Man Ball

Shawn Haupage’s Blog
Man Ball

The intensity rose as the game came to a tie; it was win by 2 points. The 2 teams glared down at each other from the opposite sides of the court, separated by a couch and a chair. Panting and dripping with sweat, they prepped themselves for the next volley. Adrien, the best French man-ball-player out there, smacked the ball with vigor to the other side. The ball landed on the other side and I dove toward it, making contact and sending it back towards the other team. Jake hit it forcefully, but without precision, and it brushed the ceiling which was an automatic point for our side. Game point! Adrien served the ball again for being on the losing team on the game point, which was otherwise known as sucker’s serve. He sent another one flying towards our way and this time I had to duck out of fear of losing an eye. But then came Dev to the rescue! He came behind me just in time and punched the ball back to the other side, creating havoc. Adrien and Jake both fumbled with the ball and it dropped to the floor, each bounce on the ground a loud thud to their ears. Dev and I’d won it! We ran around our side of the court doing something close to a dance. Adrien and Jake stomped up to us and demanded a rematch. And so Man Ball continued.
You have all now seen the greatness of a sport we call Man Ball. I didn’t create the actual sport itself, but I can take credit for coining the name of the game. Credit for the sport itself along with it’s intricate rules would have to go to Matt Senter, a good chef and an even better friend. Boredom is something we all come across in our lives, and here in suite 1114, Man Ball is the perfect activity to relieve us of such. However when the nights grow late, we normally hear a knock on our suite door, echoing loudly in our room. Knowing the cue, we open the door with our heads hung and look up into the face of Kima, our GA. She says it’s past quiet hours in a firm tone, and we hand her the once bright orange ball, now a dull graying color. We, being such respectful suitemates, know not to disturb the others at night, as well as not to disobey the laws of Kima. Man Ball may have come to a close that night, but the next day after work, we’d be right back on the court separated by a couch and chair.

Dev's Blog - July 14th and 15th

On Saturday July 14, I woke up about 920 which happened the same time I had to embark on a journey to College...tour. Harvard,the oldest college in America, was being stowed upon us as we ventured through the quiescence magnificent gates. We began by heading to the visitor centor for Q & A from students currently enrolled in the College. After half an hour of being in deep concentration, we finally began our walking tour. Not much information was noteworthy exceptfor the history of the John Harvard statue. The statue was 1) not actually John Harvard, and 2) the College started in 1636. With the end of the tour, we had to leave for the beach. After a monatonous 45 minute train ride to Rockport beach, we all awoke to see the beach in the distance. As we scurried through the side streets we finally arrived to the sandy dunes created by the Atlantic. Quickly we jumpeded in to find the water temperture to be slightly freezing. Some of the group decided to swim to the
dock off in the distance. Others tanned underneath the copious rays of sunshine. I tried to play 500 in the ocean but unfortunately waters cohesiveness led me to lose every game, completely ignoring the fact that I am horrid at frisbee all together. After a couple hours of R&R, we headed out to dinner in groups. I went to eat at Blacksmith's, which served a wide variety of seafood. My friends and I decided we had stumbled across one of the worst eating experiences in our life. Though
Jake and Matt both experienced a funnier dinner outing. Jake, being from Missouri had never had lobster before, so he ordered a live one for about $13. He and Matt quickly ran around town trying to find a resturant to cook the lobster. After several tries,he became frustrated and even tried selling his lobster to random bystanders. But luckily, they found an understanding resturantwhich cooked his lobster just to let him try it. After dinner, we started a game of football which we played till dusk. Sadly,we then took the train home and first thing I did when we arrived back at Emerson was hit the sack.





SUNDAYYYYYYY


Sundays are days that precede mondays defining them as dreadful and unanticipated. But this Sunday was one of a kind. After a well night's rest, we woke up around 10-1, ate brunch, and got ready to go to our own museums. I headed to the Museum of Sports in the Garden. Most of the group seemed unexcited to look at pictures of the past. But our impressions we're mistaken. When we got to the top of the garden, we walked through a doorway and we realized we were in club seating. This was the exact
place where the Celtics had won the NBA finals. Our adrenaline was rushing through our veins. We came across a question. Should we go down to the court? or just examine it and avoid trouble. Easy answer. As we strolled down to the bottom, we noticed that security was minimal. We got so excited we even played a fake pick-up game on the court. Then we saw an opening, which we figured was the opening to the locker room. We ran towards it. We found something incredible. The hoop which was in the finals. Kobe Bryant dunked on this rim. We basked in the glory of this rim. Then we went on with our exploration for the locker room. After some twists and turns, we arrived at a door with the Bruins logo on it. Unfornately, it was locked. But then on our right, there was an open door.
The visiting team locker room. We all ran through the room jubilantly, screaming, kissing the benches. We walked on, and found the Celtics locker room. That was also locked. But like the first time, we found the visiting team locker room. This was the same room where the lakers were weeping after losing the championship. After a while of chilling in the rooms, we went back to the top and walked into the sportcaster seats. Suprisingly, the beverages were left inside of the machines. Soon after, we left back to Emerson. Me and some friends then played an intense game of basketball, which my team lost composure near the end. Following dinner at Emerson, we left to go to the Skywalk at the Prudential building. 50 floors above ground level, we stood examining the vast city of Boston and the history that came to create it. After a while, we left to head home. On the train ride, we met an interesting fellow. He advised us to "put the chicken in a strong hold". So with that information, I decided to get Cold Stone. After a delicious dessert, I came back to Emerson and slept away my weariness.

