ON POINT
Quality internships help 2011 business grads succeed in finding jobs A recent survey of 2011 graduates of Longwood’s College of Business and Economics shows that 83 percent are employed. Half of these students indicated that their internships helped them secure their current positions, adding that their internships also gave them an advantage in landing jobs in businessrelated fields.
Sociology professor Jake Milne ’97 gave up soccer refereeing to spend more time with his family. ‘Ironically, I am my own statistic,’ he says.
Hanging Up the Whistle Research shows it’s not the physical abuse they suffer but their own personal issues that make soccer refs quit
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early 90 percent of soccer referees have been physically abused on the field, but that’s not what’s making them hang up their whistles, according to the findings of a research study by a Longwood sociologist, himself a former ref. “I wasn’t surprised at all by the level of physical abuse. It’s more common than you would expect,” said Dr. Jason “Jake” Milne, assistant professor of sociology, who defined physical abuse in the study as any form of physical contact between a player and a referee, such as a putting his finger on the ref ’s chest. “I was hit twice in my reffing career. Once I was pushed. The other time I was slugged in the shoulder— he missed my face and hit my shoulder. I’ve also been spat at. “However, quitting doesn’t have a thing to do with abuse,” he said. “It has to do with identity — how committed are you to the role.” About half of all soccer referees in Virginia quit within two years. According to Milne’s findings, they leave mostly because of issues having to do with family and work. His results were published in the fall/winter 2011 issue of Sociation Today, the online journal of the North Carolina Sociological Association. The article grew out of Milne’s dissertation,
“An Identity Theory of Role Exit among Soccer Referees.” “Ironically, I am my own statistic,” said Milne, who reffed for 20 years before hanging up his whistle last year. “I would leave Sunday for Richmond at 6 a.m., ref all day and not return until 5 or 6 p.m. That cut into my family time. As an assistant professor, I have to worry about getting tenure, and rising gas prices were eating up my budget. It just wasn’t worth it anymore. Many refs quit when they start a family or for work reasons. It’s called ‘role conflict.’ Something has to give. For me, reffing had to give.” In recent years, much of Milne’s refereeing was in Richmond on Sundays, when he would typically work three games. “It took a huge time commitment. Each game took about two hours, and I had to be there 45 minutes before the first game.” Does he miss refereeing? “There are days I miss it. But when I watch the Redskins’ games with my son, who is 2-1/2, I don’t miss it,” he said. “For years my license plate said ‘DR REF,’ so you can see it was a big part of my life. But then it became not as important as my family or my job. A lot of soccer refs return to it when their kids are grown, and I anticipate I will probably go back. I enjoy being on the field.”—Kent Booty
‘ Working with Longwood University for our internship program is a great collaboration.The university’s McGaughy Internship Program does an excellent job with developing students to be an effective part of a team.’ —Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond Students in the College of Business and Economics, like all undergraduate students at Longwood, are required to complete an internship, research or other hands-on learning experience, which sets Longwood apart from most universities. CBE students scored top-notch internships that turned into full-time positions at organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, Gantt Insurance Agency and Norfolk Southern.Their supervisors at these organizations have high praise for the students and the internship program. “Working with Longwood University for our internship program is a great collaboration. The university’s McGaughy Internship Program does an excellent job with developing students to be an effective part of a team,” said a representative of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. “And, with our important work for America’s economy, we need those highcaliber students who are well-prepared and able to exceed expectations in the workplace.” A spokesperson for Gantt Insurance Agency said the agency’s intern from Longwood was impressive. “From day one, he has shown up with a go-get-it attitude. I have put him through some difficult and challenging situations, and every time he has come through with no problems. … It is very evident that Longwood has done a great job teaching their students and preparing them for the real world.” —Lauren Gabor
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