I have had an amazing summer, but I can't believe it's coming to an end so quickly! I finished off my Maymester course with a bang! It was a difficult class with a huge amount of writing, but it was great to get three credit hours out of the way. After my Maymester class I worked for STAR, the student registration and scheduling program at Purdue. It was 4 weeks of hard work, but it was great to meet many of the incoming freshman. I'm having a great time relaxing now, but I'm ready for the school year to start! I begin Nursing clinicals this fall and I can't wait to actually be out in the field experiencing everything!
Thank you so much!
--- Stacy Baker
Thursday, July 28, 2011
My Very, Very, Very Busy Summer!!!!!
Unexpectedly Greek!
When I first came to campus, I was not interested in Greek Life at all. I wanted to be independent and find my own path through Purdue that wasn’t already set out for me. But then I realized that being at college isn’t about doing what you had originally expected of yourself. So I went outside of my comfort zone and “pledged” a Latina based, inclusive sorority. I spent nearly the entire semester learning about Delta Phi Mu (the first Latina sorority on Purdue’s camps), learning about the active and alumni sisters, and creating a bond with my “school” sisters.
There were times were I definitely thought I had bitten off more than I could chew (with 16 credit hours on top of the process), but on April 19 it all was worth it when I finally “crossed” the line between non-Greek to Sister. This summer I’ve been spending a great deal of time planning on how to make this next year successful with activities, fundraisers, and recruiting. It’s our 20th anniversary on campus and we want to go big! I am really proud of my decision to join Delta Phi Mu and am looking forward to experiencing the second half of my Purdue career with these girls and leadership opportunities.
Spartacus: Siberian Husky Puppy
I had been relentlessly teasing my boyfriend for a while about getting a puppy and then when he showed me pictures of Siberian Husky puppies that were on sale, I hardly thought he was being serious about actually purchasing one. But a few weeks later we were the proud owners of a six week old husky we named “Spartacus”.
We were at first wanting to name him after the infamous Balto but then decided Spartacus just had a special nerdy ring to it. At first all he did was want to sleep, which was really boring, but now we wish he wouldn’t mind sleeping a little more! He would bark at his food, refuse to go up and down the stairs, and he whined all night. But he was just too cute to get annoyed with. He does something to make us laugh every day and he’s already gained at least ten pounds in the two months we’ve had him. He’s having a really difficult time with this hot weather and his two layers of fur, though. A considerate amount of my pay checks have been spent some way on him, and I’ve had to budget a lot more this summer because of him, but he’s definitely made my summer enjoyable. I’m glad we made the decision to add Spartacus to our lives and I’m excited to watch him continue to grow!
Internship with Little Caesars
I’ve worked with Little Caesars since my senior year of high school in Lafayette, making this my third year with the franchise company. I was debating whether or not to come back this summer because I felt that maybe I should do something a little more pertinent to my career of dentistry. After thinking about it I decided that Bill, the franchise owner, could teach me a lot more about owning a business (one of my goals) than I could learn filing papers at a clinic. So this summer I have been managing and doing an internship with Little Caesars.
One of my first tasks was to organize a fundraiser for Diamond Blackfan Anemia. DBA is a type of iron-resistant anemia that is characteristic of its absence of red blood cells. Bill’s grandson is diagnosed with this disease and all of our funds were going towards research to DBA. With my connection with the Lafayette Jefferson Marching Band I put together a pep band to play at the event. There was also a moonbounce, face painting, a fire truck, tricycle races, a pizza walk, and a lot of raffle prizes. Our grand finale was the raffling off of a Blu Ray player. For its inaugural year, I’d like to say that we did a good job. Our goal was to raise $500 and we got just around $425 all together.
Other assignments I’ve had through this internship have actually opened my eyes to all the workings of owning a business. I’ve also chosen the new commercial and radio promo that Lafayette will be running for advertising, I’ve designed a new menu in English and Spanish to hand out at all the stores, and I’ve made progressive graphs detailing customer trends over the year too. I’d like to think that this was a good decision on my part to continue on with Little Caesars and I’ve enjoyed the impact I’ve been able to have on the community in just one summer.