Ian

I was interested in this program for two reasons: one, to gain some valuable hospital experience, and two, to meet some awesome kids and have an awesome time. I think it pretty much goes without saying that the Career Explorations program, because of its dedicated staff, has lived up to my expectations. As a volunteer at Boston Medical Center in the Otolaryngology department (ear, nose and throat) I have racked up eleven surgical observations, learned a countless amount of medical terms, and gained priceless experience in the medical field. One six-hour surgery (which we didn’t even end up seeing all of) involved the use of the Da Vinci Surgical Robot, and my colleague Melissa and I were among the few to witness its use in the ENT field. What surprised me more however, was the social aspect of the program and the friends I have made among the staff and my roommates. My superb internship work has been coupled with the thrill of coming back to Emerson to “Talk Men” with the boys, rock out with the Ginger Thieves, or maybe even catch an episode of Friends. And even apart from the suite life, we get to partake in a wide variety of outside “GA options” from wiffelball in the Commons to performances like Shear Madness, or the Blue Man Group. So far I think Margo, Todd and the gang have nailed it with the CE program and I guess what I am trying to say is thanks so much for the experience so far!

Plank

Throughout the past month, I have been interning at Plank. My mentor, Doreen Hing, has taught me so much. Throughout my internship at Plank, I have learned so much about the field of fashion--more specifically, fashion merchandising. On the first day of work, I didn't know what to expect. But as I arrived, I was welcomed warmly and was also given my very own office in which I was to work in. From ten in the morning to five in the afternoon, the nonstop work truly payed off. I really enjoyed my internship at Plank, because I learned so much about the fashion industry. It gave me a whole new perspective about the industry, and was very inspirational. Because of this internship at Plank, I have more of an idea of what I want to go into, career-wise. This internship for sure encouraged me to pursue my career goals in the fashion industry. Even though Plank was mainly based on high-end accessories such as bags and yoga mat, which is not my ideal interest in the world of fashion, it didn't affect my learning during my internship at Plank. I mainly worked on product placement, promoting the products of Plank as the best in the marketing category. I also got a chance to take a peek into the PR industry when Plank was interviewing different PR companies. We [Plank] managed to land a really nice PR company called Succarra PR. Overall, my internship at Plank is definitely one to remember.

-Hanna

Shira

This summer I am interning in the Radiation Oncology department at Boston Medical Center. On a typical day I shadow an attending to see consults, patients currently being treated, and follow ups, and the attendings usually let me do at least one thing hands on in a day such as feeling a tumor. Later in the day we usually go to the Physics department where the radiation treatment is planned. Typical radiation is six to eight weeks and is always Monday through Friday. The treatment itself usually lasts for only about ten to twenty minutes each day. It is given over a long period of time so that the body can heal overnight, while the tumor cannot heal this quickly. Each patient’s treatment is designed after a CT scan is taken, and each treatment is unique to that patient. A physicist designs the beams for radiation to focus a large amount on the tumor, while making sure that other organs do not receive too much radiation. This is easier said than done. Radiation beams give off radiation while entering and exiting the body, so usually certain angles work better than others to avoid organs. A program calculates the dose that will be given to outlined areas, and the plan usually has to be reworked a few times to meet the restrictions given by the doctors. After the physicists have finished a plan, the doctor approves it, usually modifying it slightly.

Earlier this week I was able to see Radiosurgery given to the brain. Radiosurgery is the full dose of radiation, usually given over weeks, received in only one session. Since such a high dose is given at once, the setup must be even more precise than normally. To ensure the patient didn’t move, a neurosurgeon screwed a metal headpiece into her skull earlier than morning. The radiation therapists placed her on the couch (the table to lie down on during radiation) and had to keep altering it so it was within .2 mm of the designated coordinates. Since the head vibrates, the distance usually fluctuates between 0 mm and .2 mm. After she was positioned correctly, we went into the radiation control room where they gave the radiation for about a minute, then went back in to move the couch, then gave more radiation. This happened about five times. The radiosurgery itself did not take that long, but since the couch constantly had to be altered, it took about fourty-five minutes total.

--Shira Toister

Peter

Career Explorations Boston 2008
My Experience

My internship experience will be the most memorable aspect of my time here in Boston with CE ’08. Although I had a rough start and strongly disliked (hated) my internship at first for multiple reasons, I eventually learned that initiative and patience are the keys to success. The more time I spent there, the more I began to understand about the business, industry, and my boss (who I had originally thought was a bum, but it turns out he’s one of the more ambitious and intelligent men I know). I have gotten the chance to master graphic design, learn the secrets of promotion, and see the numerous opportunities involved with marketing. I was even able to serve my personal goals … something that takes too long to explain, but basically knowing Jewels (my boss) is going to help a LOT. Overall, my internship now rocks my life and it’s going to give me so many more opportunities … business is all about connections anyway right?

~Peter

Jack at Boston City Council

This past week was quite the week in the Boston City Council. Many Councilors had returned from summer plans and the office was busier than it had been the previous two weeks. The main project I was working on was a research project for one of the councilors’ offices. I was researching a security level-4 bio-laboratory that Boston University wants to build in a residential area. I cycled through the meeting minutes of the past twenty years looking for any time that the issue had been brought up and I obtained and copied any orders or ordinances pertaining to the laboratory. It was a somewhat time consuming project, but it was satisfying to end up with a long report in the end. In addition to this project, I sat in on a council hearing about certain sound signal devices (code for ice cream truck songs) and then spent the day Friday lending a hand in a short-staffed councilor’s office. It was a fun and busy week and I hope the next one is just as enjoyable.

