Alexandra Litvak's Blog Post #4: June 9, 2024 | 2024 Lehigh-in-Milan with Professor Gupta

This week, we had a few readings and many in-class discussions and debates. Yesterday, my group was assigned to read an article that debated a bank’s negligence in leaving an old widow susceptible to fraud. I found this article interesting and loved hearing Professor Gupta talk about it. It was interesting to think about at what point the bank is responsible for their customers’ actions. During these debates, it is interesting to hear both arguments because usually there is a side that more people tend to agree with, but are forced to argue against. Although the class is on Zoom, it is still engaging and almost feels like we are all in person. The videos we watched this week about Adam Smith were also enlightening. I remember learning about Smith in middle school (not in this much detail), so it is funny to see what I remember!

This week in the internship seminar we read a story about a climber who made an unethical decision. We had a debate regarding this matter and it was clear that the group arguing that it was ethical to leave the man did not agree with what they were arguing. This was interesting to watch because it made people think differently and question what ethics are. This is related to our internship because people in America and Italy define ethics and trust differently. It also relates to the story we read for homework about cognitive and affective trust. People from different places lean more towards cognitive vs affective trust and it is very evident at work. After defining these terms, it made me think a lot about corporate America and how cutthroat everyone is. Like the hiker, people have their goals in mind and will go through anything or anyone to achieve them.

My internship this week was remote for 3 of the 5 days we worked, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I work better from home and can start earlier as well. I have a long commute every morning and afternoon (about an hour and 15 minutes), so once I get to work I am a little bit tired from being on the train, tram and metro, and need about a half hour to get settled in. Working from home eliminates all of that and I am happy that my boss pushes for some days in office and some days out of the office because I feel as though I am getting my work done more efficiently. This was the first week I declined a coffee and I used my tools from the internship seminar to do this. I told them that I would prefer a water, but I would come have breakfast and accompany them while they drank it. They did not seem at all offended, which was great for both of us. I enjoy getting to know my coworkers during these breaks and love how open they are about their personal life.

This week, a few friends and I went to the Lana Del Rey concert at a horse stadium near the IES center. These were last-minute plans, but we definitely made the most out of it. When we arrived, it felt like a music festival in which there were merchandise stands, food, drinks, and more; much different than an American concert which is crowded and little to eat. The biggest difference for me was that it was very obviously more laid back. Lana was scheduled to come on at 5 pm, but she did not step onto the stage until 9:30 pm! This shows the relaxed and laid back atmosphere Italy has, as in America it is always a rush and people are right on time. All of the fans made the most of the seemingly scheduled delay, took photos, ate food, and enjoyed themselves on that beautiful evening.