During my first day of the Work Experience Program, I started out at Trailblazers Studios. Trailblazers is a video production studio that does everything from developing ideas to editing material. Today started at the first stage of video production: development. Going in, I didn’t know much about this stage in the process. What exactly did the development team do? I shadowed Makenna and Sydney, who are part of the development team at Trailblazers, to find out. As they shared different reals and clips they had put together for pitches, I learned that their job is to come up with ideas for different shows, documentaries, etc. Once they find people or concepts that fit the bill, they conduct interviews and gather footage to put together a short clip to pitch to different companies who might want to put the show on their platform. They put in all this work and most of the time their ideas are turned down. It’s a unique field because they have to do a little of everything: they have to create the idea, produce some film, edit the film down to a real, and pitch the ideas to different companies. I learned that the two women in the development office that I shadowed spend most of their days brainstorming by scouring the internet. They collaborate and stay very busy with multiple projects at one time. Today we spent most of the day looking at different projects they were working on. I even got to help find people that would be willing to be on a specific project Sydney was working on. This particular example was a short 5-minute-long miniseries that would air on Snapchat if approved. Overall it was a great first day full of learning and laughs.
Category: Z WEP Archives
Day 1 at the ACLU
My first day of my Work Experience was a whirlwind. I embarked upon my journey at 8:55 a.m., when I shifted my car gears into drive and began blasting Kendrick (side-note: his concert was amazing) through my mediocre sound system. I arrived at the general assembly building with a couple of minutes to spare: I had allotted myself enough time to wade through the security line and head to the lobby, where I met Sarah Gillooly, the ACLU’s Director of Political Strategy and Advocacy. She was in quite a hurry–the state’s budget bill had been released the previous night and she was working on the release of a memo explaining its specifics. Unfortunately, I learned, the budget bill had been forced through the democratic processes using a loophole which allowed the combination of two separate bills in order to avoid discussion and expedite its passage.
Sarah led me to the appropriations committee room, and we listened to the testimony of the bill for a little under two hours. The sponsors of the bill discussed its different facets, including teacher pay, school safety, correctional facilities, and disaster relief. To be honest, most of the discussion was dry and the numbers went over my head. Nonetheless, I garnered a specific criticism about the bill: it allotted funds to SROs and teachers with arrest privileges as well as security equipment, but the word “gun” was not mentioned once. As someone who is quite passionate about gun reform, this was angering but not at all surprising. At least the arming of teachers had been scrapped.
We left the committee meeting at about 11:30 to eat lunch at the General Assembly Cafeteria (throwback my elementary school mother-daughter dates!). There, I met with another staff member of the ACLU, Susanna, and a younger intern. We discussed the following agenda, including the perinatal summit advocating for the rights of incarcerated women that I will be attending in Durham on Thursday. I learned that North Carolina has been harshly criticized for its allowance of shackling–chaining pregnant convicts to beds during labor–and that it is currently in the process of amending its policy (although I’d rather call the “policy” of shackling inhuman).
Following lunch, I followed Sarah around various offices in the General Assembly as she met with different legislators and legislative assistants.
My day pretty much ended at 1:30, because I had been invited to speak at a rally on Bicentennial Mall for the Poor People’s Campaign for demilitarization, gun reform, social justice, and equity. But speaking was an amazing experience, so I might as well talk about it here anyway.
At around 2 pm, I approached the makeshift stage on Bicentennial Mall. I said hello to my colleague Ava Autry (we’re basically professionals) and proceeded to climb the steps of the platform. I was slotted to speak after Reverend William Barber (a tough act to follow). I stood onstage as he presented his speech– wonderful, passionate, and enthralling—and then it was my turn to talk. I highlighted the absence of the word “gun” in the budget bill (applied learning!) and elaborated on studies detailing the importance of gun reform. Afterward, Reverend Barber expressed his pride in my speaking abilities and invited me to march with him back toward the general assembly building.
