on the next episode of Liberal Arts Voices.

Hong Kong, summer 2011. The heat and humidity were stifling. I was sitting in the back of a taxi going from Kowloon to my hotel in the city center. It was my first time in Hong Kong, and I was told the taxi drivers spoke English. I gave him the name of my hotel, and he started driving, shouting in Cantonese at someone on his phone. He was using a headset to call hands- free, as he needed his hands to drive the stick shift Toyota Camry that had seen better days a decade ago. Accelerating in third gear, still shouting at someone through his headset, he brought me to the wrong hotel. I tried explaining this and failed miserably. The doorman of the hotel finally came over to help me out. When we were finally on our way to the right hotel, the driver looked at me in his rearview mirror and started speaking in his own tongue.  The only words I caught were 'ang mo'.

I found out later that 'ang mo' is Chinese for 'red-haired', derived from 'ang mo kui', meaning 'red-haired devil'.  The taxi driver was essentially calling me a 'stupid white tourist'. My first reaction was to be offended; now I just laugh.

We are social creatures, and part of being social is being able to communicate. That is why it is so vital to learn foreign languages, especially Mandarin or one of its dialects. The Chinese population totals about 1.3 billion people, which is about twenty percent of the world population. While this might be something you already knew, it also means that by not speaking Mandarin, you won't be able to communicate with one out of every five people on the planet. 

Moreover, having lived in Amsterdam for sixteen years and in Singapore for more than two years, I have come into contact with many of the different cultures. In Amsterdam, I learned to speak five languages, and at Penn State I continued to learn Spanish by taking Spanish 3, and I started to learn Mandarin in Chinese 1. The importance of learning languages was further emphasized in my International Relations and International Political Economy classes.

Concerning culture, be it a European one, such as the Spanish or the German, or an Asian one, such as the Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian or Malaysian, central to all of them is respect. Not speaking the language does not command respect, but attempting to, even if you aren't fluent, will go a long way. Native speakers appreciate that you take an interest in their language and culture, and that you make an effort to communicate. It sets you apart from the millions of other 'ang mo' who can't speak their language, and don't even try.

Respect is important not only to prevent being insulted while on holiday, but also when pursuing a career overseas. Asia is said to be the 'up and coming' region. Europe is in economic disrepair, the Middle East in social disarray, and the U.S. is facing stagnant economic growth, while our Asian counterparts are experiencing an economic boom. Asia is the place to be.  That's where the money is, and speaking Mandarin will open more doors than you can ever imagine.

My advice: learn Mandarin, don't be an ang mo.

In the musical, "Avenue Q," the recent college grad, Princeton, sings, "What do you do with a B.A. in English?/What is my life going to be?"

These are lyrics very familiar to English majors, whether posed introspectively or asked by anxious parents and skeptical classmates.  To the uninformed, a common perception is that a degree in English provides limited career options: teacher, starving novelist, barista, burger-flipper.

The Department of English is happy to report that recent data has proved otherwise.  Game designer, content engineer, film director, product manager, creative director, attorney - what do all of these careers have in common?  Penn State English grads!

This past November, English graduates from 1990 to 2007 received a postcard requesting that they share some details about their professional lives post-Penn State via an online form.  The 55 completed surveys revealed lots of interesting and encouraging information about our former students.  There were graduates who landed entry level positions in advertising and publishing and through hard work and perseverance worked their way into senior positions.  A few students were focused on legal careers and diligently pursued admission to law school.  One graduate combined his passion for the arts and medicine by completing medical school and working as a physician in Los Angeles, while directing documentary films.  Another English grad used his love of writing to enter the game industry as a dialogue writer and soon became a designer.  One thing is for sure - there is no cookie cutter description of a Penn State English grad!  Most of them agreed, however, that studying English left them well prepared to navigate a range of careers.

