Thoughts on the Semester...

At the beginning of the semester, I was unsure what to expect out of this internship program and was self-doubting after receiving the load of information during orientation. Jan spoke about her “best intern” and all of the things they accomplished which made me uncertain if I could make that big of a difference. From talking with previous interns, I knew that I should prepare myself to be thrown in the mix of things. Thankfully I had this prior knowledge, because it could not have been better said and helped me deal with the rush of emotions I had during the first week. I also had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation (now in a week and a half!), but The Des Moines Center Internship Program has challenged me in new ways and given me more insight and confidence.

One of the most challenging things for me has been prioritizing and multitasking on several projects while other projects popped up. I guess I’m the kind of person that gets really involved in one project and does not like switching gears before I reach a good stopping point. But eventually I became more comfortable with setting aside my current focus, be it responding to emails or writing newsletter articles, to attend a meeting or work on another project. At first, the interruption was frustrating and difficult for me but became easier and I value the learning experience.

This program has been a very valuable experience both personally and professionally. As a marketing major, I have participated in several class projects but they can’t compare to the growth, understanding, and knowledge gained in an actual work setting. Learning how to work with different personalities and generations, multitasking under pressure, and being responsible for a variety of tasks has challenged me and helped me discover my strengths and goals. I also have a better idea of the types of work that I enjoy and feel that this program has been a great transition to the ‘real world.’

Picture: My supervisor Jan Kaiser, Author David Herlihy, and I after David's program and book signing.

By: Lauren

A Hidden Treasure

Tonight my office, the Greater Des Moines Convention and Visitors Bureau held a "Sip n Social" event which is meant to bring our partners together with others in the community for a fun and realaxing evening of networking and socializing. This specific event had a holiday theme and was held at the Hotel Pattee which is in Perry, IA (Northwest-ish of Des Moines, about 45 minutes away)
This was the first sip n socialize I was participating in with the office because we had not had one yet this semester. I believe normally they have a good turnout with the number of people that show up but with the weather getting more unpredictable and the hotel being further out of the way, not as many people seemed to show up and most people knew eachother. So, in analyzing this event I would say there are certain factors that can affect the turn out of an event an organization might hold. Weather is a factor to take into consideration although not something a planner can do much about. Also, a location that is easily accessible and one that is well recognized or with a good reputation will attract a bigger and possibly more diverse crowd.
Ok, I was going to add a picture of the hotel here but it won't load so I'll add it in my last post.
With all that said however, I very much enjoyed the event! The food that was provided was delicious and the hotel offered us all tours of the hotel. I didn't know much about Hotel Pattee until on the tour my coworker turned to me and said "this place is so cool because every room is different!" and it turned out to be true! There were rooms named in honor of famous people who had stopped through the town and famous Iowans along with cultural rooms that represented the state. The picture you see is the two-lane bowling alley located down in the basement. The hotel is extremely unique in all it has to offer! I asked our tour guide if I could buy a room...

Kaitlin D

Unforeseen disappointment

- Keith

When I accepted this internship in Des Moines I was giving up something I look forward to every year - Iowa City during football season. I bought season tickets because I knew I would still make my way over for the home games, but I knew I would be somewhat disconnected. Since I work in an office full of ISU alumni there really isn’t much for Hawkeye football chatter. They really don’t seem to get that excited for games like hawk fans do, I wonder why. Sitting in the office staring at a computer screen for 9 hours a day really didn’t build too much excitement. Nonetheless, I tried to read up on the matchup during lunch breaks to mentally prepare so I could be on the same level as everyone else on Saturday morning.



The Iowa City atmosphere in the fall is electric because everyone has Saturday games to look forward to. This season brought high expectations due to the success we had last year and the return of so many key players. I figured I would be asking my supervisor for time off in early January for a mini vacation to California for the Rose Bowl. Since I have to stay and train the next intern after the Holidays I figured this would be a difficult task.

As the season progressed I started to get a little worried about the direction the team was headed. Losing to Arizona before the Big Ten schedule was bad enough, but after the Wisconsin loss I was in serious doubt. I was actually happy I to be away from all the students whining about the loss and acting like they know how to coach the team.



After the season ended last weekend and I stood in the freezing cold stadium listening to the “We hate Iowa!” chants I realized that I picked a pretty good season to skip town. I had such a good outlook coming into the season but was let down once again. I guess I should never assume the Hawks will ever live up to their expectations because the only time they DO have a good season is when they aren’t supposed to. In the end I didn’t have to ask for time off and am now saving around $500 by not going to the Insight.com Bowl. And since I set my graduation back six months I’ll have my last semester to try it all once again, maybe I’ll set my expectations a little lower next time.

Unforgettable Weekend

By: Hannah

I'm engaged!! Last weekend, my fiance (wow, can't believe I have a fiance) proposed to me. My mind is going crazy now. I haven't been able to concentrate on anything for the last week! I have been scrambling to get my speech prepared for tomorrow, but can't seem to take my mind off the wedding. It is July 2 of next year, that's why my mind is all over the place right now. Who REALLY knew the amount of planning that goes into this wedding thing?! I thought a few phone calls and consultations and BAM, it'd all come together. NO. There's so much more detailed things that have to get planned out and it's driving me nuts right now. But it is all worth it. I cannot express the amount of joy I am feeling about getting married.

