Sometimes I'm on the News

The job I have for the City of Tempe working with kids and learning the ins and outs of programming, is so much fun to me. I think the only thing that would be more fun than what I'm doing right now, is if I got to plan special events too.

Anyways, short post, but because I work in the recreation department on Tempe Town Lake, I get to promote the programs and classes that we put on. We do this in various ways. We put out fliers, post on facebook, instagram, twitter, and on the bulletin board in the facilities. But sometimes, we get to be on the News!

This morning I had to wake up early to be on channel 3 to be in the background of the news. Channel three was doing  a segment on a Kid's event that is going to happen at Kawanis park this Saturday morning. My job was to be in a kayak in the pond behind them with some other staff members and my boss in order to tell the public that we- The City of Tempe- will also be at the event allowing kids and adults to try out our kayaks and try to get them to join our classes and events that take place through the year.


It was fun! Literally took 10 minutes and then we were done. I like how my boss went about it. Alicia acts like its no big deal- does it all the time. She actually doesn't like being in the media, so when she is she makes me feel like its no big deal and keeps me humble.

But the five year old in me was pretty excited - not gonna lie.

The Struggle of Internships

After I had the visit with the career I went and looked into certain internships that she recommended and made sure to apply to them and look into more to possibly apply too.

The internships I found were mostly ones that were six month periods that eventually lead in to careers. That kind of scared me. The idea of something leading into a career is frightening. Filling out a cover letter and resume is also just as terrifying.

I like to think that I have a decent resume because I've been working since I was 16. I started in a retail store just being an associate, selling clothes and doing shipment. I worked that job until I was a freshmen in college, so at least I showed loyalty from that job. I quit working at the retail job when I started coaching for the City of the Tempe. Technically, I've been working for the city for two and a half years, but have been progressing through the levels of employment during the two and a half years.

When I first got hired by the City of Tempe, I was the assistant coach to the junior rowing team that I currently am head coach of. I worked under another college student named Will who I use to actually row with in high school (so I've known him for a long time). Working as an assistant with that group of kids at the time was pretty rough. The athletes only practiced three times a week, didn't race, and were the definition of recreational- no competition whats so ever.

I picked up another coaching job for a club called Rio Salado. I coached adults for them in the evenings after the juniors practice wrapped up. I didn't particularly enjoy the job. I was out too late and always got home so tired. I worked for Rio Salado for a year and a half along with the City of Tempe, until I quit working for Rio Salado.

I had been promoted to head coach for the City and school was picking up- plus I really didn't like coaching for the club- so I quit Rio Salado and just worked for the City of Tempe for about a month before I started to get anxiety of not doing anything and wanted to pick up another job.

I applied to work at Bass Pro Shops last summer and got hired there working in the Promotions department. I work a lot with events that the store puts on like Kid Summer Camp over the summer, Halloween trick or treating in October, arts and crafts during Thanksgiving and Santa's Wonderland

all during December. Its a lot of fun! Sometimes I give seminars about camping or forest conservation during the events to anyone who will listen. I'm glad I got the job, because in the long run it might be useful in future interviews if no one believes me that I have any outdoor experience!

So, looking back, I guess I do have some serious experience and I should be proud of the work I've done over the years. But applying for internships and jobs- its just scary thinking about "What if?" you know? What if what I've done and the work I'm currently doing isn't enough. Guess we'll all find out.

Career Services -First post

For my fist career post, I will write about the counseling appointment I had in substitution of attending one of the seminars or workshops because none of them had interested with me. I met with a woman for about twenty minutes about the options and possibilities that were out there for people getting a degree in Public Administration.

I told her about my plans to try and get my Masters degree in Public Administration after I graduate in December, and that I didn't necessarily plan to go straight in to a full time job - unless a particularly special one offered itself. She told me getting a Masters in this day in age is not a bad idea and that people in government will think highly of it- its not one of those accomplishments that will go unnoticed in future careers.

Getting passed the idea that I thought I didn't need to be looking at internships or careers right now because of my plans, we moved on to talk about what interested me in a job. I told her I wasn't exactly sure. I knew I wanted to do something that was involved- I never wanted to become locked behind a desk filing policies or filling out budget forms. That part of the job or a job that only entails that would send me of a cliff. I told her I wanted to be outside, which is why I got involved with parks and recreation. I want to lead people through the mountains on tours or show people the joys or white water rafting. I want to be in charge or a workforce that runs the day to day operations of a National Park or- maybe some day in the far off future- be the person within the federal government campaigning to keep those National Parks protected.