Dental Shadowing
Dental schools now suggest that you spend at least 40 hours shadowing in dental offices before applying. Since I wasn’t taking any summer school, I felt that this would be the summer to get all of those hours taken care of.
I’d heard mixed opinions as to whether it was advised to spend all forty in one office or split them among different ones. I have no idea yet if I want to specialize or stick with general dentistry, so I thought it was a good idea to see some different areas so I could get a better idea of what I’d like to do. I spent a day at an orthodontist/kid specialist and saw a great deal of filings done.
Then I visited a dental surgeon for two days and I saw some awesome procedures. A week after that, I spent the remaining time with my family dentist in Crawfordsville. She gave me a lot of insight as to what the field was like for women thirty years ago and the whole experience was really inspiring and motivating. I even got to witness a night guard being made. I’m still not quite sure as to what specialty I might like to end up in, but the time spent with these dentists really confirmed my goal of getting a degree myself.
--- Kathryn Stwalley
When I first came to campus, I was not interested in Greek Life at all. I wanted to be independent and find my own path through Purdue that wasn’t already set out for me. But then I realized that being at college isn’t about doing what you had originally expected of yourself. So I went outside of my comfort zone and “pledged” a Latina based, inclusive sorority. I spent nearly the entire semester learning about Delta Phi Mu (the first Latina sorority on Purdue’s camps), learning about the active and alumni sisters, and creating a bond with my “school” sisters.
There were times were I definitely thought I had bitten off more than I could chew (with 16 credit hours on top of the process), but on April 19 it all was worth it when I finally “crossed” the line between non-Greek to Sister. This summer I’ve been spending a great deal of time planning on how to make this next year successful with activities, fundraisers, and recruiting. It’s our 20th anniversary on campus and we want to go big! I am really proud of my decision to join Delta Phi Mu and am looking forward to experiencing the second half of my Purdue career with these girls and leadership opportunities. Spartacus: Siberian Husky Puppy
I had been relentlessly teasing my boyfriend for a while about getting a puppy and then when he showed me pictures of Siberian Husky puppies that were on sale, I hardly thought he was being serious about actually purchasing one. But a few weeks later we were the proud owners of a six week old husky we named “Spartacus”.
We were at first wanting to name him after the infamous Balto but then decided Spartacus just had a special nerdy ring to it. At first all he did was want to sleep, which was really boring, but now we wish he wouldn’t mind sleeping a little more! He would bark at his food, refuse to go up and down the stairs, and he whined all night. But he was just too cute to get annoyed with. He does something to make us laugh every day and he’s already gained at least ten pounds in the two months we’ve had him. He’s having a really difficult time with this hot weather and his two layers of fur, though. A considerate amount of my pay checks have been spent some way on him, and I’ve had to budget a lot more this summer because of him, but he’s definitely made my summer enjoyable. I’m glad we made the decision to add Spartacus to our lives and I’m excited to watch him continue to grow!Internship with Little Caesars
I’ve worked with Little Caesars since my senior year of high school in Lafayette, making this my third year with the franchise company. I was debating whether or not to come back this summer because I felt that maybe I should do something a little more pertinent to my career of dentistry. After thinking about it I decided that Bill, the franchise owner, could teach me a lot more about owning a business (one of my goals) than I could learn filing papers at a clinic. So this summer I have been managing and doing an internship with Little Caesars.
