Sunday, June 11, 2023
By:
I think I am a Metro professional now.
I am pretty proud that as a person who only uses their car to get anywhere back home, I seem to have figured out the Metro. That being said, all the walking I am also doing is making my Fitbit very pleased. All in all, this was a pretty solid Week 2. I am learning so much about so many things, which makes my curious little brain happy.
Work Stuff: This week was very different than last week, in that I got to experience firsthand how stories come to life at Physics Today. My mentors and I solidified the projects I will be working on for the next month or so, and I must say, they are exciting. I am branching out and writing about topics I don't normally write about, which I am eager to try. I know that writing about different topics and in different styles will expand my skillset and only help me grow as a writer. While I am nervous about doing a good job, I know I have plenty of people I can reach out to for help. Everyone has been very kind and has been teaching me about the timelines for the magazine, the types of content they write about for specific audiences, and the roles each person plays in creating a successful issue. Next week, I am going to learn about and begin conducting interviews that I will incorporate into my writing. I do not have much experience with this aspect of putting together a piece, so I am excited to learn about how what makes a good interview. There are 500 things I feel like I learned this week, but they are only making me more confident that science journalism is a career I want to pursue.
Fun Stuff: This week was loaded with fun activities. We had a video game night that Jenna (my roommate) and I hosted. We played Mario Kart, which is my personal favorite. I tend to get slightly competitive with that game (this is a lie, I get way too into it) but I don't think I scared anyone off, which is good. On Friday, I went to see a ballet show with some of the interns and it was pretty amazing. On Saturday, a large group of us went to the Pride Parade near Dupont Circle, which was so fun (picture below). I have never been Pride before, and I was so excited I had the opportunity to go. Watching everyone be so authentically themselves was inspiring to see, and I am so happy I was able to go and support the LGBTQ+ community in this way. On Sunday, I went to the Dupont Farmers Market, which had some pretty great produce. I bought and devoured an Italian sub from one of the vendors, and it was probably one of the best sandwiches I have ever eaten.
New Tradition: There is a little white board that was left on the front of our dorm door, which Jenna and I decided to use to make polls for people to answer as they walk by. We will change the poll each week, and I will report the findings here. This week, we asked everyone what their favorite pasta shape was. Penne and bowtie tied for 1st place with four votes each, macaroni and spaghetti tied for 2nd with three votes each, and ziti in 3rd with two votes. Stay tuned for next week's poll results.
Off into Week 3 we go :)
Hannah Means