Students come to the University for a plethora of reasons. Some come because they know exactly what career they want to pursue. Those students immediately jump into their major and don’t look back. Some come because they’re unsure of a career choice. Those students come to see what the world of higher academics has to offer. Some come simply for the college experience. Those students may excel at something they had no prior interest in. Whatever the case may be, all of these students come to broaden their minds and gain experience that will help in life.
While the University does an excellent job of catering to all of those students, they might be able to do more in terms of offering opportunities to curious or motivated students. Those opportunities could come in the form of serving the University directly.
Take, for example, the advertising the University does. I’ll admit, I’m unsure of whether the University hires an advertising firm or has an in-house advertising team. The budget that the University posts online is rather ambiguous. Whatever the case may be, why not offer those real-life work experience opportunities to students?
I can’t write this column without accrediting the individual who planted this idea in my mind: James Carville. He’s teaching my contemporary American politics and culture class this semester. This is only one of the brilliant notions he’s shared with us so far.
“I think sometimes people fail to realize how much talent and expertise we have on LSU’s campus,” Carville said. “I know at Manship [School of Mass Communication] we have more talent in faculty and students than ever imagined.”
If the University is outsourcing jobs such as advertising, money could be saved by delegating projects to upper-level advertising classes. Not only would money be saved, but students would get experience on-par with an internship that they could slap on a resume. If the University already has an in-house advertising council, that council could take eager students under their wings and teach them valuable, real-world lessons.
While students gain this precious experience, they’re serving their University. That service would instill not only pride, but a further appreciation for the school they attend. If a student who worked on an advertisement for the University were to see the end-product of a project in the form of a commercial, online ad or billboard, imagine the joy that student would feel. The student would be contributing to something larger than his or herself.
I experience a similar phenomenon when I open the pages of The Daily Reveille on Wednesday morning and see my column in print. I’m proud of the fact that I can contribute to a respected student-run organization housed at the University by utilizing the same skills I learn at the University.
Whatever a student is studying, they should have the opportunity to contribute their skills to the University on a real level while gaining internship-level experience. Yes, the University does provide opportunities in the form of student-worker, teaching assistants and research assistantships, but more of an effort needs to be made to foster homegrown projects coordinated by students that would otherwise be outsourced.
James Smith is a 21-year-old mass communication senior from Grand Coteau, Louisiana.