Internship programs put on hold

With working from home or not working at all becoming the new normal, people of all ages are experiencing changes in their schedules and routines.

For some students, this can mean finishing an internship early, or having an internship canceled entirely.

Cory Myers, news director of the Argus Leader, said they’ve had internships every summer for several years. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Argus Leader has switched to a virtual newsroom and canceled their internship program.

“We love having interns, but this year with all the financial complications that come with the coronavirus, we had to do some belt tightening,” Myers said. “It’s a bummer for me. It’s a bummer for some of the students who could’ve come in and spent the summer working and learning in the office.”

The Argus Leader started the internship review process a few weeks ago but since then has notified all their applicants of the cancellation.

“It’s unfortunate, but I think it’s needed right now for our newsroom to focus on what we need to do at hand,” Myers said. “Trying to coordinate and teach and edit within these terms right now when you can’t really sit down with them was just going to be a heavy lift.”

The Sioux Falls Stampede is another organization that put their internship program on hold this year. 

Carlee Mechels, junior kinesiology and sports management major, was an intern for the Sioux Falls Stampede Hockey Club this semester. After just three months of work, her internship ended early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mechels said this change came as a shock to her.

 “I was genuinely sad, it never felt like I was at work while I was there,” Mechels said. “It felt like a big part of my life had just been taken away from me.” 

With two months left of her internship, Mechels said she felt like her time at the Stampede was unfinished. However, in the short time Mechels had there, she said she took full advantage of the opportunities in front of her.

“While I was there, I learned that a lot of little things go into each sporting event that people don’t even notice,” Mechels said. “I gained a lot of hand-on skills and realized how physically demanding any job in the sports industry is.”

Even though her time at the Stampede ended earlier the expected, Mechels said she will not be continuing her internship once the pandemic is over. She is, however, hoping to find some new work experience for the summer.

Although this summer may not be filled with new interns and experiences in the workplace, Myers said he hopes the importance of internships is still known. 

“Interns are always like a shot of energy into a newsroom,” Myers said. “They bring new skills, new ideas, enthusiasm. It’s always nice to have them in the room. We’ll definitely be missing that.”