For class this week we spend a good portion of our time watching a film on corporations. A portion of the film that caught my attention was the effects of the way corporations run the meat industry can have on animals, humans, and the land. I have previously watched a video purely on this topic and it honestly turned me away from the meat industry for a long time. The treatment of animals and the way we alter their bodies to “grow” meat faster for consumption is extremely disturbing. The beef industry is particularly alarming. Cows will walk through their manure and that will end up in your food which can give you fatal diseases. Another part of the film that stuck out to me was the topic of DDT. I remember doing a reading called “Silent Spring,” that was published during the aftermath of harmful effects due to this pesticide. This book really called to attention to Americans the damage we can have on the environment, and was a pivotal moment for environmental policy. I overall really enjoyed watching this film because it ties really well with classes I took last semester and I look forward to our discussion on it next class!

For our internship seminar class this week, we continued to compare the similarities and differences between Italy and America. One of the topics that stuck out to me the most was covering the topic of sports and the pride that revolves around them. More specifically, college sports. We covered how competitiveness, cost, and distance from home can influence and drive this sense of pride Americans feel for their college which is not as relevant in Italy. We continued this discussion into politics and how both topics revolve around one or the other, a very polarized mindset. In sports, most of the time Americans feel strongly about rooting for one team, similar to how we are very set on a political candidate, it must be one not the other, because that would not suffice. Italian think differs from this because they have more of a gray area when it comes to mindsets revolving around these topics whereas in America everything is very black and white.

I had a super interactive week at my internship. Two girls from a local college who major in graphic design joined our team to discuss revamping our packaging. It was really interesting to see the amount of work that goes into something that is seemingly simple. Evey decision was debated until we agreed on the best choice, the color of the background, pouch/packet size, wording on the packaging, the list goes on. Being a part of the process was really cool and a fun switch up from the usual Excel assignments I am tasked with. My boss also had her assistant come for the week, he is also from Italy but works remote most of the time. Hearing his opinions as someone who has been a part of the brand since the beginning was really interesting as well. I had not realized how much progress Suitefood underwent already, but I am excited to be a part of this next step which seems to be a pivotal moment for the brand.

This past weekend I got the opportunity to attend the Mountain trip to the Alps and Lake Como. Upon arriving at the lake, the weather wasn’t great and I had low hopes for what the weekend would bring. The time on the lake was similar to our trip to Lake Maggiore, which was enjoyable, but the real excitement began when we ventured to the alps. We were dropped off in a parking lot by our bus and were told to load into the backs of jeeps. Jam packed and curious for what was to come next, we drove 30 minutes up a steep and jagged road that eventually led us to where we would spend the night. The cabin was super warm and homey. Upon arrival we were sat in the dining room and served one of the best meals I have had since coming to Milan. It was a 5 course meal filled with pasta, different meat dishes, polenta, cheese, and dessert. Everything was so delicious! The next day we enjoyed a hike where we were able to see where the cheese we ate the previous night was produced. It wasn’t a difficult hike but it was super fun and the views were tremendous! We finished up the day playing cards before getting back into the jeeps and enjoying the entertainment of the ride down. It was an overall great weekend, but my highlight was definitely the dinner!