In a follow-up online survey administered in February, we asked alumni to tell us the skills they acquired as Penn State English majors that were most helpful in their career paths.  The top four responses among the 144 completed surveys were written communication skills; the ability to form clear, well-constructed arguments; close reading skills; and grammar/editing expertise.  Consistent among the respondents was the comment that being able to communicate well and present a persuasive case is a valuable and often rare expertise that is highly regarded by employers.  One English graduate noted, "the English degree prepares you for anything . . . you are adaptable and equipped to handle change . . . you are good at analyzing and assessing situations and don't get lost in details."

The flexibility of the English degree has also helped graduates pursue such a broad spectrum of careers.  By either double majoring in fields such as economics or marketing or selecting a minor such as technical writing, English majors have been able to craft programs that prepare them well for specific industries.  Graduates have emphatically praised the department's internship program, run by Elizabeth Jenkins, for allowing them to gain real world experience that utilizes their strengths as English majors.

The feedback from our alumni about the utility of their English degrees has been very reassuring given the nation's current debates about the role of a liberal arts education.  Whether two years removed from Penn State or twenty, our English graduates have experienced firsthand how their degrees have been valuable in their respective careers.  When asked what major they would choose if they could redo their Penn State degree, three out of four grads would select the English major again.  Hopefully Princeton will reach a similar conclusion someday.

After abandoning my original plan of graduating in three and a half years in favor of taking the final course I needed to earn a Business and the Liberal Arts minor, I knew I wanted to supplement my semester with an internship. It seemed to be the perfect time as I only planned to take an accounting course and two electives. Little did I know how useful a smaller course load would be for the internship I ended up in.

I browsed around the PSU Liberal Arts site for local internships and came across an available internship at the Law Enforcement Branch at the Penn State Justice and Safety Institute (JASI) right here on campus at Innovation Park. Coming from a military and law enforcement family, I was immediately intrigued, so I browsed the website. I was really encouraged and impressed by all of the positive reviews I came across so I decided to apply that night. I heard back much sooner than I expected and went in for an interview. I felt the interview went well, and I walked out with a much deeper understanding of what the position entailed. I would be heavily involved in marketing the Law Enforcement branch's classes, working in Excel and DocuShare, creating and sending emails, cover letters, abstracts, etc. What I appreciated most about the whole interview experience and the follow-up was that my soon to be boss, Mr. Joseph DeStefano, never underemphasized how much work the position would be. He made it clear that, while it would not be a cake walk, the expectations would always be clear and achievable. From talking with the past interns, it was obvious to me the experience was nearly guaranteed to be one from which I would walk away with valuable skills for any future endeavors, academic or otherwise. I saw that the past interns felt a strong sense of accomplishment for what they had achieved, but also that they put in an enormous amount of time and effort to achieve it. I expected my experience to be no different.

I found I settled into the position quickly, as everyone was extremely professional and polite. As promised, I was never assigned a task without support or explanation of how to do it. I walked in believing I would be sent to my cubicle with strict instructions on what I was to do, but the reality was quite different. I was surprised at the amount of flexibility and say I had in how my projects developed. Every week, Mr. DeStefano met with us one-on-one to see how we felt about the internship, what we wanted to work on, what we did and did not like, and what would make the experience better for us. I found that refreshing, as I had never previously had a boss ask me what I wanted to work on. It was apparent to me at that point that Mr. DeStefano and all of my other supervisors were investing a substantial amount of time to make sure I got everything I could out of this internship. I have yet to have another experience like that.

With all of the time and attention my supervisors were taking to train me, it almost seemed as if the time they were investing was not worth the payoff for them, but my opinion changed after I got the hang of things. While my projects were not always glamorous and sometimes just involved typing names into an Excel sheet or sending out mass emails, it was always very rewarding to see the payoffs of that work in the form of new registrants.