Blog by Matt Senter

I am nearly three weeks into Career Explorations and it is apparently time to reflect, as I have been required to write this blog. Let me begin with my internship, which is the focal point of the summer program. A few months ago I set up my internship at Hamersley’s Bistro (553 Tremont in the South End), one of my favorite restaurants. The internship has turned out very well. I have gained insight into the restaurant business and what is required of an employee therein. I have also learned a great deal about cooking, while helping to make stocks, sauces, soups, potatoes, polenta, roast chickens, lobsters, and countless other foods. Perhaps more important than that is all of the great people that I have met at work. It has been an experience that I will not forget for many reasons. I have also had some great food outside of work, as well. For my birthday, I went to Hamersley’s Bistro with my sister (I also had a “surprise” party at the dorm). I have also had great meals at The Daily Catch, The Upper Crust, and in Chinatown and Rockport. As fun as it is to rant about food and restaurants, I will move on to the social issues which are more pertinent to all of the blog readers (mostly parents of prospective interns/ CE participants and nosy, loving parents of current interns/ CE participants, yes, including you, Mom!).
The program- run activities have been good for the most part. The July 4th fireworks, The Red Sox game, and the two plays that we went to see are among the most memorable. The Career Night and College Night were less enjoyable, to say the least. (I am afraid that the upcoming Shakespeare event and festival, both of which should not be required, in my opinion, will fall into that category, although I am excited to go to Provincetown on Sunday.) However, I have enjoyed the free time as much as the planned activities. I have been able to spend time with friends, playing basketball, going out to eat, and hanging out at the dorm (where the options are limited, as ball playing is forbidden, and the GA’s often monopolize the television).
All in all, this has been a good experience. I would definitely recommend CE to others considering it in the future. The combination of a work experience and a camp-like experience is a great one that is unparalleled by all other summer programs. There is definitely a great, and relatively diverse, group of kids and staff. I have enjoyed this experience and I am saddened as the program comes to a conclusion.

more pics | boston super bowling

what a fun night!!!! great teams and just winners!

http://picasaweb.google.com/ceinternships/BOSTONBOWLING2008

check link above for more pics

love kims **

Mansi

My internship for the past 3 weeks has been to work at a non-profit organization that works with developmentally disabled adults. I have enjoyed every second of it and I have no complaints at all. For the past couple of weeks, the 3 others interns and I have gotten opportunities to take the individuals of the Walnut Street Center on different outings. Last week, I had the opportunity to go swimming with a few of the individuals. I had no idea what to expect except that it was going to be very different from anything I’d ever done before. So, I got into the van and we made the 40-minute drive to Fernald, an institute with an extremely disturbing past (see Ilana’s blog entry). Anyway, there were 4 individuals that I was going to be working with. We all got changed and headed to the pool. It was the first time swimming for one of the individuals while another was a superb swimmer. The three individuals that could swim went into the water and the one that could not was brought into the water via a “water wheel-chair”. After getting the individual into the water, three life jackets were placed on him to assure that everything would go smoothly. At first, the individual freaked out and went on to grab/hit/smack/scratch/punch anything he could get his hands on. But after soothing him a little, he calmed down and began to relax. By the end of the two hours, not only had I been beaten in a race, but the individual that had never swam before became comfortable in the water (or at least knew that there was no chance of drowning) and floated alone. We enjoyed a nice lunch at the creepy facilities afterwards and headed home. I learned that swimming with individuals that have developmental disabilities is not much different from swimming with my friends at home. Sure, you need to take a lot more things such as accessibility into consideration, but besides that, it is the same. Everyone needs some time to get used to the water and feel comfortable in it. And those that are already great swimmers will challenge you to a race and proceed to beat you 5 times in a row. This was an incredible experience and I had a great time. And for the record, I (along with my co-workers) have the best internship we could possibly hope for. I mean who else gets to go swimming as a part of their job?

Adrien from France

Hi everyone!My name's Adrien and I'm from Paris, France, one of the only European kids of the programs!I picked my internship in real estate because of my career ambitions.This internship turned out to be really useful about my orientation. I realized, during this month in this company, that real estate was what I wanted to do later. I have to say that my mentor helped me a lot. He showed me how hard this job was but, on the other hand , how interesting it is. My idea of this job was far away from the truth, I understood that you have to communicate with such different people, to adapt yousrself to so many situations. The first time I visited apartments , I went to a creepy building in Fenway where the elevators stopped every five seconds but I loved it! It's part of the job, and the best one actually. I met people from opposite social backgrounds living in studios or 5 bedroom apartment and it rocks!I had to pass an exam July 2nd, as a matter of fact, I came a week later than all the other interns. I was a bit scared to be excluded from the group. When I arrived at Emerson, the interns were so nice to me! They asked a lot of questions and were really interested about how a French kid ended up in CE. I made a lot of friends really easily, I improved my english and I spent four wonderful weeks. Being only 35 teenagers in this program is a good thing, in spite of all preconceived ideas: we get to know each other really quickly so we can establish good relationships. The night activities are also pretty good, you can either hang out with your friends in Boston or doing GA options. The best thing in CE is that you're treated as an adult, your GA trusts you, as opposed to other summer organizations I applied past summers.

Common Room Sleepover Extravaganza

There’s only one week left in CE. I can’t believe how quickly the time flew by! It feels like just yesterday I was dragging my huge suitcases into the elevators, nervously walking into my suit and awkwardly saying hi to my new roommates. Now I feel as if we’ve known each other for so much more than four weeks. I would not say forever, but at least a few months. We’ve come to know each other’s idiosyncrasies, accepting and even playfully joking about our quirks.

Our suite is already regarding next Saturday with dread, not wanting to sever our precious bonds of friendships. And so, the obvious way to savor our last week together is with an intense, weeklong dorm sleepover. In order to do this we decided to move our mattresses into the common room. We started with my mattress on the top bunk. It was quite an adventure getting that down, including various awkward grunting noises and the use of our lower and upper body strength.




At one point Lara was lying on her back pushing the mattress up with her legs while Genelle, Audrey, and I (standing firmly on the ground) pulled and pushed to get the mattress down. They are, after all, rather heavy. We slightly miscalculated the amount of strength required for this endeavor.








Once it was it the common room it was much easier to get the rest of the mattresses in, as they were bottom mattresses and the one other top mattress, Jessica’s, was easier because we knew what to do. Organization of the mattresses was quite difficult, and they are arranged in an eclectic manner across the floor. Getting across the room without stepping on someone’s bed is virtually impossible. All in all, we are extremely satisfied with our choice, and are looking foreward to our week of late-night chats, midnight confessions, and crazy sleep patterns.



