Eighty-five freshmen have been selected to participate in a program designed to be a broad-based introduction to Undergraduate Student Government.

“All the freshmen seem excited and eager to get the ball rolling,” said Annie Schoening, USG intern director.

Each freshman will take one of two tracks to become a USG member. Each will directly join a cabinet committee or become an intern.

“The interns will get to know all aspects of USG, and meet with the senators and Mike (Goodman, USG president) and Frank (Sasso, USG vice president), and meet top administrators like Bill Hall,” Schoening said.

Structure is the key word to describe the intern program.

“We wanted the first quarter to be a more intensive explanation period about USG,” said Melissa Rocco, also a USG intern director.

This is to ensure that all the freshmen have a full understanding of the day-to-day internal USG functions. During winter and spring quarters, the interns will branch out – attending various USG and university meetings, looking into different initiatives and issues and joining up with other USG members on their projects. In the spring, the interns also will be able to start their own project planning and work, Rocco said.

Those freshmen who become cabinet committee members will deal with specific issues and work on projects immediately. Cabinet committees consist of about 10 active members and meet at least once a week.

While freshman interns have a choice as to whether they would rather be an intern or a committee member, their application answers help the directors guide them toward the track that will appeal to their needs and interests.

“One person wanted to be an intern, but was very passionate about voter registration. So we knew she would be better suited for an issue-intense committee, like the government relations committee, which deals with voter registration,” said Schoening.

After an application process, all 85 applicants were interviewed, which was designed to test the applicants creativity. One question asked was “If you could pick a theme song for the story of your life, what would it be?”

Typically, four students were interviewed together in the same room with all three directors – a fact that did not intimidate Muniba Saleem, an undecided freshman.

She said she felt relaxed during the interview and able to ask any questions she had openly.

Saleem, along with the other students interviewed last week, was selected for the First Year program. By joining USG as freshmen, these students are following in the footsteps of about 30 of the roughly 80 people on cabinet and senate, said Deb Mason, USG chief of staff.

Aftab Pureval, also a USG chief of staff, said he decided to become involved with USG after hearing then-president Eddie Pauline speak about the importance of student involvement at freshmen orientation. He served as an intern for the first five weeks of his freshman year and as a senator for the remainder because of a resignation. He was an intern director his second year and was appointed chief of staff last school year.

Pureval said his days as an intern did not prepare him for his present position.

“There’s nothing that can prepare you for chief of staff. Nothing can prepare you for the amount of work, the hours or the various conversations you’ll have with people,” he said.

Ultimately, though, his freshman experience is what kept him involved with student government.

“It was great because I felt really needed, welcome, and really that’s what motivated me to continue with USG,” Pureval said.

Whether placed on a committee or in the intern program, freshmen can pursue a number of routes in USG.

“Some run for senate positions next year, some become cabinet directors, others join committees, and all of them take what they’ve learned as freshmen to other student organizations,” Rocco said.

Schoening said she relishes her role as intern director because it excites her to help the freshmen discover their passions within the university community.

“Personally, their enthusiasm is what keeps me in USG,” she said. “And it overrides the sometimes cynical attitude I keep toward the system in general.”