So we were headed downtown to Splash for dinner on Saturday night and he had mentioned we had tickets to something after but he wouldn't tell me what. And I, being an organized/stick-to-the-plan person, was going crazy not knowing what we were doing. Anyways, we finish dinner and our waitress brings out a "complimentary dessert" from the chef. I'm thinking, "Who the heck is giving US a complimentary dessert?" She lifts the napkin and there it's sitting, the ring box. I immediately started tearing up. I had no idea this was even happening! It was the most amazing moment of my life so far.

So after we leave the restaurant, he's full of more surprises. He claims we have time before the "show" to check out a possible reception place that is close to where we are going. So we walk into the Suites of 800 Locus and go into the bar area and... SURPRISE. About 60 of our family and friends were there to congratulate us. It was all like something out of a movie. Just simply unforgettable.

So why such a soon wedding? My fiance graduated from Iowa last spring and moved to San Jose for chiropractic school. His time frames are very limited on when he can come back over breaks because they go to school year round there. Winter weddings are out of the question, so summer is the only other long [well, not really long compared to Iowa (only 4 weeks)] break he has. So, July 2011 it is. But, I am happier than ever and can't wait for what's to come.

Better Late Then Never

In preparing for my Service Learning project I wasn’t sure how to fulfill my requirement, so I started thinking of ideas that would appeal to me. When the idea of helping Habitat for Humanity came after a few family members had participated at the annual build day with their place of work. Before I had a chance to look into it I was asked by a classmate if I would be interested in doing a build day. Replying with “yes”, jumping on the opportunity though a little nervous at first. I wasn’t sure what to expect due to not having much experience with construction other than helping my dad on home projects.

Building a house? That’s right never would not have thought that participating in Habitat for Humanity Build Day would be so rewarding, not only for myself but for the community. A few weekends ago I volunteered my time at a home on the North side of Des Moines. I was in charge of nailing plywood panels to the studs, placing nails every 6- 8 inches then I covered them with foam for insulation, but first I had to make sure they were lined up so we could cut the foam to fit the windows.

Although I had fun minus the fact of people being too cold to work, so they just stood around most of the time. Why did you sign up to volunteer when all you did is complain? Not only was I giving of my time but I also had to put my beloved Hawkeyes on hold since they were playing at the same time. The game we all thought would be a blow out since it was against unranked Indiana ended with a nail bitter. Luckily I caught the highlights and glad they pulled out the victory.

The day went fast since as I kept busy working the whole time and felt like I achieved something when it was over. I enjoyed giving up my time to help those in need, which I would volunteer again either by myself, with a group of friends, family or classmates. You should try to volunteer if you can because until you do it you don’t understand the impact it makes not only on you but those you are helping as well. By doing this service learning project it made me realized how important it is to volunteer as I plan to give of my time in the future.

By: Cody

Supreme Court Chambers

By Tamra Gredell

My favorite part of the State Capitol tour was the Iowa Supreme Court Chambers. The most impressive piece of work was the judges’ bench. This piece was so elaborately carved it is unbelievable that someone could carve it by hand, not to mention the man who carved the panels of the bench was just 19. The intricate detail is something to be admired.

When our tour guide was telling the story of the judges’ bench I was stunned when she said that when four more judges were added to the Supreme Court they needed to extend the judges’ bench, instead of replacing the bend they searched for the man that carved the original bench. When they found him 60 or so years after he carved the original bench he agreed to add more panels to the judges’ bench. When looking at the judges’ bench there is no difference between the part carved when the man was 19 and the part that was carved so many years later.

The other fact I found interesting about the Supreme Court Chambers was that there are five sleeping chambers behind the court chambers intended for the judges to stay overnight because their homes were so far away. I thought it was smart of the builders to think of that when building the State Capitol Building, the Supreme Court judges were probably appreciative too.

I thought it was fascinating that we were able to go into the Governor’s office. I would think it would be a personal space with many important documents and other various important government things. Instead his office was wide open to the public, I wondered how the Governor felt about exposing his office to the public? I know I wouldn’t like it if random people walked through my office every day, guess that’s part of being the Governor.

I have never toured the State Capital before and I learned many interesting things, overall I thought this was a great experience.

I kinda sorta not really conquered my fear of heights...

I absolutely, positively loved the trip to the Iowa State Capitol! It's probably the historian in me combined with my love for the state of Iowa. I haven't gotten to read everyone's post on the capitol yet but I noticed Cody mentioned he thought it was good to have a guide to explain things and I totally agree, some of what she said confirmed information I already knew while other tidbits I learned for the first time. The way some people feel about going backstage for a concert or to meet someone famous is how I felt sitting in the Supreme Court Room or walking into the Governor's office. It was a great experience! There is really no point in listing all the rooms I enjoyed walking through because I enjoyed every single part. (Oh and a quick side note in reference to the title: I made it to the top but I was still shaking from being scared when we ended the visit haha!)

The theme or, message I took away from the guided tour was that the state government (and probably the state as a whole) feels it is important to preserve what the capitol was like originally. I agree with this restoration project not only because it brings out and promotes the beautiful and detailed work that the builders provided but it also shows how dedicated the state of Iowa was to showing the rest of the country that its people were proud and strong. I say this because I'm sure not too many people would think of Iowa as having one of, if not thee most outstanding capitols in the country. Nor do some people think much about the state in general. Just as Iowa tries to show in the current time and atmosphere that it is not in fact, a backwards state, so did the planners of the capitol by combining using Iowa materials (to show that the land, in various ways was able to provide resources), innovative minds of the Iowans and new technology to create a masterpiece. -Kaitlin D