That's pretty much the theme to my internship so it's the theme of my first post!
Let me catch everyone up on what I've been up to the past two and a half weeks. I've been making about a thousand lists so this post will essentially be a wordy list.
Work:
I officially started my internship at Drum Corps International as the 2010 Events Operations Intern! (If you've never heard of Drum Corps or just want to see what is new check it out here: www.dci.org) On my first day of work I found out I have my own little cubicle and even had some lovely flowers waiting courtesy of my top boss. Unlike past years, I don't have one person I report to and they assign me work. That used to be the previous Events Operations Manager's job, but she's only been working there about a week longer than I have so she's still learning how everything operates. We're same boat friends. Instead, I am kind of drifting in the events department. I've been bouncing between the Travel and Meetings coordinator and the Events Manager. Everyone is extra busy tying to catch up before the season starts so sometimes they don't have anything for me to do right away. So far I've learned my way around the master database, stuck labels on show sheets for the contest judges, sorted All-Access badges for staff, judges, other important people and started a document called an event scope for MY FESTIVAL among other things I can't remember right now. I've been in and out of important looking/sounding meetings the last two weeks trying to iron out some details.
MY FESTIVAL! It's going to be the Thursday of Championships week during open class semifinals. The short of it is that it's a family-friendly, come see what drum corps is, celebrate that you're from Indiana festival. I'm the festival coordinator which means I'm in charge of the whole thing. It's going to be SO MUCH FUN! We've got some big acts in the works, but because we haven't gone public with the festival I can't divulge which groups we've approached. Stay tuned for more information/updates!
The office environment is pretty nice. Dress is business casual toward the casual side unless you have an important meeting that day. People are friendly and are trying to remember all our names. We (myself and the other five interns) tend to travel as a pack so it can be confusing at times. Our arrival was celebrated with much rejoicing. I'm still trying to figure how everything in the office operates, but I finally have matched names with faces.
Fellow Interns/Apartment:
I really like these people. We come from all areas of the country, but are, of course, united by our love of drum corps. Here's a list of who's who:
Amy- video productions intern (broadcast production major I think?), aged out of Phantom Regiment, euphonium
Darcy- journalism intern (Mag Design!), aged out of The Cascades, drummer
Kayla- public relations intern, drum major two years in high school, my roommate!
Nicole- ticketing/merch intern, color guard in high school, college's mascot is a piece of plaid
Ryan- graphic design intern, aged out with Bluecoats, has last year's poster tattooed on his leg... it's awesome!
We're all sharing one three bedroom/two bathroom apartment which sounds like it could be crowded, but surprisingly isn't. We have a TON of closet space so everyone gets their own. We have a pretty good shower schedule ironed out so we aren't rushed at night or in the morning. The fridge tends to be crowded with six people's food, but we survive. Our apartment complex is pretty decent. Ryan (the only guy) and I were the first to arrive so we were able to write a list of everything that needed to be fixed and we managed to get a brand new toilet, brand new stove and brand new dishwasher! The complex has a billion kids and we sometimes play washers with the neighbor kid. Our apartment is also right across from the playground so we all like to go out and swing at night. We spend our nights watching old drum corps shows, random movies or at the pool. The commute to the office is pretty nice because we're only about twenty minutes from downtown. We park in a cheap lot and walk about five to six blocks to the office. Not bad!
Indianapolis:
I really like Indianapolis and Indiana in general. The skies are so gorgeous here! We've ventured some around the city, but we have plans to find more things to do over the weekends. The Blue Stars rehearse here so we've been to watch them practice a few times. Madison Scouts are only an hour away and we intend to see them soon! The other weekend on an adventure, we found the best restaurant ever. It's called Yats (that's stay backwards or if you're like Amy, pronounced Z-taey). Delicious Cajun food and super cheap! We also made a friend at the local liquor store who marched Phantom Regiment back in the day. On the agenda for future adventures include Holiday World (located in Santa Claus), Indiana, minor league baseball games, women's basketball games and rambling around downtown.
Few things I've learned:
-Dan Acheson makes super strong coffee
-Event scopes are the lifeblood of show logistics
-Indy residents love their festivals!
-People in Indianapolis are generally pleasant. They will say hello on the street and wish you a good day.
-"I only enjoy sipping adult beverages for recreation."
-Yats is delicious no matter how often you eat it.
-In Indiana drivers do not necessarily drive AROUND roundabouts. They're more like turning suggestions.
I think this is an accurate description of the highlights of my Indianapolis experience so far. Stay tuned for more updates as I hit the road. First show in 12 days! See you in Louisville, KY!
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