Welcome Back to Reality

Hey Edsters! Hope everyone had a fun July 4th weekend, but now it's back to the grindstone — waking up early this morning was rough. It was finally "real" summer weather! I was able to blow the dust off my bathing suits and take a dip, and I'm eating BBQ leftovers for lunch today. (To save $$, I mostly brown-bag it.)

I spent the weekend in Washington DC — unfortunately no Obama spottings, although the 4th was Malia's birthday! — where I went to the Newseum. For those of you who haven't been or haven't even heard of it, it's a must-see for anyone vaguely interested in the media, or even those who aren't. This 250,000-square-foot museum of news blends five centuries of news history with up-to-date exhibits on technology convergence and the 2009 election.

My favorite parts of the Newseum included the exhibit of all the Pulitzer-Prize-winning photographs throughout history; the 9/11 memorial floor (with never-before-seen video footage and an antenna from the WTC); and the cases of pullout drawers with front pages from newspapers dating back centuries. Oh yeah, and on the broadcast journalism floor, you can even record yourself on TV! Not gonna lie, I was pretty close to buying a shirt from the gift shop that read "Not Tonight, Dear — I'm On Deadline." Loved every minute of the 4+ hours I spent there!

Before I get back to work, I have another tidbit to share with all you interns, whether you're working hard or hardly working. I read an article called "Say Hello to Underachieving" by Alex Williams yesterday on the front page of the Style Section of the NYT. It's basically about the tough job market for college students and recent grads who are facing the longest recession period since the 1930s. One of the stats that hit home for me: the unemployment rate for 16- to 19-year-olds is 24 percent, up from 16.1 percent just two years ago. Oy. And internships available to college students have fallen 21 percent since last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The article failed to mention suggestions for the jobless — like volunteering, freelancing, blogging, or even starting your own business (think: babysitting, offering graphic design/tech help to elderly folks in your community who can barely turn on a computer). There are options out there, but this article still sent chills down my back.

Anyway, sorry to end on that note, but I thought it was a staple for young collegiates like us. Stay optimistic!

xoxo,
cyber intern