This week in Professor Gupta’s Corporate Social Responsibility class, each group presented their findings on their final topics. The topics covered issues that are highly relevant to our world and future. I was particularly interested in the presentation about cancel culture. Growing up online, it’s something I’ve been very aware of throughout my life. My sisters and I often discuss it, especially when we see it happening to social media influencers. Hearing about it from a corporate perspective was fascinating. The group used Amazon as an example, highlighting how despite the backlash over worker treatment, the company’s size makes it hard to cancel. This raises the question: is Amazon too big to be canceled? If Amazon is too big to be canceled, does it mean that this corporation can continue to do illegal and harmful things with no consequences? Especially when they are not held to the same standard as individuals.  

In Professor Swain’s and Professor Gupta’s Internship Seminar, each group presented on a topic related to Italy. I found the presentation on the “Made in Italy” tag particularly intriguing. It discussed how these tags are more popular than products without them. I could relate because, when shopping at leather markets in Italy, I was drawn to items with this tag as they felt more authentic. I was surprised to learn there’s little regulation on these tags; just because a product has one doesn’t mean it’s actually made in Italy. The presentation mentioned that “Made in Italy” tags can be purchased online, allowing anyone to use them to attract customers. My group presented on sustainability practices in Italy, and it was interesting to hear how Professor Swain integrated these practices into her life there. I have struggled to adopt them while living in Aparto, because it is so different from the U.S.. As in the U.S., it is not part of everyday life to make sure your garbage is being disposed of correctly, which, is my opinion, is a negative. 

At work this week, my boss was on vacation in Barcelona on Monday, leaving just me and a colleague who is close in age. She played many popular American songs and asked if I knew them. I spent the rest of the time sending emails to various corporations, having finally received my online signature from Sofia over the weekend. On Wednesday, my boss returned, and I got to ask her about her trip. Sending my last emails was bittersweet. Saying goodbye to Caterina, who had been very kind and made my experience great, was hard. I’m excited to add this experience to my resume and discuss it in future interviews, as it’s a unique experience that sets me apart from other candidates.

This past weekend, a group of us traveled to Split, Croatia. I was nervous about flying, as I’ve only flown on U.S. airlines, but the flight was smoother than my trip from the U.S. to Milan. On the first day in Split, we visited a beach club. It was 90 degrees, and being near the water was amazing. The water was bright blue with small fish swimming in it. We had dinner along the water, enjoying the beautiful view. The next day, we went on a boat tour, jumping into the water at various points. I even jumped off the higher level of the boat, which was scary at first but exhilarating. That night, we dined at a restaurant where a stray cat joined us. The restaurant gave us milk for the cat, and he sat on my lap for the rest of the meal, eventually falling asleep. We had to catch an 8 AM flight the next morning, meaning a 5 AM wake-up, but it was worth it to see Croatia.

Beach Club in Split

Cat outside the restaurant we were having dinner at.

View on a walk in Split.