Alessandra

Emily Hyman

This summer I have been interning at Schneider Public Relations, a national PR firm in Boston. From the moment I walked into the building, I was immediately accepted as part of the Consumer Team. I was given a desk, a personal email address, and many tasks to get started on. My first major assignment was to make a Media Influencer List for one of the firm’s new major clients, which is a contact list of major editors for certain magazines. It was the first time I’d ever made one so the entire process was such a great learning experience. Every step of the way my mentor was there to answer any of my questions and give me helpful advice. I can't believe that I am already half way done with my third week! Every day taught me something new about public relations and I can honestly say that I was never just sitting at my desk with nothing to do. I was always being challenged and I love everything about my internship experience.

Zack Cooper

The hospitality industry requires constant attraction paid to the customers. One important detail about this industry I have learned is the focus on employee relations. Kimpton hotels for example puts their employees before the customer on the ladder of importance. This is rare in this industry, but it has helped Kimpton hotels rise to the top in customer reviews.

-Zack Cooper (who interviewed people for a job on his first day!)

Niko

Although I was on the phone into the early morning with a few friends from home, I still had enough energy to have a productive day. I finally awoke to the chirping birds of my alarm clock at 9:07 after having pressed the snooze button about three times. Kyle was waiting for me at the entrance to Emerson's Dunkin Donuts as I rushed out of the elevator doors only to discover that my watch was ten minutes fast and that the other intern that I worked with from CE, Robby, was still updating his Ipod upstairs. After he came down and was greeted by his two peers and our mouths full of corn muffins, we hopped on the T and arrived out our job on Newbury Street three stops later.
At work, we've been working with our CEO on a pretty high-tech marketing campaign. About a week ago when we were just beginning to settle in at the workplace, the CEO invited us to a brainstorming session. We came up with the idea of snapping photos of all of the Boston area T stops, (because everyone always looks for directions) watermarking them with the company logo, (for brand recognition) and uploading them to websites such as Google maps for public viewing and free advertising. Because we three were part of the brainstorm that came up with this idea, it became our project and thus we've been in charge of gathering and editing the pictures for the past week.
After work, we returned to the dorm and played frisbee until dinner time. For dinner, a group of us went to Dick's Last Resort which is about a ten minute walk away. It is an interesting place to eat; the waiters are intentionally rude to the customers and often force them to serve themselves. We still had a great time. However, an unfortunate family consisting of two clueless parents and their two children sat two tables away. They went expecting a totally normal dining experience but instead left disappointed with the service. All of the CE participants managed to have a great time though, particularly us guys as the Homerun Derby was playing on the assortment of LCD TV's hanging on the walls. There is no doubt that tonight I'll be tossing in bed replaying Josh Hamilton's record shattering first round in my head into the early morning, and despite the little sleep, (the counselors do their best to get us to bed early) I'm sure that tomorrow morning I'll still be having fun after having pressed the snooze button on my alarm clock for the third time.

-Niko

Jared Zipper

The experienced I learned from my job was life changing. I stepped into the office and didn’t know what to except. Jules (My boy blue) pretty much took me under his wing and showed me the ropes. At first I was scared of making phone calls to people to help promote my company. Jules however encouraged me to keep on trying. Eventually I got used to calling other people up and now it’s a breeze. He taught me a lot of stuff about the music world. Like how famous composers don’t make a lot of money when they make a hit. JewelEs Inc. taught me a lot about how to market things to other people.

-Jared Zipper

PR by Alex

Hi fellow bloggers!

As the days keep whizzing by, it seems hard to believe that we're already half-way through the program! This whole experience has been nothing less than amazing, and there are so many things I wanna talk about, but I'm gonna limit it to the internship---because that's why I'm here.

I am interning at the New Repertory Theatre in Watertown, MA, which is just outside of Boston. They recently upgraded to a new theater which has been given awesome reviews, along with their many play productions. They have an interesting way of presenting their shows in that each year they set a theme to base all of their shows around. This year, the theme was human connection/ connection with other humans. Now, I don't actually work at the theater, but in the theater's office. As much as I do admire the fine arts, I plan to major in journalism or creative writing in college. Working at New Rep, I am under the mentorship of the Head of Marketing. Observing the marketing aspect of a company was something I was always interested in, along with Public Relations and Development, which I also observe, seeing as they are also on the same floor.

On an average day, I usually do the typical office work, like filing or copying. However, each day (usually more than once) I get assigned little projects---well, some larger than others. One project I did took me 3 days to complete. The project was that I create, assemble, and mail a press kit to our magazine subscribers. Although, in the end, I was very proud of my work. My current project is to help create the new 2008 Newsletter to promote our 2008-2009 season of shows. My job specifically is to interview other interns in the office to ask about their experiences interning at New Rep. The interviews will be recorded in a special segment of the newsletter titled "There's Always a Full House Backstage". I also wrote a small article in that segment. It isn't just all marketing that I do!

I am very happy with the internship that I was provided with. I couldn't have asked for a friendlier work environment. It's also very interesting to see how each department works together to promote the theater and its shows. My previous thoughts on marketing being like an advertisement company were soon changed. I love the fact that my co-workers always find jobs for me to do that coincide with my passion for writing. They put me on newsletter or flyer duty, so that I give a sense of creative vision to the company. Needless to say, I love love LOVE my job at New Rep. If any of you out there are interested in journalism, marketing or PR, i highly recommend this.

Thanks for reading!<3>

Project: Think Different

This summer I am working at an amazing organization called Project: Think Different. This is a non profit company in which they want to change the way society views the media. The organization focuses on promoting socially conscious artists so they will be able to become mainstream musicians. Not only are they helping the media they are also helping local Boston youth. The company is affiliated with the Boston Summer Scholars program in which about 500 kids from the Boston area are given internships with non profit organizations. These children are being paid by grants from the government to help out with their income situations considering many come from impoverished areas. I have worked one on one with the youth to help them understand what the organization is about and to help them research various topics. I also write press releases and emails and set up meetings. I have really grown to understand the industry and all the work and effort that goes into promoting one company. It is very hard to get publicity for a small and upcoming company. This internship has been a great experience for me to understand what it is like to work in a professional environment.