One of my first tasks was to organize a fundraiser for Diamond Blackfan Anemia. DBA is a type of iron-resistant anemia that is characteristic of its absence of red blood cells. Bill’s grandson is diagnosed with this disease and all of our funds were going towards research to DBA. With my connection with the Lafayette Jefferson Marching Band I put together a pep band to play at the event. There was also a moonbounce, face painting, a fire truck, tricycle races, a pizza walk, and a lot of raffle prizes. Our grand finale was the raffling off of a Blu Ray player. For its inaugural year, I’d like to say that we did a good job. Our goal was to raise $500 and we got just around $425 all together. Other assignments I’ve had through this internship have actually opened my eyes to all the workings of owning a business. I’ve also chosen the new commercial and radio promo that Lafayette will be running for advertising, I’ve designed a new menu in English and Spanish to hand out at all the stores, and I’ve made progressive graphs detailing customer trends over the year too. I’d like to think that this was a good decision on my part to continue on with Little Caesars and I’ve enjoyed the impact I’ve been able to have on the community in just one summer.
Dental Shadowing
Dental schools now suggest that you spend at least 40 hours shadowing in dental offices before applying. Since I wasn’t taking any summer school, I felt that this would be the summer to get all of those hours taken care of.
I’d heard mixed opinions as to whether it was advised to spend all forty in one office or split them among different ones. I have no idea yet if I want to specialize or stick with general dentistry, so I thought it was a good idea to see some different areas so I could get a better idea of what I’d like to do. I spent a day at an orthodontist/kid specialist and saw a great deal of filings done.
Then I visited a dental surgeon for two days and I saw some awesome procedures. A week after that, I spent the remaining time with my family dentist in Crawfordsville. She gave me a lot of insight as to what the field was like for women thirty years ago and the whole experience was really inspiring and motivating. I even got to witness a night guard being made. I’m still not quite sure as to what specialty I might like to end up in, but the time spent with these dentists really confirmed my goal of getting a degree myself.--- Kathryn Stwalley
Whirl-Wind
This summer has been a whirl-wind of events… I can’t believe there are just a few short weeks left!
My summer classes will be ending in a week and a half (yay!) and I will have two precious weeks left before classes begin all over again. This fall is going to be busier than any semester I’ve had before, or so I suspect. I’ll be working part time for the first time during full-time classes, something I’ve never done before. It is a very flexible job, where I can stop in for an hour here, three hours there, but I’m worried when I’m going to have time for everything else. Everything else includes: my sorority, my dogs (I have two pups), being a student ambassador, and being the secretary of my honorary. I’m a bit afraid about how this will all work together, but I won’t know until I try it :). I guess this means taking one step at a time, starting of course with recruitment, the biggest back-to-school event for female Greeks. The process starts the weekend after we get back from school, but don’t think we haven’t prepared ahead of time for this. The truth is, sororities plan all year for recruitment, and we can’t wait to get our new members each fall! This year I will be getting a Grand Little, which means my Little’s Little. A bit confusing, but I couldn’t be more excited. Living in a sorority house is a bit surreal sometimes, but it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I get to spend one more year in our beautiful house with all of my friends. Then after that it’s onto the real world (what I consider apartment living) haha. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer!
--- Colleen Troke
My summer classes will be ending in a week and a half (yay!) and I will have two precious weeks left before classes begin all over again. This fall is going to be busier than any semester I’ve had before, or so I suspect. I’ll be working part time for the first time during full-time classes, something I’ve never done before. It is a very flexible job, where I can stop in for an hour here, three hours there, but I’m worried when I’m going to have time for everything else. Everything else includes: my sorority, my dogs (I have two pups), being a student ambassador, and being the secretary of my honorary. I’m a bit afraid about how this will all work together, but I won’t know until I try it :). I guess this means taking one step at a time, starting of course with recruitment, the biggest back-to-school event for female Greeks. The process starts the weekend after we get back from school, but don’t think we haven’t prepared ahead of time for this. The truth is, sororities plan all year for recruitment, and we can’t wait to get our new members each fall! This year I will be getting a Grand Little, which means my Little’s Little. A bit confusing, but I couldn’t be more excited. Living in a sorority house is a bit surreal sometimes, but it’s one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. I’m so glad I get to spend one more year in our beautiful house with all of my friends. Then after that it’s onto the real world (what I consider apartment living) haha. Hope everyone enjoys the rest of their summer!
