In most parts of life, I try not to set my expectations too high. In fact, I generally try not to set too many expectations at all in favor of being pleasantly surprised.
When I arrived in Menomonie, I was happy to have a job for the summer, a place to live, and an exciting research project to work on (which I didn’t know much about). In the two weeks since I’ve been here, I’ve realized that this summer is going to consist of so much more. I’ve learned about the best events around town on every night of the week (shout out to pie in the park on Tuesdays). I’ve picked up quite a few sayings from my fellow researchers that are now staples in my vocabulary. I’ve also dived head first into a research project that I can’t wait to carry out over the coming weeks.
| Madeline holding up our magnificent heart waffle creations from Saturday morning family breakfast. |
My research partner, Nell, and I spend most of our time jumping back and forth between sharing funny memes and passionately discussing our excitement for the project we’ll be carrying out. Under our mentor, Professor Kim Zagorski, we intend to focus on better understanding the experience of farmers in relation to the watershed. We want to hear from voices that may have historically been left out of conversations regarding farmers and Lakes Menomin and Tainter, specifically those from minorities and other underrepresented groups. We’re also interested in media coverage surrounding pollution in the local waterways, and how people consume and decipher media.
I am amazed by the talented and brilliant people I have the honor of working with on a daily basis. Stay tuned, folks. It's going to be one wild ride.
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