Internship Fund Auction Sets a Record

For the second year in a row, the Yale SOM Internship Fund Auction set a record, raising $53,560, besting last year's mark of $51,433. The Internship Fund exists to help students afford summer internships in the nonprofit and public sectors, as well as social enterprises, which often pay little to no salary. The fund was the first of its kind among business schools in the nation and has been widely emulated by other schools. Last year, the Fund supported 40 students.

The auction, which dates to 1979, is one of Yale SOM's signature events. Each year organizers pick a theme and students dress up accordingly. This year the theme was "SOMer Lovin'," a play on the musical Grease, while the event itself was billed as the SOM Prom. Jason Klein '12 and Megan Richer '12 were the Masters of Ceremony. Joerose Tharakan '12, an internship fund co-leader, said that the Internship Fund Auction allowed everyone an opportunity to relive his or her own high school prom while working for a good cause. "It is indeed one of the most fun nights in the SOM calendar, where students get to bid alongside (and for!) their professors," she said. "We truly see how multifaceted, talented, and integrated this community really is."

Among the most popular items was a weekend house in Vermont, which fetched $1,100; two cases of Dominus Estate 2007 wine, which went for $860 and $800; and a night of poker and scotch with professors Jim Baron and Daylian Cain, which was won for $2,150. But the highest bid went for the OB Crib Crawl, where students are welcomed into the homes of the entire Organizational Behavior faculty, which a large group of students purchased for $3,000. Other popular items included an event offering insight into Dean Sharon Oster's fashion sense, lunch with Professor Robert Shiller at legendary Yale restaurant Mory's, a round of golf with incoming Dean Ted Snyder, and a behind-the-scenes tour of the American Museum of Natural History.