--- Colleen Troke
Cruisin' Southern California
I just got back not too long ago from Laguna Beach, California while I was visiting my father and some old friends! I brought my girlfriend Cassia with me and we visited a lot of southern California including Long Beach, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Now that I am back in Lafayette, I am working hard to finish an online class and earn some money before school starts back up. I work at CVS pharmacy here in Lafayette. Although I like what I do for work, I am very excited to get back to Purdue and work a little bit less. I am moving into an apartment with some high school buddies of mine. It will be the first time since freshman year not living in my fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. I think I am looking most forward to seeing all of my friends come back to school so I can hang out with them and hear about their summers. A lot of them had internships in some cool cities and it will be fun to hear about what they experienced. I also can't wait to share my summer experiences with all of my fraternity brothers and friends at Purdue!
--- Kyle Wittgren
--- Kyle Wittgren
Internship in Chicago
This summer has flown by a lot faster than I wanted it too. As a lot of you know I am working in the north suburbs of Chicago at Takeda Pharmaceutical. I was very nervous at the beginning because I did not know what to expect the job to be like. I am a summer financial analyst and I have not worked with some of the software I needed to know for the job. The first two weeks was basically dedicated to me learning the systems. Once I learned the systems I was very comfortable with the work I was doing. Although I am working for a pharmaceutical company, I did not know a lot about the industry. I made friends with the pharmaceutical interns and they have taught me a lot about what goes on in the research and development side of the business. The best part of the internship is they treat us like royalty. First, they paid for us to live in our own apartment for the entire summer and gave us access to lifetime fitness, which has an outdoor water park. Then they sponsor a lot of fun activities during and after work, where we can network with other managers and interns. The best activity we have done is attending a White Sox game. Even though I am a diehard Cubs fan I was excited to go to this event because we had box seats. We got all the food and drinks (if you are 21) we could ever want. After the game me and some of the interns extended our stay down town and went to some of the area bars. I only have three weeks left at Takeda, which kind of makes me sad but I think I am ready to move back to Purdue to have a very good senior year!
--- Dan Mills
--- Dan Mills
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Happy Trails at Rockin' B Ranch
I am getting close to the end of my summer design internship at Rockin’ B Clothing. I have had a great time learning the ropes at the Rockin’ B Ranch in Lafayette. I get to work hand in hand with the talented owner and designer Jess, a Purdue alumnus.
Everyday has been a new experience filled with adventure and exciting projects. Some of the things I have been working on include cutting fabric, hand stitching, writing a news letter, making Excel documents, listing merchandise
online, editing photos to making flats on Illustrator, and testing fabric.
My two major summer projects for Rockin’ B Clothing have been compiling a wholesale client list and designing a clutch. I researched and organized information
from about 500 retailers which could be potential clients. Then I designed, patterned, and did preproduction of a clutch. The clutch project has been a success and the Ranch Hand Clutch is available for sale at rockinbclothing.com. It has been great to see people purchase one of my own designs!
Jess has taken me on outings outside of the Rockin’ B Ranch, too. I have gotten to experience meeting with a fabric representative, attending a trade show, vending at the Road Rocket’s Rumble car show, and exhibiting at a gallery walk. This is a picture of the Rockin’ B Clothing set up at the Road Rocket’s Rumble event where the Ranch Hand Clutch debuted.
As we say here at Rockin’ B… Happy Trails!