I took him up on the offer and we walked side-by-side. The experience still seems surreal–I mean, the great Reverend William Barber and the student, Lily Levin, marching next to each other? Who would have thought! Anyways, we marched into a building next to the general assembly building, where the budget bill appropriations committee was STILL being held. I realized that it was about 3:20, and I needed to leave to embark on my next adventure–swim practice–so I bid the other protesters goodbye, gave Reverend Barber a fist-bump, and left the premises. After I left, I learned that 12 protesters were arrested for purposeful trespassing. I wouldn’t trespass, but I’m glad I wasn’t arrested! That wouldn’t be in the Charger spirit.
All in all, what a day. Definitely not what I was expecting, but that’s life! Unexpected. I’m glad I had this adventure.
Day 1- Recording in Moeser Auditorium
Yesterday was my first, and last day of working with Mr. Yaffe. He is a music producer and a cellist in the North Carolina Symphony. On Memorial Day I was given the opportunity to sit in with him while he was recording a live group of three people.
I showed up about an hour before the recording. There, Mr. Yaffe showed me how he set up the microphones and all the technology necessary in order to properly record the artists in a wide open space. Even though there were only 2 instruments and one vocalist being recorded, ten mics were used. I learned a little bit about different kinds microphones and how each one captures sound differently. A ribbon mic, for example only catches sound in front, and behind it, while a cardioid microphone captures sound in a heart-like shape.
After I was walked through all the materials set up on stage, I was brought back to where the music producer and director sit, which was much less glamorous then the large, fancy auditorium. None the less, it was cool.
In there I was shown around the small area a bit, and Mr. Yaffe explained to me how the programs on his computer assist with the recording process. After that, for the next six hours (not including a two hour dinner break) I got to listen to the music being played on stage. I learned a lot about how the recording process works and the difficulties of being both the person being recorded as well as the producer. It was fascinating to see how the individuals around me have been trained to listen and catch certain errors within the music and work with the artist to fix them.
Unfortunately, Mr. Hodgen (the man I am doing the rest of my work experience program with) had to go to the doctors this morning, and decided that our first day together should be tomorrow the 30th.
Day 1 at the SAS Institute of Technology
Today was a wild day. I had flown back in from a debate tournament really late the night before, and I had not really slept that much on the trip itself (case writing was pretty last minute). But in the words of George Washington, “better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” I woke up a bit late, and did regretfully show up seven minutes late; parking was horrendous as well. I apologize to both the SAS institution and Cary Academy for not representing the Charger way. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I was greeted by a smiling Mrs. Dougherty (University Recruiting Director) and the six smiling faces of Matthew Cinoman, Kevin Chen, Matthew Schaeffer, Megan Tunley, Jessica Judge, and Will Parker. That’s when I knew it was going to be a good day.
We first began with an intro session to what SAS was all about. Through the videos, I began to get a better grasp of what data analytics is really all about. I’m pretty sure at its core, it’s all about isolating a multitude of variables and then finding the relationship between the important ones through a series of graphs and info charts. I thought the most intriguing part of this field however, was the human aspect that was still necessary in an industry that’s so saturated by technology. There are still data analysts that have to interpret the data and convey the information to the people that need it, instead of the computer just churning out conclusions and then printing them out on a piece of paper. As AI continues to grow that might not ring as true, but it was comforting to know that as of now, there is still a place for humans in the world of data analytics.
After this session we had lunch in the C building. It was free (although SAS employees have to pay, it’s still very cheap) and delicious; an unbeatable combo. Another thing about SAS’s amenities is that they have soda available everywhere. For a kid that grew up obsessed with sodas it’s a dream come true. However, because of athletic pursuits (haha), I am a bit more health conscious now.
After lunch I went to the finance division of SAS. I was toured around by John Wilson, and the first person I met really just seemed genuinely interested in me. We discussed potential majors, and I got a better idea of what options were available. She majored in accounting, and she does more project based work. I also learned that FASBY kind of standardizes the field of accounting. Then I met with Mr. Wilson and we talked about basketball, then he showed me a spreadsheet. From what I can tell, I’m pretty sure it did mainly subtraction and found percent change. Lastly, I met with a guy who was super nice. He apparently keeps track of all the expenses, but I thought the coolest part was that he also had to track how much all of SAS’s assets depreciate. In general, these people were incredible at using Excel, and inspired me to learn the power of the spreadsheet.