-Amanda Kruvant

Behind Enemy Lines by Josh Bailey

Being a New York sports fan isn’t easy these days. The only place you can really feel welcome is in…well, New York. Seriously, most people around the country feel no sympathy towards a city that is as dominant as NYC. The worst of these places is, of course, Boston. The Boston vs. New York rivalry is one for the ages, and now, I am literally in the trenches of the rivalry. When I leave the confines of CE wearing one of my various NY team hats, I am bound to get at least 3 dirty looks from people I can only assume to be fans of some other NY rival, most likely Boston. Now, you probably think that the simplest thing would be for me to ignore it, or, simply not wear my NY gear. Unfortunately, I do the same thing to people wearing Boston gear, even though it is their city.

(If it is unclear at this point, I am a huge sports fan. I kid you not. I will not tolerate anyone who questions my fanhood.)

So what does a superfan do for a summer internship? Work at a sports marketing company obviously. My original job description was to track down current NCAA football players and get them to use the company that I work at to represent them as their agent when they are eligible for the draft and when they become NFL players. The field of sports marketing and sports agency is something that really appeals to me and I thought that this internship would give me a great perspective of what goes on in the industry, specifically with NFL players.

On my first day, I was instructed to call my mentor before I left for the office, since there was a meeting going on for an upcoming event. My mentor told me to meet them at a certain address where we would have a meeting and then travel back to the office. When I arrived at the address, a certain sign on the door caught my eye. The sign had a picture of a baseball player in mid-pitch with the words “Josh Beckett Foundation” over the logo. My inner New Yorker made me freeze. My initial thoughts were something like, “Josh Beckett, the current ace of the Red Sox pitching rotation, one of the players who you immediately picture as part of the axis of Boston evil, betrayer of the Marlins, object of NY hate…” (Editor’s note: profanity and despicable images removed from description). After my slight freak-out, I managed to get myself into the meeting where I am thoroughly told what the details of the event are, and what I have to do over the next 10 days in order to help my company and the Josh Beckett Foundation pull-off the event.

Over the next 10 days, I overcame my fanhood, and did whatever was needed of me in order to help the company prepare for the event. I looked up directions, called sponsors, made deliveries, sorted through roughly $25,000’s worth of sports memorabilia, tracked down ticket holders, sent over 100 FedEx’s, ran back and forth from my office to the Josh Beckett Foundation (sometimes 3 times per day), and capped it all off with a 14 hour day full of picking up donations the day before the event.

The event, in more detail, was a bowling event where corporate sponsors paid $5000 per lane and would be paired up with a celebrity. There was also a balloon raffle, silent auction, and live auction. All of the proceeds from the event went to Children’s Hospital.

So the day of the event finally arrives. I am exhausted, but the promise of a more relaxed couple of days following the event is giving me the energy to get through the night. I get to the bowling alley around 12PM to start set-up. I had to do everything from blowing up balloons, to setting up the auction, to running bid sheets from the office to the auction stage. Just before the event, I did get to relax for about 15 minutes and “test-out” one of the lanes. Once the event starts, I am what is labeled as a “runner”. I go wherever I am needed and do whatever is needed, which means I am in every part of the alley at once. My major responsibility of the night was to coordinate the volunteers and security in one half of the alley once the bowling started.

So the bowling starts, and the celebrities emerge from the VIP room onto the lanes. This is the part of the event I have been dreading. I have to coordinate about 50 people while pushing back fans trying to sneak down to the lanes. O yah, and I’m in extremely close proximity to some of the largest figures of my hatred (Point: I respect the individual athletes, but I hate the teams that they play for. I do not blatantly hate any of the players even though it appears that way). So as the fans are taking in the celebrities that are in their proximity, all with awe struck looks, I am barking orders and trying to keep the more ambitious fans out of the more secure area. While I may not have had Josh Beckett on my side of the alley, I defiantly had some pretty large Boston celebrities. To name a few, there was Tim Wakefield, Jacoby Ellsbury, Glen “Bigbaby” Davis, Matt Light, Mike Lowell, and DMC. All of these guys had huge followings, all desperate for autographs and the occasional handshake. However, no one had as big a following as Jon Lester.

I knew it was going to be a rough night for the man when it took him 10 minutes to roll his first ball. One would think that the autograph seekers would eventually slink away, satisfied with their 3 or 4 signed items. Somehow, the people just kept coming. More and more people got the necessary credentials to get down to the lanes. When the mob seemed to reach its maximum, the media found its way over to him. That’s when Jon’s fiancée motioned me over, since for the first time in my entire life full of being close to athletes, I was a person of significance at a sporting event. At that point, Jon had had enough of the autograph seekers, and just wanted to do what he came there to do, bowl for a good cause. So, with my newly found position of power, I banished the mob, and took a position to ensure that Jon wouldn’t be bothered for the rest of the night. But, since this is a bowling alley, filled to the walls with people, the only place I could perform that task was from right next to Jon. So…the diehard Yankees fan spent a good portion of the night blocking Red Sox fans from their most cherished possession. When the bowling portion of the night ended, Jon and his fiancée both gave me big “thank-you’s” for making the night a little less hectic. Immediately following the bowling, there was the live auction, the conclusion to the silent auction, and the VIP party in the club attached to the bowling alley. Being under 18, the judgment call was made beforehand that I should leave at the beginning of the VIP party since the alley was technically a club, and it would be irresponsible of all the parties for me to be there.

From what I heard, the rest of the event was perfect. The Foundation made tons of money for Children’s Hospital. Despite my intense love for New York teams and my sworn hatred of Boston teams, I was able to overcome my fanhood for the purpose of a more seamless event. Don’t get me wrong, I still hate Boston teams, and I always will. However, I have a new respect for their fans. I thought only New York fans were passionate enough to have to have security intervene at a charity event for children. Boston fans are the greatest, and I hope the rivalry continues.

My internship experience so far has been amazing. Working at an event for one of the most popular athletes of the era was amazing. I learned what it really takes to pull off one of these events, and how sports marketing is not only geared towards getting athletes endorsements, but also how athletes give back to their fans and the community, and entertain them through pathetic bowling skills.

