College interns learn political ropes at the state Capitol

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- They answer phones. They write letters to constituents. They make copies, take bills to be filed and draft press releases. They hang wallpaper and pictures on their bosses' new office walls.

They are the legislative interns with northwest Missouri ties working at the Missouri Capitol this year. And whether they are there to build their resumes, fulfill a class requirement or train for a dreamt-of career, they're having an experience few others will have.

"I think it will be a perspective that not many people will get," said Suzie Lechner, an intern for Rep. Ed Wildberger, D-St. Joseph.

Lechner, 21, is a senior government major at Missouri Western State College. Among her potential duties is giving visitors tours of the Missouri Capitol -- a daunting task, since she's originally from Nebraska City, Neb., and had never set foot in the Capitol before her internship.

Lechner is one of three Missouri Western students in Jefferson City this year. One of her fellow Missouri Western interns, Christina Hammond, a junior government major, works two floors up for Sen. Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph. Like many full-time interns, the 21-year-old student has a scholarship to help cover the expense of living in Jefferson City for five months.

"You can't have a second job and still do this one," she said.

Many of the students have found ways to get by during their internships. Suzie Schuckman and Whitney Nolte, two of the four interns from Northwest Missouri State University, room together.

Daily professionalism

Nolte, 20, works for Rep. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence. She has been around politics before: Her mother was a board of education member in Nebraska. But as a Murray, Neb., native, she has found living in Jefferson City to be challenging in other ways.

"It's bad, but this is the biggest town I've ever lived in," she said.

Schuckman, 21, is an intern for Rep. Trent Skaggs, D-North Kansas City. She has noticed other differences from college life.

"At school, you know, you roll out of bed and go to class in your sweats," she said. "Now, we're in demand to do professional things on a daily basis."

Dylan Minor, 23, also of Northwest Missouri State, has found the pace to be demanding.

"You get a bunch of stuff thrown at you at one time and you just have to keep moving," he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. "Here it has to be done at the office, and it has to be done now."

Most of this year's interns work for legislators, but not Jenny Soptic, a government and public affairs senior at Missouri Western. She works for the Missouri Division of Tourism. Originally from Trenton, the 22-year-old has a homespun mission.

"My main project for the time I'm here is to pinpoint ways to get tourism up into the Trenton area more," she said. "It's a rural area and gets neglected sometimes."

A typical intern spends a single legislative session at the Missouri Capitol, but some stick around for more. Cody Purdy, 21, is in his second year of interning for his hometown legislator, Rep. Brad Lager, R-Maryville.

Lager's duties as chairman of the Budget Committee bring up perfect topics for Purdy, a political science and finance major at the University of Missouri-Columbia. His first year, however, was only part-time.

"I realized you don't get the full experience unless you're there full time," he said. "I'd start something and come in the next day or two days later and it's done, yesterday's news."