I have big dreams, according to the career services. She didn't discourage me though, she told me things like that take time and a lot of work and good luck but they are not impossible - if they were impossible the jobs would not exist.

I was given information about internships involved with National Parks that could lead to careers after I graduate, mostly interpretive summer internships where I would lead tours, help out a little with administration, answer tourists questions, or work in the gift shop/front lobby in places like Grand Teton National Park, Yellowstone, or Yosemite. I filled out applications for all of those and am
in high hopes.

But she also gave me one other internship choice that also has the potential to lead to a career after graduation. She gave me a brochure on internships in Washington D.C. that basically allowed you to follow someone working in the position that you would want to go in to. For me it would be the US Forest Service- and that option also interested me quite a bit.

Both options given to me are two things that I truly want to do, and I truly feel like I am at a fork in the road staring down two completely different paths. You know- one involves campfires and living in a cabin for 9 months of the year, and the other involves wearing a dress suit and the struggle of the federal government.

its scary to think that while I feel like I have this decision to make, it could also very well be up to the universe and have nothing to do with what I want. We're all just kind of swinging in between two different lives, not knowing if and when we are going to fall or on to which one.

Fundraising in the Oddest Ways.

I work in the office on Tuesday and Thursdays, and work Monday through Friday coaching the kids at the boat house. Usually on Tuesday and Thursday I get gas for the launches, clean up, respond to emails, pretty basic office-assistant stuff. However, now that the team's season is starting to pick up and races are starting this weekend I am also starting to do more and more work for the athletes during my time in the office on Tuesday and Thursday.

We've been trying to raise money for the team so that the kids can go to more races out of state throughout the season and become more competitive. Last week we started our first fundraiser, which is a letter writing campaign. A letter writing campaign is basically where each person on the team gives several addresses (between 3 & 10) and write letters asking for them to donate to the team. With 21 athletes, are goal for this fundraiser is 3 thousand dollars. With this money we would pay for plane tickets, transportation, race registration fees, gear, and new equipment for the team. Last year we raised $3,700 but also had more people on the team at the time, so we adjusted the amount to fit the size of our current team.

The athletes did a good job of bringing in their letters with the addresses provided, but in order to make the letter look official and ensure that the money is sent back to the team and not the athletes - I have to mail the letters through the city with city envelopes.  Since all athletes turned in roughly 5 or more letters, I had about 100 envelopes to address and mail during my shift on Tuesday. It took forever. Literally my entire shift was writing address and sealing envelopes so that they could be mailed out.

Our online site (https://fundly.com/ttlr-juniors-2015-fundraiser?showsteps=1)  is also opened just in case someone does not want to send a check or cash through the mail. Using and online fundraising website, people now have the ability to donate any amount online whenever they want to. This helped us bring in the most money last year, so we did it again this year because of the positive response it received. Hopefully within the next month letters will start to come back along with the online fundraising website getting some money.

Some of the other fundraising events that we are doing this year is an Ergathon at Tempe Market Place on March 21st. An Ergathon is an event that most of the teams on Tempe Town Lake do in order to raise money for the team. We bring our ergs, which are stationary rowing machines (they are in most gyms), and we set them up on the stage at Tempe Market Place outside Dave and Busters. While half of the team ergs, to show that we are "working," for the money, and the other half is out standing in front of the stage or in the walk ways with signs asking for donations. Usually the Ergathon brings in roughly $800.

If athletes or parents of athletes feel uncomfortable having their kids fill out letters to family or friends or asking strangers for donations, we always offer the kids a buy-out option. A buy-out option is where the athlete can be a sum amount to make up for not participating in the team fundraising. This way, they are still contributing to the teams fundraising, but don't become uncomfortable.

The last part of our fundraiser is a dinner night at Dave and Busters on April 9th. A dinner night is where the team goes to a local restaurant and part of the proceeds from their meals (and other diners, if they bring forward their receipt) will go towards the team. This is not our most profitable fundraiser, but is a great way for the team to come together and get to know each other better.

