Sara Menand’s Blog Post #2: Week Ending June 3, 2023

Sara Menand’s Blog Post #2: Week Ending June 3, 2023

(1) Academic Course on Corporate Social Responsibility

In class this week with professor Gupta, we started to discuss our Wall Street Journal posts. On Monday, we began by discussing a couple articles related to the DeSantis versus Disney battles in Florida, and we discussed the implications then on the Disney corporation and the Florida political environment. These articles are a great way for us to begin to learn more about current events, and they relate really well to our discussion about corporate social responsibility. 

With the WSJ posts, we also held a couple of debates surrounding some articles about the responsibilities of corporations to their customers. The first was about banks earning profit on mortgage rates. Then, we talked about an article talking about a bank’s innocence regarding a bank scam on one of its customers. Both of these articles and following debates worked well with our class topics and allowed us as students to begin getting used to the discussion style of the class and learn to look at both sides of an argument.

(2) Practicum in Milan with an Italian Company

At my internship this week, I was able to start training with BTS Bioengineering’s products in order to better understand my role in the product management part of the company. I was able to use the GWALK device and take a couple of tests to better understand how the technology and computer program worked for physical therapists and trainers. This training then led into my next task for the company, which is updating their many product information powerpoints to have a more modern look. It has been very informative to go through these powerpoints, and a great way to continue updating my skills within the Microsoft Office programs. Next week, I look forward to presenting my new slide formats and training on the NIRVANA technology as I continue working at BTS.

On top of this, we also were able to visit the Last Supper with IES. This field trip came as a part of our Italian curriculum, and we were all so excited to get one of the most coveted tickets in Milan. Seeing it in person was quite a gift!

The Last Supper field trip with IES

(3) Social and Cultural Immersion through Travels in Italy and Europe

After settling into Milan last week, we were able to really explore the city this week and dive more into the cultural aspects of living here. To kick off the week, we were able to go to all you can eat sushi with Professor Gupta on Monday. While this wasn’t the biggest embrace of Milano culture, it was a great way to bond with the cohort and spend some time together at a big group dinner in Milan– we even decided that Monday nights we should plan to always do a meal or Aperitivo together as a weekly tradition because of it! Speaking of Aperitivo, this was one of the main cultural rituals we began to partake in this week. Wednesday after class, a group of us headed to Bar Magenta for Aperitivo, and we got appetizers and drinks together after walking straight from class. Following that, we started participating at various Aperitivo events after learning more about how they were a big part of the worklife in Milan. On top of this, most of us began cooking our own meals this week rather than simply going out three times a day. Grocery shopping was quite the culture shock mainly because the brands we were familiar with weren’t totally present in the Italian supermarkets. It was fun to start cooking, though, and Maddy and I were able to have some fun dinners while making fresh pasta. 

Outside of exploring Milan, we also were able to do two trips this past weekend. Friday we spent most of the day in Verona with IES. It started off with a trip to a winery right outside of the main city, where we had a tour through the historic cellar followed by a wine tasting. The tasting was a great experience, and afterwards our host was generous enough to gift us an extra bottle while a group of us hung out to chat rather than walking around. After the winery, we had a walking tour through the city center of Verona with the most amazing tour guide, Cecelia. She led us all throughout the city, listing fun facts and history about almost every building and monument possible. On top of that, we got to venture inside of the Arena. While sitting in the “nosebleed” seats, we even got to sing our own song to experience the Arena’s magic (the obvious choice being “Love Story” by Taylor Swift). After a long day exploring the city, a couple of us grabbed some Aperol spritzes before heading back to the train station and going home. The next day, Saturday, we then planned another one of our own trips to Lugano, Switzerland. This was our first adventure outside of Italy and into surrounding Europe, and while we hadn’t planned an itinerary for most of the day, it was one of the best day trips I have ever had. After sprinting to catch our train (followed by some untimely train maintenance), the quick one hour train ride brought us to the center of Lugano where we grabbed a quick lunch. After that, the group split in half: one group continuing to walk around and explore and the rest of us taking a boat out on the lake. Jon and I both had the privilege of driving the boat around a bit on the lake during our rental hour, and it was an amazing experience to be floating around a Swiss lake. Afterwards, the group came together again for dinner before heading back to Milan. After having my first experience in Switzerland, I know I very much am looking forward to the next time I am able to travel to a Swiss city to continue to explore the country.

All you can eat sushi with Professor Gupta!
All of us hanging out int he backyard of Aparto
A group of us in front of the Duomo in Milan
Kat and I outside of the Arena in Verona
The winery in Verona
Lugano, Switzerland
Driving the boat on the lake in Lugano
Maddy, Sam, and I in Lugano, Switzerland

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