By: Mikal Belicove

    So your company is toying around with the idea of hiring a few interns for the season. Good idea or bad? Well, that really depends on your intentions. Are you simply looking for cheap labor in hard times? Or is your company truly committed to furthering the education of a future member of the adventure travel industry? These questions can only be answered by you and your staff. In the meantime, below are a few things to consider.

    According to research conducted by the National Society of Experiential Education (NSEE), more than one third of all college students now complete some from of an internship before graduation. NSEE defines an internship as a “…carefully monitored work or service experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what she or he is learning throughout the experience.” In short, internships need to be perceived as more that a means for your company to acquire cheap labor on a part-time basis.

    All too often, internships can lead to stuffing envelopes, photo-copying, and staffing volunteer functions. Having experienced this type of situation first-hand, I can say will all condor that it quickly becomes very old, other leading to the intern’s questioning of his or her self-worth and the quality of the organization for which he of she is working. How do you avoid these common pitfalls? Structuring you internship so that is always has a clear purpose, holds educational value and can be evaluated at critical steps along the way may help to keep you honest.

Have a Clear Purpose

    Ask yourself the following question: “Why do we want to bring an intern on staff? If the words “cheap labor” appear anywhere in your answer, it’s time to rethink having an intern. While it’s true that interns come at a lower wage than full-time employees, they also require an appropriate level of “frontloading” or training that full-time employees may not necessarily need. That fact alone requires you and your staff to take time always from your normal routine, which can cut into your productivity for a while. The number-on reason for bringing interns into your company should be to share you knowledge and train a future member of the adventure travel industry, while at the same time keeping productivity up and your organization operation as seamlessly as possible. By doing so, your company will enjoy the benefit of having a highly motivated intern who is enthusiastic about work in return for an opportunity to develop a possible career.

Make it Educational

    Education is a necessary requirement of any good internship program. Your company must be aware of the fact that interns are there to learn, and that, in some cases, you will have to take extraordinary steps to ensure that good learning is taking place. It’s not enough anymore to simply assign tasks and sleep well knowing that work is getting done. Before hiring an intern, ask yourself the following questions: What is it that we do so well that we feel qualified to teach to an intern? Does our staff have the time and patience to experientially teach how we do what we do? and why is it important to us to have interns on staff? Once you’ve answered these questions (and you’ll know whether or not you’ve answered them honestly in order to determine if interns are right for your company), the next step will be to set appropriate goals before the internship starts, and establish a schedule with set dates where you will evaluate them as the internship progresses.

Evaluation Based on Mutually Agreed-Upon Goals

    One of the hardest things about any internship is making the right match. In this respect it’s no different than hiring a new employee. You need to make sure that the intern’s interests and skills match your needs. One way to do this is to have interns fill out a Pre-Internship Evaluation, which includes questions like” “What do you think will be your strengths and weaknesses during the internship?” and “What expectations do you have of our company while doing this internship?” Asking these questions at the onset will set up subsequent opportunities to evaluate the educational value of the experience.

    Another step in the educational process of the internship is the Post Evaluation. Here you’ll want to consider asking questions like “Did you fulfill your expectations for the internship? Why or why not?” and “Did your internship assist you in making some career decisions?” And for your company’s own education, consider asking the following question: “If you were running the internship program at our company, what would you do differently?” You’ll be surprised by what you hear.

    Hiring interns is no simple matter. Like many full-time employees, interns have expectations that are high and demanding of your time and knowledge. Any internship worth its weight should also be an arrangement founded on open communication and appropriate interaction at all levels. The important element that distinguishes an internship from short-term work is “... the intentional learning agenda that the intern brings to the experience.” If your company is in a position to mentor an individual and help bring him or her along, then the internship route is for you. If you’re simply looking for cheap labor, you may want to consider taking advantage of one of your children. Good luck.