A life in a Day

          My days vary from hard labor to thumb twiddling. Depending on the breakage that happens to the equipment over the week, dictates how much effort I put in to work. Work today was a bit all over the place.
         I went in to the office during the morning and addressed issues dealt with registration, programs, classes, staffing, and any emails sent to me about the junior team that I coach (mostly from parents). Weirdly enough, responding to everyone's issues with registration, programs, classes, and concerns takes up to and hour or two. You would be amazed at how confused people become when you start doing things online or how badly they want you to hold their hand through everything.
         The parent emails probably take the longest though. Dealing with parents that trust you with their kids are very intimidating. They have concerns, questions, and mostly importantly - things to offer. As adults they have connections and networks that can help with fundraising and transportation when we are traveling to and from out of state races. Assuring that I appeal to them and make them feel welcomed with their offers is hard work, especially since I am so young but in such a high authority with regards to their kids.
          After responding to concerns and questions, I am then in charge of upkeep around the office and facilities. Getting gas for the safety boats that we use and addressing any damage to the equipment takes between 30 minutes to two hours - again, depending on how much damage has accumulated since the last time I came in (every Tuesday & Thursday).
       I'm done with my "office" shift at 1pm and then I get a break for two and half hours before I go back. This time, however, I don't go to the office and instead go straight to the facilities where my team meats Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm to practice. I coach high school kids ages 13 to 18 on a competitive rowing team on Tempe Town Lake and I would not trade the job for anything in the world. I have 21 athletes, co-ed, and they are all amazing in their own way.
            Coaching requires me to come up with a practice plan, boat line-ups, inform my staff of what will be happening that day during practice, what athletes they will be taking, and what the main goals/accomplishments are for the day. In two hours we have to accomplish a lot, and the flu that went around really struck my team hard so we've had a lot of absences.
            Once practice is over I have to wait around and make sure all of the kids get picked up and then I can leave.

Its kind of a busy day, but its not that bad when you enjoy it.

Don't be Afraid of the Water- You Should Fear the Birds

                   A couple people have left comments about how safe the water is in Tempe Town Lake, so I thought I would take a post and describe some of the on-goings that occur in Tempe Town Lake that keep in clean and maintained.
          

Dead Fish

    To be clear, there is  a department within the City of Tempe that has the job of cleaning, maintaining, and watching over the lake - it is not my department. My job is not to ensure that all of the dead fish are taken out every time one floats up, and it is not my job to ensure that the water conditions are habitable. This job belongs to the Fish & Game department of Tempe (yes, Tempe has a Fish & Game department).  I see these people quite often on a day-to-day basis and they actually check the water conditions more than anything else. One of Tempe's biggest goals is to try and make the Lake sustainable for large fish and ecosystems to thrive in, but that is becoming more and more difficult because of all the events that take place on the lake.

Double-crested Cormormant

                 There are several types of fish that live in the lake, and most of them are warm-water fish so you will see a lot of dead fish in the winters. This is not because of bad water conditions, its simply because the lake isn't deep enough for them to stay warm and they are not equipped to handle the cold weather. There are also a couple types of birds that hang around the lake. I can almost promise you that none of these birds are wanting to be there. We have two Pelicans that were blown in from California or Mexico and have not been able to find their way home, we have a bald eagle that seems to have injured himself and stays around the lake because he cannot make the journey back to where he belongs, a couple Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets that can be seen in the summer, along with few ducks, one lonely lost Seagull,  and bane of my existence -we have a huge population of Double-crested Cormorant. Above is a picture of the Double-crested Cormorant. I want you to look long and hard at the big that makes my life hell on a daily basis.

          As you hopefully know by now, my job is to clean and maintain the facilities. Well the facilities include a dock that rowing shells, kayaks, and our stand up paddle boards launch off of for practice or classes. Well, the dock is apparently a prime place for this Double-crested Cormorant to hang out, and when birds hang out, they poop. And these guys poop a lot. So I have the joy of cleaning up after them every single day, and they just sit on the sea wall and laugh at me. 

               Moving on from the animals, the actual water conditions are not as bad as people think they are. The water color is disgusting and leads people to believe that the water itself is disgusting. While I am not supporting the idea of you to take a leisure swim around the lake, I am saying that if you fell in during Stand up Paddling or if your dog jumps in, you will not die. The water is maintained to ensure that if something bad happens (like you fall in) that you won't get Ring-worm or flesh eating bacteria. You guys need to remember that we are not in a third world country and every body of water has to have regulations that it adheres to. 

