A Glimpse into the Owl’s Nest (Part II)
As I described in my last posting, my internship has not only entailed working in the Athletic Department itself but also helping out with in-game promotions during the men’s football, basketball and women basketball games. When I first came into this internship I did not know this was something I was going to get involved with but looking back on all my experiences I’m very glad it was something I got to participate in.
When I worked within the games, I was mostly involved with organizing promotional activities. Activities included handing out food during the free student tailgate, getting students to participate in events taking place during the time outs while also making sure everything is going to plan according to the script. Everything is so fast paced as you have limited time to set up for various activities during the time out and to assign everyone’s job positions. While at first it was very overwhelming as everything seemed to happen at such a fast pace, it also taught me how to think quicker on my feet and deal with high-pressure situations. I loved being able to interact with other students, and be able to in such a spirited environment. I have never been in such a high-energy workplace situation before, and I found it very easy to become immersed and excited within the craziness. Also, it was very cool to be able to stand on the sideline / court side during the games.
Overall I found it was surprising how much the marketing department gets involved with organizing student activities. Before coming into this internship I always assumed that there was an entirely separate division who would deal with such a job but knowing how much the marketing department does has really given me a greater appreciation to the athletics department but more so to all the people who work there. While working in the office served to be a great learning experience, especially in terms of honing my creative design skills, I came to love interning during the games and hope to be able to somehow get involved with it again in my future job endeavors.
