I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER

Students share their summer stories

MAD ABOUT ADS

Interning at the Advertising Council in the nation’s capital proved to be an enlightening experience for senior Patrick Hare. The aspiring ad executive was looking to spend his summer somewhere other than at home in small-town Williamsport, Md. Upon applying to several advertising internships, he accepted an offer to intern at the Ad Council in Washington, D.C.

"[The Ad Council] marshalls the forces of the advertising industry that creates pro bono ads for public service advertising," Hare explained. The Ad Council is a non-profit organization that fosters social awareness through public service announcements. The Ad Council crafted the ad campaigns "Drunk Driving Prevention" with the tagline "Friends Don’t Let Friends Drink and Drive," and "Wildfire Prevention," which makes use of the icon "Smokey Bear".

Working at the Ad Council and living in Washington, D.C., Hare said he found himself among politically and socially conscious people. From these influences, he said that he gained a new understanding of politics and an appreciation for Americans’ opportunity to vote. "[The people I worked with] really lived out what they were actually working for," Hare said. "The campaigns were things they really cared about and you could tell that."

Hare said that he used his time in Washington D.C. as an opportunity to explore and learn more about the city. Having this experience under his belt, Hare said he feels much more prepared for what lies ahead. "It wasn’t just an internship, it was a whole experience of growing as a person," Hare said. "I feel very comfortable now living on my own and starting fresh in a place all by myself."

HUT, TWO, THREE, FOUR

For some college students, 4:45 a.m. is about the time they’ll stumble in from a night of partying. But to sophomore Kameron Spencer, 4:45 a.m. meant time to wake up and start another grueling day of boot camp this summer. Spencer spent the first six and a half weeks of her summer in basic training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, as part of her service in the Air National Guard.

"When we first arrived [at boot camp, the officers] were all screaming as we came off the bus," Spencer said. "Everything is very discipline oriented there … everything." An average of four minutes was allotted for showering and no more than six minutes were ever spent sitting down for a meal, Spencer said. Several hours each day were spent marching in the sweltering Texas heat.

Though Spencer said she was very nervous about going to boot camp, overall it was a good experience and she did have fun. From the challenges she faced, Spencer came away with a newfound respect for those in war, and a deeper understanding of her own capabilities, she said. "You never know what you can do until you’re thrown into the situation and you have no choice," Spencer said. "I learned that I’m much stronger than I thought."

GREETINGS FROM IRELAND

With aspirations of writing screenplays and an Irish heritage, junior Ian Ryan was intrigued by JMU’s summer creative writing program in Ireland. The program was unorthodox in that participants traveled around Ireland as opposed to staying stationary in one city for the duration of the trip. The trip originated and ended in Dublin, but many other cities were explored in between.

Ryan benefited from the program’s many writing and reading assignments as well as the personal feedback, he said. "By getting to know [the professors] as people, you respect their opinions more," Ryan said. The professors encouraged students to talk to them on a personal basis, which Ryan said he thought was beneficial.

By traveling around Ireland, Ryan was exposed to the full spectrum of the country’s landscape and culture. He acknowledged that not only the curriculum, but the experience of traveling, also would benefit his writing.

"It’s hard to write when you don’t have experiences to pull from," Ryan said. "It wasn’t just the written word, but being steeped in all of that was really inspiring."

While reflecting on the trip Ryan said that he grew, learned and made lasting friends because of the experience. "I think I came to terms more with my weaknesses in writing and as a person," Ryan said. "[A trip like this] also forces you when you’re in a group of people who you don’t know … you have to step up and do things you’re really not used to doing."