I really appreciated that Mr. DeStefano made an effort to assign me business and marketing oriented projects that not only interested me but were relevant to me. While at first I was weary because I was the first intern without a criminal justice or law-related major, after seeing the different range of projects that the other interns and I were working on, it was evident any major could have a place here. Much of what I do relates to law enforcement but also requires skills in technology, marketing, researching, and advertising, among other fields. With such a wide variety of skills required for each project, I am confident the skills of students in any liberal arts major would be fully utilized here.

Overall, I am taking away from this experience everything I hoped for and much more. While it was every bit as much work as promised, I will end this internship confident I could not have spent the semester at a better institution than JASI and I would encourage other students looking for a similar experience. For more information, visit the JASI website. Students interested in applying for a position should visit the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network Symplicity system.

Interning for the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in the fall of 2011 was truly a career and educational highlight for me. It was informative, fun and engaging and allowed me to make a difference daily in the lives of people who sought the services of the agency. I personally handled over 40 cases, giving each case and the parties involved a unique evaluation of their claim and recommendations on how they could proceed. Some led to formal charges, mediation and even investigation, and some withdrew their claims.

My internship began in early September. I, along with several other interns from across the nation, underwent introductory training from the supervising trial attorney in the office. She gave us reference materials and a presentation on the various federal statutes enforced by the EEOC. We needed to know the scope of each law, to whom it applies, and the requirements for a "prima facie" case - that is, a barebones case that meets the minimum qualifications for a claim under the law. Surprisingly, there is great variation among the laws. For example, Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, only applies to employers with 15 or more employees. Not all other laws have the same criteria. I was also taking an employment law class while my internship was going on, so that was even more helpful.

I saw claims of all kinds. Some were legitimate and others were not. Some fell under the agency's jurisdiction and some did not. For example, claims arising under the Family and Emergency Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) were referred to the Department of Labor as they are not handled by the EEOC. Different laws are enforced by different agencies.

It's also important to note that, as I told many charging parties, just because an employer's treatment is unfair, it is not necessarily illegal. Ironically, federal protection for employees is arguably minimal. Unless the reason for termination or other adverse employment action is violating a federal law, it is not actionable. States, however, are permitted to have greater protections in place, and they do. Each state's law is different. Many states have gone beyond federal law to provide additional protections for employees from actions by employers. Also, local jurisdictions can have regulations that protect and expand employee rights. The main concept is that employee rights are protected by local, state and federal laws and that, in addition to the EEOC, there are state agencies that enforce state laws. The EEOC only has jurisdiction in federal law cases.

A typical day included arriving at the office around 8:30 am and working until 5 pm or so. We each had our own desk, phone, computer and working materials. We would regularly receive mail-in claims of discrimination. Upon receipt of an initial claim, we would review the claim and contact the party for additional information. If an individual indicated he or she wanted to file a charge it was our responsibility to determine if we needed more information. In these instances, I contacted the charging party to verify the information and gain additional information.

Our day would be spent preparing notices of a charge to an employer, filing the formal charges drafted, and sending the materials to the charging party for signature. Once they are signed and returned to us, their file is updated and completed and then sent to investigation or mediation, as appropriate. The interns also would take turns taking walk-in appointments. Throughout the day, individuals wishing to file charges or meet with an EEOC representative could walk-in and fill out the intake forms and then meet with an investigator. Interns were qualified to do this because of our investigative training. We would meet privately with the individual to discuss their case in detail. We would then give our advice to them but would also advise them of their rights when filing a charge and what they could expect during the process.

These opportunities gave us a chance to educate the public about the federal laws and their scope, as well as the agency's mission to further the intent of the laws. The EEOC is a neutral fact-finding agency, but it exists to protect those who have had their rights violated by their employer. It does not actually represent individuals, but may take their cases on their behalf. Less than 1% of all cases go to trial, and most are settled through mediation.

I'll be sure to expand even more on the EEOC's mission and the day to day activities that go on within its walls in my next post.

