Two UTD students, part of the spring Archer Fellowship Program cohort, were scheduled to begin internships at the Department of Justice this month, but were unable to do so due to the government shutdown that ended Friday. Photo courtesy of Ariana Hadden.
When economics senior Jack Sollows began his semester in
Washington, D.C., he did not expect a weeks-long delay in the midst of a
national government shutdown. Of the 12 UTD students participating in the
D.C.-based Bill Archer Fellowship Program, three — including Sollows — hold
internships that have not yet begun because of the longest government shutdown
in U.S. history.
Archer fellows spend a semester in the nation’s capital
interning and studying political science in a cohort with other UT System
students. This semester, five UTD students — two at the Department of Justice
and three at the Department of State — were unable to begin their original
internship positions until the government shutdown ended and are still facing
challenges in obtaining clearance or attending orientation for their
internships. As of Jan. 24, two students chose replacement jobs elsewhere, but
three students are awaiting further action.
On the 35th day of the government
shutdown, congressional leaders and President
Donald Trump agreed on a three-week deal to temporarily reopen the government
and continue holding discussions on the immigration issues at the crux of the
shutdown.
Sollows
is interning at the Department of Justice in the Human Rights and Special
Prosecutions Section, where his clearance paperwork hasn’t been processed since
mid-December. He said on the official internship start date, Jan. 22, all
Archers in non-governmental positions began their positions, but some in
government-related internships have still been unable to commence work.
Economics senior Jack Sollows was supposed to intern at the Department of Justice’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, but has not yet been able to begin working because of the 35-day government shutdown. Photo courtesy of Ariana Hadden.
“I was
lucky enough to get temporary work from my office to bridge the gap, but it
would be much nicer if I was able to work fully,” Sollows said before
congressional leaders and President Trump came to an agreement. “The main
effect is in the uncertainty.”
After the government reopened, Sollows said he was grateful
for the backpay included in the temporary resolution for federal workers.
“Having personally seen the effects that it’s caused in
some offices, it’s very good that the offer gives support for those people,”
Sollows said. “For the support of the Archer fellows, this uncertainty is
removed temporarily, but there’s no guarantee that we won’t be in this same
situation in three weeks. If we’re here again, it’ll be false hope, but if
we’re not, it’ll be progress towards something better.”
Keenan Courtland, a program coordinator at the Archer
Center, said the center has dealt with government furloughs before, but this
shutdown requires long-term backup plans because of the uncertainty in whether
the government will remain open after three weeks.
“The previous longest furlough in our time was 17 days,”
Courtland said. “In this case, we’re much more prepared for it to go on
much longer. My philosophy, and I think this is shared by the Archer Center, is
making sure that students are engaged in what’s happening around them. If your
site is impacted, it’s a learning opportunity in its own right. This is not
just a wall in front of them, but something they can better understand
bureaucracy or the city through.”
Biology senior Matthew Gehrlein’s security clearance had
already been processed before the shutdown, but his internship at the State
Department’s Office of International Narcotics Law Enforcement could not start
because there was no staff available to conduct his orientation. He said State
Department employees returned to work January 22, but because of a month-long
absence caused by the shutdown, intern orientation was pushed back by two
weeks.
“I didn’t realize how much the government shutdown would
affect me until I got the email,” Gehrlein said. “It was hard to empathize with
the government workers until it affected me personally. But I am not counting
on this (job) to survive. It helps me understand more of what they’re
experiencing.”
Sollows said for him and a few other Archer fellows, the
situation is complicated because the federal workers who process clearance for
interns were furloughed, so now those employees have to return to work, finish
processing clearances and finally induct the interns.
“Now it’s a race against the clock as to whether they can
onboard me and the other Archer fellows in these next three weeks,” Sollows
said. “Three weeks goes by fast here, considering it’s only 15 business days.”
Both
Sollows and Gehrlein said the Archer Center has provided extensive help for
fellows affected by the shutdown.
“I’m grateful to be here,
and (the Archer Center) is reaching out to other offices to see if I can find
some temporary work,” Gehrlein said. “It’s been neat to experience it at the
heart of where the political crisis is happening.”
Courtland said students affected by the shutdown have taken
the opportunity to learn more about the nation’s capital, and the Archer Center
will continue to encourage fellows in their ideas and aspirations.
“These challenges are difficult but
also create an amazing opportunity for resilience,” Courtland said. “If there
is an intention to work within certain agencies, we’ll work through a student’s
ideas. It’s an opportunity for students to stay within the track they wanted to
do and find opportunities that still allow them to grow for their future goals,
both productive and impactful for their careers.”