Tri-athletes swimming in the lake

               Now, in the situation that you are participating in the Tempe triatholon and you are worried about the water conditions for the swim portions PLEASE DO NOT BE AFRAID. The amount of chemicals they pump in to the lake weeks leading up the large events that involve people getting in to the water is unbelievable.  If it's not winter and you're seeing dead fish, you can go ahead and assume that there is event on its way in the next couple weeks because the chemicals being put in kill, literally, everything in the lake. 

          So, as long as you don't drink the water on purpose or are taking your afternoon 3 mile swim in the lake - you'll be OK if you come in contact with the water. Its a man-made lake/pond that is dammed on either ends. Its not going to look pretty and its going to collect trash but, rest assured that things do not die and you will not die because of the water conditions. However- you might get pooped on from the birds that the Devil created himself. 

The Big Event

           The biggest event that I will be helping with this semester for my internship is the Desert Sprints Regatta.  But before I get to that, let me back track and explain some things so that you reading fully understand what I'm talking about.

Stanford's women's varsity crew

        I will start with the sport of rowing, or crew. The easiest way for me to ensure that you understand that I am NOT talking about Kayaking and I am NOT talking about Dragonboats or canoes is to include a picture.---->

         Rowing, or crew, is considered one of the oldest sports (right up their with wrestling, running, and other track sports). Although, when it first brought in to the world it was a form of slavery and torture. Have you ever seen those old viking movies where they have people with big long sticks under the ship chained to their seats? That's rowing.

Movie depicting slaves rowing in big ship

           Rowing branched from slavery, to torture, to an Olympic sport and absolutely no one knows about it. Well, ok, obviously some people know about it, but people in Arizona don't really understand it. So here's the crash course.

             Rowing is the ultimate team sport. You can have as many  as eight people rowing a boat and as little as one. There are singles, (one person), doubles (two people), pairs (two people,) quads (four people), fours (four people), and eights (eight people). As the boats get bigger, like the fours an eights, the oars that each rower has is only one (like the Stanfords 8 above). As the boats get smaller, each rower has two smaller oars with one in each hand.  It is highly competitive, a huge collegiate sport, and is extremely prestigious with the best teams belonging to Ivy league schools. It is the only sport where every country in the world that participates in the Olympics, participates in the race during the summer Olympics. Personally, if you want to be good at the sport you have to be relatively large (women are preferred to be above 6'0, and men about 6"4) and lean. If you're good at the sport or if someone thinks you can be good at the sport, the sport will become your life, it will absorb you and spit you out as a whole new person in both a metaphorical and real sense. 

            So, back to the internship. I am helping with Desert Sprints Regatta which is a rowing race that the City of Tempe puts on annually on Tempe Town Lake. As a rower myself, being able to help set up and see the race course come to life makes it all the more enjoyable for me and helps me appreciate all the work that goes on in the background to make things like this happen.  Alicia and Ryan, my bosses, have been working on the creation of Desert Sprints since August of 2014. while the only real part I'll be helping with is the set up (because it takes 3 weeks to do), there are hundreds of other things to worry about like bathrooms, security, emergency service, website registration set up, race times and scheduling, placing each boat in the appropriate race, hiring officials, finding volunteers, food vendors, trash pick up and collection, announcers, course set up, finish-line camera/crew, and individuals tents for the teams that are attending. 

            The thought of handling all of that by myself scares me. So watching my bosses actually accomplish it is so inspiring. They have to be unbelievably organized in order to accomplish this race and make it run as smoothly as possible. 

               Desert Sprints is on March 7th and is an all day event. Teams from California, Oregon, Washington, Texas, Colorado, and Utah come to participate and race against each other and local teams. There are junior, master and veteran categories which are all then divided up between the three into the different types of boats that I explained above. With the magnitude of races being offered, racing happens non-stop from 6 am to 6pm that Saturday. The thing I am most concerned about is that I am both coaching the juniors (my team) and expected to be available at the drop of a hat if anything goes wrong and my bosses need me to step in and add extra help. 

              I am very excited, but very scared at the same time. I've been participating in Desert Sprints since I was 13, but I have never held responsibility to ensure that the event is actually executed properly.