Top Five Mistakes Made When Hiring Interns

(1) Interviewing then differently than you do a full-time employee, or not interviewing them at all.
(2) Thinking that interns can take the place of part-time employees.
(3) Thinking that interns don’t want to learn, and that interns want to work for you just so they can meet an academic requirement.
(4) Thinking that interns have nothing to offer, and that only you and your company have teachable experiences.
(5) Not being clear on the learning opportunities and working responsibilities involved in the internship.

Economic Impact of Tourism Grew to $1.6 Billion in Marion Co.
By: Cathi Wineland, Indiana Convention & Visitors Association

    1996 Study Shows over 49,000 Jobs Supported by Tourism Industry Visitors to Indianapolis spent $1.6 billion in 1996, according to. an economic impact study completed for the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association (ICVA) by DavidsonPeterson Associates, Inc. The economic impact of tourism in Marion County increased by 35% since 1993, the last time the study was conducted. The same study concluded that the state of Indiana enjoyed over $5.9 billion in economic impact from visitor spending, so Indianapolis accounted for over 27% of the state’s total.

    Shopping and food purchases made up the largest areas of spending by visitors. They spent 29% on food, and 20% on lodging. Recreational expenditures, including event fees, sports fees and evening entertainment accounted for 18%, while ground transportation costs represented 6% of spending.

    Indianapolis residents benefit from visitors because the tourism industry creates jobs. Visitor expenditures made in Marion County supported over 49,000 full-time equivalent jobs, the study showed. (Full-time equivalent counts not only full time jobs in tourism but combines part-time jobs to calculate their full-time value). These full-time equivalent jobs created nearly $1.1 billion in resident wages, salaries and proprietary income.

    According to the study, state and local governments collected over $211 million in taxes from visitors and their expenditures in 1996. Tourist spending led to the collection of $137 million in state government revenues and $75 million in local government revenues.

    The economic impact study also quantified other important aspects of the tourism industry. In 1996, nearly 5.4 million person-visits were made to Indianapolis. (A person visit is one overnight to one accommodation.) Three quarters of these were accounted for by hotel guests while visitors who stayed with friends or family made up one quarter of the total. Campers represented one percent of person-visits.

    Of the hotel guests, the average party size was 1.92 persons and the average length of stay was 2.17 days. Indiana residents made up 43% of the visitors, 54% came from other states, and 3% came from Canada and other foreign countries. Business travel accounted for 53% of the trip purpose, followed by 35% traveling for pleasure and 12% for meetings and conventions.

    "The growth in number of visitors and the impact of their spending is testimony to the incredible recent developments in Indianapolis and the continued investment in our tourism infrastructure,” said Wm. K. McGowan, Jr. President & CEO of the ICVA. “The outstanding combination of attractions and accommodations offered here are matched only by the service excellence provided by over 49,000 tourism employees.”

    The ICVA released the results of the economic impact study at the Annual Board of Directors Meeting on April 24, 1997. The ICVA is a non-profit membership organization which markets the Indianapolis area as a destination for meetings, conventions, trade shows, group tours, and pleasure travel.

IH&RA Think Tank Reveals Extent of Internet Revolution
By: Caroline Harvey
International Hotel & Restaurant Association
http://www.ih-ra.com
E-mail- Harvey@ih-ra.com

    The impact the Internet is set to have on hospitality business is unlimited, according to preliminary findings from the first hotel industry Technology Think Tank, hosted by the International Hotel & Restaurant Association (lH&RA) in Singapore last month.

    The Think Tank was the latest in a series of IH&RA events designed to “vision” the future of the global hospitality industry. Forty seven representatives from the world’s leading technology companies and hotel organizations spent two days identifying which aspects of the hi-tech revolution will reshape the industry, and anticipated their likely impact. The Think Tank leaders’ preliminary report concluded that the global lodging industry “cannot continue in its present form”. According to the report, the Internet is the major driver of change for the hospitality sector. “It will redefine how guests discover and purchase hospitality products, and how hotels and restaurants interact with their suppliers.”

    With its ability to unite a multitude of technologies and its potential to drive electronic commerce, the Internet is changing the services offered and how they are delivered, reshaping organizational structures, and altering the relationship between hotels and their customers and suppliers. It is also rapidly becoming the most sought-after amenity in hotel rooms.

