Although we have yet to have the lecture pertaining to the corporate social responsibility course, the beginning assignments on the Wall Street Journal have given me some insight on what to expect for the course. When looking through an entry to comment on, a lot of the articles seemed to surround companies’ new found use of greener technology or sustainability in general. When thinking of sustainability, the protection of green spaces comes to mind as well. Comparing the cities in the US to Milan, it seems there is a greater emphasis on the protection and inclusion of the environment. Milan, even though it’s a highly densely populated city, still has so many clean, and well kept parks. I have to wonder if the companies in Milan are contributing to the seemingly cleaner environment by including sustainable practices, or if the Italian government puts strict regulation on the protection of their parks. 

Today we completed the first class of the Internship Seminar, where I found our class discussion about the difference between Italian and American work culture to be fascinating. My company, Exa Futures, has had American interns before, so my co-workers had a more set idea of how to integrate me into the company. Hearing about my peer’s first days in their internships was very interesting as I could compare and contrast my own experience. The emphasis placed on community seems to be a common theme found in Italian workplaces, which is a refreshing approach compared to the individualistic style of American companies. This idea goes hand in hand with the emphasis on coffee breaks, as we discussed in class and their importance in relationship building. 

The company I will be working for is called Exa Futures, a digital marketing agency focused on Big Data analytics. Here I hope it helps the team with process optimization, whether that be helping their tech analysts with some of their data organization and code, or their media team in producing reports for clients. The founder, Guiseppe, explained to me this week is all about integration and learning the roles of each team member so I can best assist Exa Futures as a whole. This more fluid role aligns with how the team at ExaF works; everyone is together in one room with a large shared desk in order to easily bounce ideas off each other and be in constant communication.

Saturday night, Lilly, livi and I were lucky enough to get last minute tickets to AC Milan’s last home game of the season. Soccer games are my all time favorite sport to watch, and the crowd at AC Milan was nothing like I have experienced in the past. Usually my eyes are glued to the field, but Milan’s sectors of the arena were so lively, it was practically a performance in itself. Although Milan was predicted to crush their opponent, Salernitana, it ended up being a close game in the last twenty five minutes, leading to a 3-3 tie. While this would have left a sour taste for Milan, it was one of their star players, Olivier Giroud, last game, so the match concluded with ceremony, leaving the crowd in high spirits after all.