Memory Ride

This summer CE has given me an amazing opportunity to intern at the Alzheimer’s Association. I'm currently working with my mentor to plan for an upcoming fundraiser called Memory Ride. In an effort to raise awareness of the dangerous disease and support those suffering, the association has been planning a bike marathon in Devens, Mass. Volunteers have the opportunity to bike 100, 62, or 25 miles throughout the town. By helping to organize this event, I have grown to appreciate the commitment that goes into preparing for such a unique fundraiser. In a week, when Memory Ride begins, I can’t wait to see the results of my hard work.

-Nicole Sands

Luke - Boston Medical Center

Lucas Pasch – Blog Entree
Medical Internship

I enrolled into CE Internships to get a better perspective of what medicine has to offer. It has been my intent to follow an educational path to medicine for many years now, and I have participated in many extra-curricular activities to confirm my interest in that field. Last summer, I attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Medicine at Babson College and sat in on “med sessions” taught by some of the leading physicians in this country. I also enrolled in mini-medical school at UMDNJ this past spring. While these experiences have been instrumental in my path towards M.D., I still lack insight to everyday life of physicians in hospitals, operating rooms, private practices, or wherever else my future takes me.


This was until I learned that a month-long internship at Boston Medical Center was a quick application away. It wasn’t long before I met Carol Daly R.N., my advisor in the Menino Pavilion of the expansive BMC campus. Because of her interest in preserving the teaching facilities of BMC, Carol is always happy to set up Shawn (my CE co-worker) and I with our interests in the medical field. On the first day of work, she told us to go home and think of everything it is we would like to experience in the ensuing month. So I went home and called my mother, a registered nurse herself, and asked her to tell me what I was interested in. I created a vast list of specialists I would like to shadow, from neurologists to oncologists, and a greater list of surgeries to view, from appendectomies to spinal fusions. Carol was thrilled to see such a list of interests, as she was eager to get me going on the learning process.


So now, the meat of this blog entry… I was talking to Todd one day after work last Monday about a gruesome gall bladder removal that I scrubbed in to observe. He paused me halfway through the story and said, “Whoa whoa whoa….stop right there….just write all this on the blog,” or some variation of that. So here it goes.


I walked in as they were prepping a patient for gall bladder removal. A first year resident, better known as that “know-it-all intern fresh out of med school”, was also standing off to the side explaining the surgery to me step by step. The two surgeons began be going in laparoscopically, meaning there were three minimally invasive incisions: one near the belly button and two further up and to the right near the gall bladder. They stuck a camera into the incision near the belly button and clasping utensils in the other two. The camera in the first incision was used to produce video footage on the television monitors of what they were doing with the tools in the other two incisions. However, to the surgeon’s dismay, the gall bladder was far too bloated and inflamed to be removed through the tiny openings in the belly. So, he was forced to redo the procedure the old fashioned way. He proceeded to remove his laparoscopic equipment and started over with an incision that ran from just below the rib cage all the way down near the belly button. Now please note that if you get queasy from gore, it’s tough to explicitly state what I witnessed in the operating room from that point forward without being incredibly gruesome. Considering the patient was overweight, the operation was not easy. The surgeon had to turn off the boom box playing in the back of the room to fully focus on cutting through many layers of tissues and fat and into the abdominal cavity. After working diligently for another 25-30 minutes, he used tweezers to remove a massive gallstone. The surgeon held it in front of his eyes and chuckled for a few seconds. It wasn’t until after the surgery that the intern explained to me that the size of your average gallstone is a couple centimeters in diameter, while this one was about the size of the pit of a peach. To put it in perspective, you could only imagine how much pain the patient was in leading up to the surgery.


Well that was one case…and I’m hungry for more.

Rockport Pictures

Internship Zoo Field Trip

It’s now our third week of CE Boston and time has flown by! On Sunday my internship at Walnut Street Center (a community for developmentally disabled adults) gave me the opportunity to travel to the York, Maine Zoo to take the adult individuals on a trip to see tigers, butterflies, and tortoises while getting a nice pink sunburn. Though I at first complained about having to wake up early on a Sunday to drive to Maine, this zoo trip turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my job so far. I loved being able to spend time out of the office with my boss and coworkers, all of whom are kind, friendly people. CE is flying by far too fast, but we’re all finding plenty of ways to have fun and stay busy! I’m hoping that the next two weeks will be as exciting as the first two…

-Haley

Reggae Cabaret

As the second week is coming to a close, CE members were given a free choice of activities to engage in after their internships. Some played Frisbee, watched a movie, went to yoga, or simply relaxed. I was given the opportunity to attend a special promotion for my company’s most recent project, One Love: A Reggae Cabaret. The band featured in this unique show, Reggaelution, was playing at the Intercontinental Hotel from 5 pm to 10 pm. While there, another intern and I passed out fliers and were able to meet the band and various members of the cast, all of which were incredibly nice and talented. It was a great experience to meet the people involved in the show I have been working on during my internship and I can’t wait to see what the next two weeks have in store!
-Amy Casale

Week 2

Dear CE diary/Blog,

So we're just about to wrap up our second week here at CE but it ain't quite over yet.  As the kids come home from their internships for the last time this week (TGIF), they'll grab a bite to eat at either the cafeteria or one of the billions (maybe not really that many) of restaurants around the city with friends, then we'll ride the rails over to Broadway to watch and enjoy the hit musical In The Heights.  Tomorrow, some of us will set aside a few hours in the morning to help some of the less fortunate around the city, hand delivering meals with the community service project Meals On Wheels then some others will take a 7 train ride to Flushing to see the Mets play a twilight game vs. the Rockies.  Finally we'll polish off the week with a night trip to see an improv comedy group at Chicago City Limits which promises to be enormously funny provided we give them some good material to work with... don't foresee that being a problem, the city's a funny place and we're a funny bunch of kids!