Attention all French majors and minors! For those of you struggling to find internships, or even if you just want to peruse options for ones in the future, look no further. I have compiled a short list of some French and French-related companies I have stumbled across in the recent past that may be of use for you. As language majors, I know it can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint exactly what you want to do or what you are qualified to do in that field, and the task to search can be daunting and confusing. Listed below are a few internships and links to help you start or narrow down your search.

❖Jérôme Lohez Foundation - This is a nonprofit scholarship foundation in NYC that works "to foster French and American unity and cultural understanding, by supporting scientific and technological exchanges in higher education, in honor of those diverse citizens who perished in the 2001 attacks in New York". Click here for their posting on Internships.com, which indicates that they are looking for part-time, unpaid interns. Their website can give you a little more background information about the foundation but does not seem to list their internship offers. Your best bet is to contact founder Dening Lohez (info@jl911.org) and ask to be in touch with Nicole Moldovan, who deals with hiring interns.

❖French Morning - This NYC-based e-magazine, completely in French, targets (obviously) French people living or traveling to the United States as a city guide. It does not advertise openly for interns, but when I contacted the email posted on their website (esaintmartin@frenchmorning.com) I found out they begin choosing their summer interns in February, so keep this in mind for next year. With sections titled "Loisirs" (leisure, hobbies), "Restaurants" (this one is obvious), "Arts" (this, too), and "Vie Practique" (practical life) this definitely seems like a magazine worth looking into if you are interested in writing, editing, or any other linguistic or journalism-based work in French.

❖Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) - Many of you have probably already heard of this humanitarian organization as Doctors Without Borders, which was, in fact, started in France in the 1970's. MSF offers paid summer internships in each of the following areas: Communications, Development, Program, Human Resources, and Executive departments. Some sample internship positions include Editorial and Multimedia, Marketing, Public Events, and Foundations and Corporations. Their deadline is April 13th and you can submit all materials (resume and cover letter) online to internships@newyork.msf.org.

❖Embassy of France - Located in Washington, D.C., the Embassy of France offers internships for their Office of Press and Communications on a rolling basis to full-time, American students. It is recommended to apply as early as possible for your desired time frame, as these positions are very competitive and candidates must undergo a special application process to be considered. If interested, you may email info@ambafrance-us.org for more information or visit their job opportunities section of their website.

❖French Institute Alliance Francaise (FIAF) - This NYC nonprofit organization's "mission is to create and offer New Yorkers innovative and unique programs in education and the arts that explore the evolving diversity and richness of French cultures", according to their website. FIAF has different branches like Cultural Events, Language Center, and the John and Francine Haskell Library, each of which you could work in as a possible intern. By going to the career section, you can see that you can apply by emailing your resume and cover letter (in English) to Leslie Cole at lcole@fiaf.org. There is no deadline posted.

❖Dannon and Groupe Danone - Though Dannon is not French itself, its mother company - Groupe Danone - is, so this may be an exciting opportunity for French majors with other special interests. If you go to Dannon's job search and type in the desired location + "any" under "department", you will find internship and full-time positions posted. Right now, there are postings for Human Resources, Public Relations, Social/Digital Media,and Communications internship positions in White Plains, NY, which is not too far outside the city. Or, check out Groupe Danone's website and see if interning there would be a better start for you. Groupe Danone seems to hire for longer-term internships (think six months +) but the website shares stories like this of them hiring interns for full-time positions midway through the actual internship.

❖United Nations (UN) - Okay, so I know this one is a bit daunting so I thought I would save it for last. Maybe many of you as foreign language majors are interested in foreign relations or maybe you aren't at all. Just in case you wanted to browse, check out the UN's internships page and read their current intern bios. Right now there is nothing posted for summer or fall 2012, but their current interns' stories seem really inspiring if this is something you are interested in. Internships are offered in the following areas: Partnership Development; Issue Areas - Children's Health, Women & Population, Technology, Climate & Energy, US-UN Relations, Sustainable Development; Public Affairs; and Finance and Grants Administration. Check back to see when they post opportunities for upcoming semesters.

Bonne chance!