It was wonderful beginning our corporate social responsibility class this week! I have particularly enjoyed beginning the class by discussing WSJ posts. I think that the discussion that arose because of Addy’s post was fascinating and fun. Having commented on her post originally, it was really interesting for me to see how my views were questioned by what other people said. I’m excited to explore many different topics this summer as a result of similar discussions. Additionally,  I feel like my financial/corporate vocabulary has already begun to increase in this class. I know this is not the primary objective, but it is nice that I am understanding the technical side of business more as I learn about the ethical side. 

The highlight of our internship seminar this week was our analysis of the Parable of the Sadhu. I was fascinated to hear my classmates’ opinions and was surprised by how much people’s opinions differed. Many people seemed to think that the answer was straight forward, while I was left contemplating what I would have done in this situation. I think it taught important lessons about how people are affected by group mentalities and huge personal goals. Although I consider myself to be a morally-sound and caring person, I don’t know for certain what I would have done. I think anyone who claims to know what they would have done is underestimating how heavily your situation can affect your decisions. I look forward to similar conversations in this class in the future. 

I had another great week at my internship. On Monday we visited a new Spaces location and I played ping pong with one of my coworkers (and lost unfortunately). However, for the rest of this week most of my coworkers were away so I was remote. This made me realize how much I enjoy being in person. I missed our chats and breaks together. A few of my coworkers are still away next week, but my boss will be back, so I am looking forward to being in person with her. I found it harder to get my work done this week. I thought that the time saved on transportation would make me more productive, but the lack of a formal work environment was unmotivating. However, I am still happy with what I produced this week and my boss seemed to like it too when I presented it to her via zoom on Friday. 

I had so much fun this weekend at Lake Como! My friends and I decided not to go on the hike and, instead, walked around stunning botanical gardens. It was one of the prettiest places I had ever been and I had a lot of fun walking through and taking pictures. After that we got to do a little bit of shopping in the downtown area before going to lunch. I was surprised to find stores that felt more authentic and exciting than the ones at Lake Maggiore because I assumed Lake Como was more touristy. It was so much fun exploring these authentic Italian shops and even seeing an artist painting while I explored her watercolor shop. I wish I had gotten more time to stroll and relax by Lake Como, but there was so much to see and do in such a short time. I definitely want to go back sometime with friends or family to continue taking in such a wonderful place.