Students get chance to help in San Jose

Eleven interns from San Jose State University will personally hear engines rev, tires screech and people cheer for their favorite racecars this summer when the Champ Car Grand Prix motor races come to downtown San Jose in July.

It will be the third race in San Jose, but this will formally partner the Grand Prix event along with the Canary Foundation, a cancer research organization, with SJSU's Career Center.

Student applications are currently being reviewed for 11 paid internships, said Monyrith King, a senior majoring in hospitality management.

King, the coordinator of the student internships under the guidance of advisers from the Career Center said that the internships focus around majors such as marketing, administration, event planning, hotel management and recreational leisure.

King said that the deadline to submit an application for an intern opportunity was May 4. But the president of Grand Prix, Dale Jantzen, said on Monday that there are still eight positions available for students who are interested.

The available positions are listed at the Career Center's Web site with information on how to apply.

The Grand Prix is scheduled to have corporate sponsors, and "with sponsorships come a lot of given things," King said.

"Now we're looking for … some students to help with the other aspects of the event," said Lucille Surdi, SJSU policy development manager, who referred to lifting equipment and setting up the event as the other aspects.

Surdi, the person who came up with the idea of partnering Grand Prix with SJSU, said Michael Fallon, an SJSU faculty member, is a part of the partnership project.

"It's not just volunteerism," Surdi said, "but it's service learning."

Surdi said that there would be tasks, responsibilities and "that it is a meaningful learning experience."

"By formalizing this partnership we don't want it to just be arbitrary," Surdi said. "We want as many opportunities for students to participate in this cause as possible." More….