In class this week we discussed 2 Business Roundtable statements – one released in 1997 and the other released in 2019. Our task was to debate whether the 2019 statement is empty rhetoric, or if it is a statement of the purpose for a corporation because it will bring about real change. I think that although the 2019 statement is much more clear and understandable than the original 1997 release, there is no way to ensure that the signed on companies will actually abide by the “promises”. Because this is not a legal document, companies have no obligation to actually implement the statement. On Wednesday, we watched the film A Civil Action. I enjoyed the exploration of the complex legal battle and the ethical dilemmas encountered in pursuing justice against powerful corporations.

This week at my internship at Gen-USA, I was tasked with researching competitors of the company Tacita. Tacita is an Italian electric motorcycle manufacturer that specializes in producing off-road and dual-sport electric motorcycles, and a client of Gen-USA. I enjoyed this research project because I was involved in real company business and got to engage with numerous employees and interesting sources. I have really appreciated my internship thus far because it has been an awesome experience to work with fellow interns and also more experienced employees of the firm.  For cooking class at my boss’ house this Wednesday, we got to prepare and eat home cooked lasagne. The lasagne was actually very simple to make, but it was absolutely delicious – even Jimmy ate it all! 

This weekend I traveled to Barcelona, Spain! It was my first time in Spain, and I was super excited to visit because it has been on my bucket list for a long time. We arrived around 7PM on Friday, dropped our stuff off at our AirBnb and went straight to tapas. Our dinner was some of the best food I have ever eaten and we sat at the restaurant trying new dishes from 10PM to 1AM. On Saturday, we went sightseeing around the city. Maddy, Sara, and I went into the Sagrada Familia, and it was absolutely amazing. That night, I got to see my Ukrainian childhood friend for dinner, and then she joined us on our night out with other Lehigh students abroad in Barcelona. On Sunday we rented a boat and it was so much fun getting to swim in the open water!