*I apologize for any grammar mistakes, I’m a bit tired
Legos, Marketing and Campers, Oh My!
During the first day of my Work Experience Program, I was introduced to the Cra – Z – Brain environment, as well as the campers. Cra – Z – Brain focuses on the importance of early childhood education, and also acts as a track out camp for elementary school children The average camper age falls in the range of kindergartners to rising sixth graders. The first half of the camp day was geared towards working with the students and inspiring creativity, as well as getting to know the kids. We played with Legos, which sounds really arbitrary until you realize what is actually happening during this activity. Kids are given the opportunity to create freely, with no restrictions. This allows them to work in areas they are passionate about. One of the students I worked with was very excited about cars, so he designed a Lego car with the fastest speed and most stable weight distribution possible. Another child designed a house, and specifically color coordinated each room to match the purpose of the room. While these activities may seem like pointless time fillers, they let kids experience what it is like to be an engineer or an interior design artist. After spending time with the kids, I discussed advertising and the inner workings of the business with Mr. Rothrock. During this time I also created an outline of what I wish to accomplish in the upcoming weeks. I plan to spend the morning camp working on advertisement and marketing, and work with students in the afternoon. From this structure of internship, I will glean information about both business and education. After lunch, I led a camp session independently to help the kids get used to my presence in the business. Most of the revenue comes from returning members, so it was strange for the kids to see a new face on “campus”. I’m very excited to continue tomorrow, as I had a wonderful first day!
Day One – 5/29
Luke and I both arrived at NC State this morning ready to meet Dr. Laber for the first time. After some very frustrating parking confusion, we found a public parking deck and made our way to the statistics department. He met us, then we got an hour long presentation on Laber Labs, what they do, their mission, various projects they’ve done, and an overview of basic statistics terms and concepts that were quite confusing. After that, Dr. Laber walked us around campus to show us the dining options, coffee shops, the space where we would do most of our work (The BOM, Bureau of Mines), and various facilities Dr. Laber likes to hang out at. After the tour we got about an hour to eat some lunch and relax a little bit before heading over to the BOM to meet Allison Wu, a graduate student working on a project with chess to help combat human trafficking. She was working on creating a lot of images of chess boards to create and develop a software to identify underaged people who might be at risk or in the process of being trafficked. Allison was very nice and showed us all the ins and outs of her project. We helped her use her software to take images of the chess set with Nona, the chess-playing robot she had set up. After working with her, eating some Howling Cow ice cream, and continuing to help her out with her project Louie and Eric took us over to their Makerspace where they housed lots of 3-d printers. They showed us the setup and something that they were 3-d printing for a project right at that moment which was neat.
Day 1 – Creating Bone Adhesive Samples
This afternoon, I began my Work Experience Program at Dr. Ken Gall’s lab in the Chesterfield at downtown Durham (a Duke labspace). After receiving a short tour of the lab space from a friendly student, I met with the supervisor Dr. Kirillova and Olivia, one of the undergraduate students working in the lab, and we discussed the specific project they are currently working on. Dr. Kirillova is working with another startup, Launchpad Medical LLC, to create a bioresorbable bone adhesive that can ideally be used efficiently and effectively with future medical patients that require bone treatment. To my surprise, the creation of such mineral-organic bone adhesive was inspired by the sandcastle worm, an animal that secretes unique fluids that has the power to “glue sand together.” I learned today that the bone adhesive used in the lab is formally known as “tetranite,” a powder made up of tetracalcium phosphate (Ca4O(PO4)2) and O-phospho-L-serine. The adhesive is unique in that its initial powder form turns gooey immediately after contacting water and eventually solidifies into a solid. In theory, the adhesive may be applied in between two broken bones and solidify quickly to hold the bones together. The substance’s strength and porosity can be adjusted based on the porosity of the bone marrow being treated. For example, a cortical bone requires a “uniform layer of adhesive” because it is less porous and a cancellous bone will host an “irregular adhesive that penetrates into pores” due to its higher porosity. Additionally, the bone adhesive is biodegradable, so in theory, the adhesive will extinguish itself overtime within the bone and new bone marrow will form to fully heal the broken bone. In fact, previously conducted research on a rabbit revealed that 75% of original bone tissue reformed in just one year after it was originally broken, using the bone adhesive to mend the broken bones back together.
