By day 5 of work, we’re all starting to get into the flow of things. The weather was perfect today, no need for gloves, scarves, or even coats! My walk to work was so peaceful because when the wind blew, it wasn’t biting at my skin, it was just a gentle breeze. It was calmer for me today because I was actually in the office, instead of off visiting a work site. Cooper Carry has been great for me because the employees there seem to care about me and my interests. It’s interesting to see the business side of the firm, because when you’re having fun designing projects, it’s easy to forget that there will always be bumps in the road. There is a lot of head butting in this industry. In the meetings I have attended, I saw architects that work for Cooper Carry argue their point to the contractors, who often disagree with them. As one of the architects described, the industry is filled with “dirty work”. The experiences we are all getting at our different internships are the ideal way to get an accurate idea of what the industry is. A lot of hard work goes into the end result, no matter what the project is. For example, Caroline Segers is currently researching for a $15 million case for her law firm. Isabelle Kohler attended a 4 hour meeting, but the information from the meeting was valuable to her learning experience. My favorite meeting so far has been the one I attended today. We discussed social media and the way designers can create interactive shopping. We also talked about how the interactive displays affect the shoppers’ experience in a retail location. Tonight, we all attended the Harpeth Hall alumni event, featuring the one and only Ann Teaff. Dr. Balmer was there as well. It was fun to see everyone so dressed up. I met the woman who helped me setup my internship, while others met an alum who works in the White House.
-Josephine Fentriss-
Harpeth Hall D.C. 2017 