    The Think Tank report anticipates a number of likely repercussions: the Internet is giving rise to a new sense of immediacy created by real-time transactions; to more demanding customers armed with instantly available information; the development of commercial ‘cyber laws’ to regulate electronic commerce, and the use of data warehousing and data mining techniques to enable hoteliers to make sense of the huge volume of guest information collected electronically.

    In a market where the ‘segment of one” is becoming the norm, it also offers the opportunity to provide the ultimate in personalized service. According to the Think Tank participant Rudi Scherb, general manager of the ANA Hotel, Singapore, “Internet technology enables us to customize the hotel product and anticipate individual needs and expectations. This determines our edge in a competitive environment and provides the added value hotel guests are now seeking.”

    Christine Medlock, Director of Distribution Business Development for Hilton International who was also in Singapore, described the implications of the findings as “far-reaching”, and providing new benchmarks for the hospitality industry. “The concept of the ‘segment of one” and the real-time environment in hospitality will radically change customer dynamics and our ability to deliver the service that we all strive for. I look forward to continued involvement in this highly interactive and informative group,” she said.

    The report was compiled by Think Tank facilitators, Michael Olsen, professor of hospitality and tourism management at Virginia Tech, Ewout Cassee, president of the board of directors, Hotelschool The Hague, Daniel Connolly of Virginia Tech, Bvsan Murthy and Koh Thong Mong of Nanyang Business School, Wonae Cho of the University of Kentucky and Margaret Heng of the Singapore Hotel Association.

    The lH&RA’s drive to bring leading edge technology information to its members will continue at EURHOTEC ‘98, the lH&RA’s pan-European technology exhibition and conference, to convene from 25-27 February 1998 in Nice, South of France.

    The International Hotel & Restaurant Association (IH&RA), this year celebrating 50 years of service to the industry, is a global network of independent and educational centers in the hotel and restaurant industry in more than 150 countries. As the voice of the industry it represents, protects, promotes and informs its members to enable them to achieve their objectives.

1998-99 Student Teachers Information
By: Ed Schilling

    Students who plan to student teach in the Fall or Spring of the 1998-99 school year need to be aware of and follow the guidelines listed below:

1) Completed applications must be turned in to the Office of Student Teaching by mid-December, 1997. The application is to be picked up in the Office of Student Teaching, which is located in the northwest corner of the E.S. Commons area.
2) Before the application is completed the potential student teacher must attend a meeting that is presented by the Director of Student Teaching, Dr. Linda Houser. When the application is picked up the student will also sign up for a meeting time, found on the same table as the application.
3) The school selection is a decision made by Mr. Ed Schilling and the future student teacher. A form will be given by Mr. Schilling to the student teacher to take to the meeting along with completed application form. NOTE:
Students are NOT to make contact with potential school sites. This is done through the Student Teaching Office Director.

    Do not put your student teaching experience off a whole year because you missed the deadline. Take care of this responsibility very soon in the first semester of the 1997-98 school year.

Advertising in The Informer

    Advertising in The Informer is an excellent way to reach local high school students and counselors, the student population of the School of Physical Education, prospective students and visitors of trade shows. The Informer is published six times per year, September, October, November, February, March and April. To place a camera-ready ad contact: Pat May at 274-2599.

Advertising rates:
1 semester 1/4 pg. $110.00
1 year 1/4 pg. $200.00
1 year 1/2 pg. $325.00
1 year full pg. $525.00

A New Tree at Camp Brosius
By: Dean Kellum

    From May 22 to June 6, last spring, 48 Physical Education majors and 26 RHIT students attended summer session classes at Camp Brosius at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. Physical Education students studied camp counseling, adventure education and individual sports, while RHIT students provided food service as a laboratory component of a quantity food class.

    As a remembrance of their camp experience, the students decided to start a tradition of each class donating a new tree to the camp property. While time did not permit the actual purchase and planting of the tree before departing camp, Dean Kellum promised the students that he would complete the task on his return to camp for a homecoming event later in June.