To that question, many college and graduate students answer, “Yes.” There are some who are put off by the scandal of Monica Lewinsky and whose parents figure being an intern would infect their child with some D.C. “virus” that might be habit-forming.

However, internships come in all shapes and sizes, and the vast majority do not involve questionable practices by employers or hideously long hours. They exist in drug rehab clinics in Virginia and in magazines looking to upgrade their Web sites. They are in every television station and every newspaper. Rug companies and alumni newsletters hire interns, as do museums, Wolf Trap and all manner of charitable organizations. Wherever there are jobs, there are interns who do some of those jobs for free, with a smile.