As I mentioned earlier, the bone adhesive can be modified for different strengths and porosity using “fillers.” (Usually, higher porosity will decrease the strength of the adhesive, so finding the right balance for different applications is crucial to the use of these adhesives). The three main fillers I learned about were NaCl, fibers, and powdered titanium, which we tested today in the lab for the first time! Generally, adhesives with added NaCl demonstrate higher porosity and that with added fibers yields higher strength; the titanium has yet to provide conclusions. Today, I learned how the samples of bone adhesives with added fillers are made in the lab prior to being tested for strength and porosity. Olivia prepared samples with added titanium powder, and I had to exciting opportunity to prepare samples with added NaCl.
The process by which the sample is made is quite interesting. I was provided with the luxury of using a pre-made mixture of tetranite and NaCl, but in theory I would have first calculated the right amounts of each separate powder and mixed them together. After massing out the correct amount of the combined powder into a small mixing apparatus, I ensured that the powders were mixed homogeneously to create the most accurate sample. I then pipetted 405 microliters of deionized water into the mixer and quickly mixed the water in before the bone adhesive started to solidify. The immediate reaction between the powder and the water really surprised me at first! To create a sample of a specific shape and size, I put the new gooey substance into a syringe and excreted it into a small cylindrical mold, scraping off the top edges for excess material in order to ensure a smooth sample. The substance fully solidified after about 15 minutes, and I used a drill bit to pop it out of the mold and put it in a phosphate buffered saline. This vial was placed in a warm water bath at 37*C (close to body temperature), and we plan to polish the samples after they sit in the water for another 48 hours. The solid samples will be strength tested in order to predict their strength performance in real-world applications, like when inside patients’ bones.
I am happy to say that my first day at the Chesterfield lab was an exciting and rewarding one. I was delighted to be given the wonderful opportunity to actually create some samples myself! At first, I was a bit apprehensive of my abilities to create a sample that would match the quality of the ones Olivia made. Yet, after about three tries, I can confidently say that I made a sample that was much better than what I had expected. After spending less than four hours in the lab today, I left feeling that I had accomplished something substantial and learned about a project that truly intrigued me. Overall, the state-of-the-art lab equipment in Suite 420 was more impressive than anything I have ever laid my eyes on, and I cannot wait for another day of learning at the lab tomorrow!
Day 1 – Overview of Marketing @ SAS
I started my day at 10:00 a.m. today meeting with Christie Dougherty, who works for HR at SAS. Christie gave us a tour of the building and showed us all of SAS’s amazing amenities. Once we finished our mini-tour we sat in for a “SAS Culture” presentation. The presentation basically gave an overview of the history as well as what SAS does. They explained that SAS does everything from finding the quickest/most cost-efficient route for Boston school buses to figuring out when a debit card is being used fraudulently. The presentation was really cool and went over many aspects of SAS. After the presentation we went over questions and ate lunch. A fun fact is that the building in which we ate lunch in, was the same building that was used to film in the Ironman 3 movie. Some of the SAS employees even got to be extras in the movie.
After lunch I met my mentor, Ms. Liz Hamner. Liz Hamner is a senior marketing partner. We got to know each other and went over my schedule for the rest of the week. Liz also told me about a project that she was working on with the Harvard Business Review. After meeting with Liz, I spent some time talking with Mr. Scott Batchlor, the marketing partner manager. He explained to me the “Customer Journey.” The customer journey is a diagram which they base all of their sales and marketing behind. The drawing that Scott drew is the picture above that I chose to feature in this post. The funnel on the left is what most companies use (and SAS used to use), while the diagram on the right is their new adopted “Customer Journey.” We also talked about the marketing as a whole, and the difference between B2B (business to business) vs. B2C (business to consumer). Tomorrow I am very excited to meet with many different people and discuss their specific part of marketing!