--- Kelsey Leliaert
Everyday has been a new experience filled with adventure and exciting projects. Some of the things I have been working on include cutting fabric, hand stitching, writing a news letter, making Excel documents, listing merchandise
online, editing photos to making flats on Illustrator, and testing fabric.My two major summer projects for Rockin’ B Clothing have been compiling a wholesale client list and designing a clutch. I researched and organized information
from about 500 retailers which could be potential clients. Then I designed, patterned, and did preproduction of a clutch. The clutch project has been a success and the Ranch Hand Clutch is available for sale at rockinbclothing.com. It has been great to see people purchase one of my own designs!Jess has taken me on outings outside of the Rockin’ B Ranch, too. I have gotten to experience meeting with a fabric representative, attending a trade show, vending at the Road Rocket’s Rumble car show, and exhibiting at a gallery walk. This is a picture of the Rockin’ B Clothing set up at the Road Rocket’s Rumble event where the Ranch Hand Clutch debuted.
As we say here at Rockin’ B… Happy Trails!
--- Kelsey Leliaert
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Studying Abroad
I just recently got back from studying abroad in China and it was AWESOME. Not only was it a great experience but I also received credits and it counted as a capstone course for my Entrepreneurship Certificate. The purpose of the trip was to visit companies and attend lectures in order to experience how the Chinese do business while also learning about the culture. We first went to Beijing for 8 days then flew to Hong Kong and stayed there for 7 days. In Beijing we stayed at Tsinghua University, which is a very prestigious university in China. During our stay in Beijing, we attended lectures from the university professors on Chinese culture, communicating and dealing with Chinese people, foreign policy, and even took a few lessons in speaking Chinese. Some of the companies we visited include Baker and Daniel Law Firm, Cummins, and the American Chamber of Commerce. The program also included tours of historical sites in Beijing such as the Summer Palace, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall. During our down time, we were able to do things such as play sports with the Chinese students, visit the Silk Market, and experience the amazing Chinese night life.
During our time in Hong Kong, we stayed at the YMCA Hotel, which is right in the middle of the city. We visited Dunwell Enviro- Tech, Invest Hong Kong, and the US Consulate General as well as attended a seminar on doing business in Hong Kong and China. All of the meetings that we attended while in Hong Kong were very interesting because Hong Kong is such a diverse city. We also got to take a tour, which included seeing the Victorian Peak, which over looks all of Hong Kong, Bird Street, and the beautiful Repulse Bay area. The program also allowed for us to take a dinner cruise around the Hong Kong harbor so that we could view the city lit up at night. During our free day, a bunch of us took a ferry to Macau for the day. Macau is a small country about 45 minutes away from Hong Kong that’s very similar to Las Vegas in the way that it is famous for its vast amount of casinos. That was a very fun day as well. After a week in Hong Kong, we packed up and flew 14 hours back to the United States.
All in all, studying abroad in China was one of the best decisions of my life. My time in China flew by, and I would go back again in a heartbeat. It’s an experience that I was able to take so much away from and that I will never forget. I would Highly recommend studying abroad anywhere before graduation, you will not regret it. Definitely the highlight of my summer!
--- Sam Shaner
During our time in Hong Kong, we stayed at the YMCA Hotel, which is right in the middle of the city. We visited Dunwell Enviro- Tech, Invest Hong Kong, and the US Consulate General as well as attended a seminar on doing business in Hong Kong and China. All of the meetings that we attended while in Hong Kong were very interesting because Hong Kong is such a diverse city. We also got to take a tour, which included seeing the Victorian Peak, which over looks all of Hong Kong, Bird Street, and the beautiful Repulse Bay area. The program also allowed for us to take a dinner cruise around the Hong Kong harbor so that we could view the city lit up at night. During our free day, a bunch of us took a ferry to Macau for the day. Macau is a small country about 45 minutes away from Hong Kong that’s very similar to Las Vegas in the way that it is famous for its vast amount of casinos. That was a very fun day as well. After a week in Hong Kong, we packed up and flew 14 hours back to the United States.
All in all, studying abroad in China was one of the best decisions of my life. My time in China flew by, and I would go back again in a heartbeat. It’s an experience that I was able to take so much away from and that I will never forget. I would Highly recommend studying abroad anywhere before graduation, you will not regret it. Definitely the highlight of my summer!
--- Sam Shaner
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