Cinderella still waiting for her fairy godmother

It has been two weeks since we have been in NYC and it has been a blast. When people ask me what I have done it is hard for me to recall because every day I experience many new things. With this I also need to acknowledge that some events will never be forgotten. For example, the amazing friendships that have been created. The walking forty blocks in the pouring rain trying to finish a scavenger hunt. Or managing to get my sandal heel stuck in the escalator outside of Juilliard. Some may wonder how one could accomplish this but when it comes to my luck anything is possible.

How did I become Cinderella? After an evening out with interns, don't remember where we were coming from, see above, I chose to take the escalator up to the main entrance. As I was laughing at the over achievers who choose to take the stairs I slowly realized the joke was on me. As I went to exit the escalator my right foot went forward but my left foot remained stable. I was over come by shock and as tried to gain my balance by grabbing the escalator, my hands continuously flew forward since the escalator was still running. At this point I looked like a complete fool screaming for help. After Theresa pushed the emergency stop, my foot could be released but the shoe could not be removed. It took two security guards to reverse the escalator to retrieve my shoe that is no longer usable - it looks as if it was attacked by a shark. It was really sad.

Every night when I come home I pass the two gentleman who came to my rescue. And every night they still laugh and point.

If you would like to see "shoey" you may take a visit to the staff office...it has become our mascot.

Good Night and Good Luck!

Creepiest Field Trip Ever

By Ilana Newman

So I've been doing a social work internship at the Walnut Street Center for developmentally disabled adults. At the center the other interns and I learn about mental health issues, teach life lessons in creative group settings, and have dance parties, among other things. The mission of the center, to give you the gist of it, is to "empower adults who have developmental disabilities to make meaningful life choices". The philosophy for treating and empowering individuals with these types of disabilities, however, was not always so positive. Today I got to see the remnants of the past mistreatment for myself.

I had been overhearing my mentor and other staff members in the office speak of"Fernald", which was to me only a mysterious name often followed by a shudder or a sigh. I soon learned that the Fernald Center was originally the Massachusetts School for Idiotic Children, a mental institution built in 1848. Upon arriving at the "campus", which encompasses hundreds of acres once landscaped with trees and grassy fields, I immediately understood the eerie connotation that the mention of Fernald has so rightfully earned.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~asylums/fernald/shfefernald1.jpg

The abandoned Victorian-style buildings covered with overgrown brush and filled with empty cots and psychiatric-testing equipment caused me to imagine the rudimentary treatments as well as the controversial medical-experimentation that gave Fernald its reputation. Between the underground tunnels and the rusty,twisted swing sets, I felt like I was on the set of a horror movie or on one of those haunted-building exploration shows. This was one scary field trip that definitely opened my eyes to the necessity of internships like mine and places like the Walnut Street Center, where all people are treated as people.

For more information on the Fernald Center, visit: http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/mental/articles/2004/05/01/new_book_delves_into_fernalds_cruel_past/ http://www.wbur.org/news/2007/65131_20070308.asp

Hot Summer Night

Last night after dinner we all made our way down to the station to catch a T to Fenway Park. Public transportation becomes very popular while the Red Sox's are in town, I must say. After braving the T packed with Bostonians we safely arrived at Fenway Park. We were welcomed by the incredible heat and the smell of those famous Fenway Franks everyone kept talking about. Although, at first the Red Sox weren't doing to well Manny pulled through in the 8th with a two run homer to tie the game. The Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins 6-5. After the game we returned to Emerson to hide from the heat in the AC and relax after another busy day with CE.

-Talia

Career Explorations has been really fun so far and it's an experience that I'll never forget. I think I'll start from the 1st July because that seems the most appropriate time to start as it's the beginning of the month. 1st july was an internship day so I did my daily routine of travelling to my internship and doing the jobs that they found for me to complete. I had a free night so I spent some time with my suite in the city. I think my suite-2104 has got on really well from day 1. There have been no arguments and everyone gets on well with each other.
On the 2nd I did my daily routine of travelling to and from my internship. My company feels very British as it's a very popular company in England and it's the only place where I hear other British accents. That night we had 'College Night'- this was when Paul Flowerman gave a lecture to us. I also was lucky to have a mock interview with him as well. I realised that there are so many differences between the British and American educational systems. The British system is more direct and specialised unlike the American system which is generalised and non-specific. At the moment I prefer the British system but I'm still open to ideas.
On the 3rd July we went to watch the Blue Man Group which was a one of a kind. I had never seen anything like it before and it was very fun. I like the way how they interacted with the audience.
I was looking forward to my first 4th July in the U.S but it came as a bit of an anticlimax. I was hoping to see Ashlee Simpson in the morning but I was disappointed to hear that she had cancelled the show as she was pregnant. I went to the baseball in the afternoon but that was rained of. Then I was looking forward to the fireworks but it seemed like no one was willing to go because it was raining. However some of us managed to brave the rain and went around in search of fireworks. Although we didn’t find the fireworks it was still a fun night.
On the 5th July we went to Harlem to go bowling which was fun. On 6th July we took a sunset boat ride which was very scenic and it showed me New York on water for the first time. Yesterday we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner.

Duck Tour

Sunday we went on Boston's famous Duck Tour. Riding in a World War II land and water vehicle, we got a guided tour of the city from the Charles River to the State House.

Waiting for the Tour to start.

On the Duck!




Birthday girl Amy got to drive the Duck in the river!!

free ice cream, m&m&m&m&m&m&m&m&m

pic's and post by kima
for more images go to

http://picasaweb.google.com/ceinternships/CareerExplorationsBostonSummerInternships?authkey=CqYptjnYbDU

have fun!

free ice cream, m&m&m&m&m&m&m&m&m

Fourth of July Weekend

Friday the Fourth proved to be a little overcast, so we did not end up going for our all-day picnic as planned. Instead, we went to the New England Aquarium!