Day 1- NCSU Oncology Department
On the first day of the Work Experience Program, Madison S and I visited the Oncology branch of the NC State Vet School which deals with all things cancer –such as diagnosis and treatment. We quickly learned that the Oncology department is one of the slower departments of the Vet School as we had an hour of downtime in the morning before morning rounds began. However, once the hour of learning everyone’s name and talking a little bit more about what goes on in the Oncology ward of the hospital, morning rounds began. During the morning rounds, all the doctors and lab technicians in the room discussed the schedule for the day which would include two new patients—Mochi and Bailey—who were suspected of having tumors. The morning rounds took about an hour to complete and then we were ready to meet our first patient of the day: Mochi. Mochi was small pug who had previously had a mast cell tumor excised from his scrotum with passable margins (only 1 cm, not the ideal 2 cm) but presented with a new mass on the upper part of his scrotum. A mast cell tumor is a tumor that is malignant and is the most common form of cancer in dogs that can be treated with excision. Mochi was then admitted to the hospital in order to aspirate his scrotum to put some cells under the microscope to determine the proper diagnosis of mast cell cancer. While looking under the microscope at the cells gathered from aspiration it was clear that there were concentrations of cells surrounded by elevated red blood cells, indicating a tumor. During Mochi’s stay at the hospital, many of the veterinarians discussed several possibilities for the mass on the scrotum if pathology confirmed that it was not malignant. However, pathology reports came back confirming that it was, in fact, a malignant tumor of mast cells.
After the diagnosis and treatment plan for Mochi was finalized, Madison and I were given a tour of the veterinary hospital by one of the senior residents on call. While traversing through the different areas of the vet hospital, I was struck with the realization that it much resembled that of a hospital for humans. We got to see areas such as the Surgical, Radiology, General Hospital, and ICU wings. While touring the hospital, we learned that some cats with MTC can present with elevated and remarkable CBC/Chem panels, but once the spleen is removed, these numbers often drop to within normal limits. However, the senior resident said that the reason for the decrease in the numbers due to a splenectomy is unknown, it is an unknown mystery. The second patient of the day was Bailey, a 9-year-old English Springer who had a mass on her spleen and decreased appetite and energy. Bailey—the dog—was admitted for new blood work, repeat ultrasounds, and a chest x-ray to see if the tumor on her spleen was benign or a lymphoma which the vet doing the consult was leaning towards. The vet did suggest aspiration of the liver and the spleen in order to determine the type of tumor on the spleen, but the owners strongly refused due to worrying over possible complications. However, after several hours and after all the tests, the results came back inconclusive and Bailey is coming back to the hospital tomorrow to have her liver aspirated! Overall, it was a great day and very informative about the different types of cancer in small animals.
Day 1 – Introduction to Aerodynamics
Arriving on NC State’s Centennial campus, I was warmly greeted by Dr. G and two Ph.D. students. They gave me an introduction to aerodynamics and showed me their current research projects: understanding, formulating, and calculating equations that fully represent the motions and aerodynamics of a bug’s wing during flight.
As an introduction to aerodynamics, I learned about Reynold’s number, leading-edge vortex, CFDs, and more. The Reynold’s number is essential in computing the aerodynamics of an object, accounting for four variables: size, viscosity, velocity, and density. When Reynold’s number stays constant, the aerodynamics of the object stays constant. The leading edge vortex is created when an airfoil is angled in a way that does not allow fluid to pass over it smoothly. Other vortices can form and detach at the tail-end of the airfoil. Below is an image displaying the change in vortices due to the change in airfoil angle. CFDs, also known as computational fluid dynamics, accurately and colorfully shows how fluid would pass over an object.
Figure #1. The Forming of Vortices in Relation to Airfoil Angle.