More End-of-Year Internships June 2, 2012

 My apologies for the pictures that are appearing sideways. They are right side up on my computer, but coming out sideways on this blog. I don't seem to be able to fix this. So sorry! Here is Annie.

Annie is doing her internship at Eyes, Ears, Nose & Paws, an organization that trains service dogs.  I don't know how they got these dogs to pose like this!  They must be well-trained.

 

Audrey and Lydia are doing their internships at the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University.  They are working with a particular species of microscopic worm (with a long Latin-based name), and studying how small changes to the DNA of the worm might affect its future (and that of other species).   They have also spent time shadowing several researchers, in order to see what type of work a career in biology might hold for them.  The staff at the lab is very diverse / international, and range from undergraduate to doctoral-level.  Audrey and Lydia's supervisor reports that they were academically well-prepared for the job.

 

Here is Nick during his internship at Trailblazer Studios in Raleigh.  Trailblazer does production work for a variety of clients in the television, radio, and music industries.  Nick has been focusing primarily on audio editing, and has worked on several different projects.  He's been collaborating with another intern from Appalachia State who has been taking course work there in their program in Recording and Production.  They have worked together on a shoe commercial, a TV series, and Nick has done some multi-track recording of his own guitar pieces.  Nick is getting valuable experience working with industry-standard audio editing equipment and programs, which will give him a solid skill base should he eventually decide to pursue coursework or a career in the recording and production industry.

 

Clara is spending two weeks at Elodie Farms, just outside Bahama, NC.  Elodie's most well-known product is its cheeses: they use goats' milk to produce several varieties of French cheese, made from authentic 'signed, sealed, and delivered' cultures.   They market their cheeses primarily to restaurants and high-end retailers around the Triangle (you can also get them at the Farmers' Markets).  Elodie has around 25 milking goats, and now has eight young goats (!) that are being weaned from their mothers.  Clara has been performing a variety of duties around the farm, including the many steps in preparing cheese from raw milk.  (She was also able to participate in one of their recent Dinner on the Porch events, where she met and worked with several area chefs).  But she says that her favorite activity by far is feeding the baby goats their formula!  

These pics don't really convey the feeding frenzy that began as we approached the fence - the little fellas were climbing all over each other to get at the bottles!

Elodie Farms also does tours - it's a really interesting place to visit!

Here is a lovely sideways pic of Esten at Que Pasa Media Center in Raleigh, where he is doing his internship.  Esten went into this assignment with the goals of improving his Spanish, learning about Hispanic culture, and becoming more aware of current events in the Triangle area.  According to his supervisors, he came in with a very functional ability in Spanish, and has now taken his skills to the next level by working on subtleties and nuance of expression.  The staff at Que Pasa hail from a variety of Central and South American countries, including Argentina, Peru, and Colombia.  They were eager to introduce Esten to the diversity of the Hispanic world, and they hope that he will share his appreciation and awareness with others.

One of the highlights of his internship was the opportunity to film a professional soccer match, which, with some editing assistance, produced a very impressive video of the event.  With an official press pass, Esten was able to get really close to the action, but he learned the hard way that the journalists with the biggest lenses get the right of way!   Esten also wrote three articles that were posted on the Que Pasa website, and he has the beginnings of a journalism portfolio well underway.  

OTHER TRIP UPDATES: As I write this blog on Saturday afternoon, I await the return of the Adirondacks trip with Dave Worden and Guillermo. I talked with them earlier today. Sounds like they have had a great time climbing mountains, canoeing, kayaking, and camping. The freshmen had a well-deserved low-key day today in Newton Grove. They had a choice today: a state park, blueberry picking, bowling, or resting at the ministry. They have visited many camps, played soccer with the farmworkers, and enjoyed a wonderful dinner on Friday, which was prepared and delivered by parents. All is well in Nicaragua. I guess they have dealt with some stomach irritations, but the group has been great and the service has gone well. I was sad to leave Trinidad halfway through the trip. For service, our students are painting every room at the children's home and building a new home for Habitat for Humanity. According to Frances, all is well in the Galapagos. As usual, we have had little word from Bob and his crew who are out west. Last I heard, they had visited the Grand Canyon and were headed out on the Green River. Bob is never one for consistent communication.

The Adirondacks group just arrived. Yay! It always feels good when trips return safe and sound. Trinidad will return Monday night, and the rest of the groups come home on Tuesday. We have a full day of school on Thursday and a noon dismissal on Friday.