The Aquarium is located near the Harbor and Quincey Market, along the way we got free samples of M&M Ice Cream! The penguins were the main event and some students spent a long time waiting to see them jump off the rock (Robbie!) and into the water! There were also sea turtles, sharks, rays, and a display of deep water fish (which was Todd's favorite). We also saw a IMAX about the Grand Canyon and water conservation of the Colorado River.

After dinner, we left as a group to watch the Boston Pops and Fireworks! We sat on the other side of the Charles River to listen to the concert (featuring Rascal Flatts) and to watch the fireworks! We played catch with a football and baseball and frisbee while we waited. It was definitely a night to remember!

Saturday we took one group to the Science Museum and one group to Harvard. The Science Museum crowd watched the Planetarium show "What Happened to Pluto?" and saw the "Baseball in America" exhibit. The Harvard trip went to the museum to see the famous glass flowers and walked through the campus. Saturday night we all went bowling at Boston Bowl! There were also arcades and batting cages (my favorite!)

for more pics check

http://picasaweb.google.com/ceinternships/BOSTONAQUARIUM2008

cheers again, have fun, kima :)

Blue Bald Men

Hello world,
It’s your very own local star Courtney from the Boston globe. You may know me from my brief, yet notable, stint as a Boston Globe acclaimed Swing Dancer. Tonight, Thursday, I took a break from my dancer persona and attended a Blue Man Group show. My fellow interns and I sat in amazement as we watched three bald blue men perform. Although this may sound like an odd combination, the show was one for the history books!
Ideas by Courtney DeFranco
Written by Jillian Lewis

for pics check
http://picasaweb.google.com/ceinternships/BOSTONBLUEMAN2008
what a great night! cheers kima

Summer Swing

Wednesday at CE was anything but boring. Besides from working all day we had different options at night. Some people went to see Wall-E, others journeyed to Cambridge to go shopping, but only one group made it in the Boston Globe. THE SWING DANCERS. Our very own Alex Hammerth and Courtney Defranco were photographed swing dancing with real live Bostonians! You can catch the article and see their moves for yourself! http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/hotshots/gallery/03swing?pg=3 http://www.boston.com/thingstodo/hotshots/gallery/03swing?pg=4

From City Hall, Jillian Lewis reporting.

Advanced Movie Screening

We're at the end of another very eventful couple of days...

Monday was the first day of internships! All of the interns looked awesome as they sleepily made their way to their places of business - and we have the photo evidence to prove it!!! After a group dinner at Emerson the suites went to Mike's Pastries, the famous North End eatery. The chocolate mouse cannoli was amazing!

After their internships on Tuesday we went to an advanced screening of "American Teen" at the Lowes theatre across the street. The movie followed four teens during their senior year of high school in small-town Indiana.

Pictures

Left -First Group photo at the Boston Common before the Scavenger Hunt.

End of the First Weekend!

Hello from Boston!!!

The first weekend of Career Explorations Boston has officially ended. After a very smooth move-in day (with the exception of the airline losing Courtney's luggage) Friday, we had our Orientation meeting. After our orientation, we ate dinner at Emerson and then went to Quincey Market for Ice Cream as a group.

Saturday we ate breakfast in our suites and split up into groups for our Scavenger Hunt! The Scavenger Hunt took us all over the city, including Harvard, Fenway Park, Cheers, the Boston Common Swan Boats, Newbury Street, and to a cemetery where John Hancock, Paul Revere and Ben Franklin were buried. The winning group (who won CE towels!) was GA Lauren, Sophie, Josh, Amy, Eddie, Shawn, Alex, Michela, and Allie. Due to the weather, we postponed our Prudential tower "Top of the Hub" tour and went to see movies instead.

Sunday morning brought our internship site visits, an Internship Orientation, and the first SAT Prep Class. We had a group dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe (the 3rd largest in the nation)!

The weekend was full of good fun and good friends! The common room is always full of people playing games, watching Sports Center, and watching YouTube videos! More to come after the first day of internships!

Your Blog Captain, GA Lauren

Our group shot in Central Park before the scavenger hunt:

First weekend!

It's almost 1 am and we've officially closed out the first weekend of CE NYC 2008.  It was a spectacularly smooth few days - not too hot on move-in day and a great set of introductory activities to the city.  Friday night we went to Ellen's Stardust diner in Times Square to be serenaded by singing waitstaff while we enjoyed dessert - Mississippi Mud Pie could have been muddier, but the apple crisp was especially delicious.  Saturday we had a scavenger hunt across midtown and down to chinatown, then had a city lights tour of the city at night.  The tour dropped us off at the Brooklyn pier overlooking downtown Manhattan, giving us a fabulous view of the city at night.  This morning we went out to visit everyone's internship site so everyone would know where to go on their first day on the job!  The city saw some intense thunderstorms pass through this afternoon while we heard Jodie Glickman talk about professionalism and making good impressions at work.  Dinner was out at Etcetera Etcetera on 44th street.  Tomorrow is the first day of internships and I can tell these interns are oriented, set, and ready to go :)

My favorites from the weekend include: the driver who took the scenic route through Queens both times I came back from JFK; Lupe's commentary on the tour bus; my first experience on the G train (not a myth, connects Brooklyn and Queens); seeing the lesbian half of the Gay Pride Parade (the day before) sitting on the steps of the NY Public Library, across from a block full of police officers; the art wall my girls have been creating in our common room; the pistachio créme brulée at etc etc.; and finally tonight's man-with-a-cat-on-his-head... yes, a cat standing on his head while he walked through Lincoln Center.  All in all a stellar weekend.

Signing out from suite 2701 (the room with the best view and the most frequent showings of 'House'), and representing the ladies of team PINK,

Christine

Welcome to Career Explorations Boston 2008! We are exactly one week away from the start of our summer program. We'll be posting pictures and commentary here daily. We hope you'll stop by regularly to see what we've been up to.

Summer '08 Will Be Great!

Welcome to Career Explorations 2008! We are just one week away from the start of our summer program in New York City. This blog will be updated daily with photos and commentary about our explorations this summer. We hope you will stop by regularly to see what we've been up to.

Adios for now!