WEEK 10

It’s so hard to believe that the program is over already! It truly seems like just yesterday that I was moving my junk into the apartments and getting lost on the way to my placement. This has been a summer full of new experiences for me– in May, I was thrown in to managing a greenhouse I hadn’t worked at for two years, and once this program started, I sincerely learned something new every day. Some of these things include:

• Computers are not intuitive for those that didn’t grow up with them (especially the fact they have a zoom function)
• Physically cutting and pasting a flyer can be useful if you want to include a pattern from a napkin
• Philetus W. Norris is kind of a big deal (he was the second Superintendent of Yellowstone National Park and the house he built, while in need of come TLC, remains standing in District 3, waiting to be restored)
• The passion of Detroiters, especially lifelong Detroiters, is absolutely inspiring
• The city often neglects to side with it’s residents
• Some of the large corporations in Detroit are like middle school bullies with parents that are large donors, so the principal is afraid of pissing them off and they’ve learned they can do whatever the hell they want
• #TruckRoutes
• Never drive down Gratiot in rush hour when there is a Tiger’s game happening
• The closing of 6 Mile had detrimental effects for the road and the neighborhood surrounding it, and also for us showing up at a meeting on time one day
• The the city seems to be ignoring Northeast Detroit (perhaps an attempt to stop services to the area to run everyone out, an actual but not ethical urban planning practice), some residents are doing everything in their power to ensure they can’t
• Parking in Hamtramck is cheap
• Splitting a bill at a tapas restaurant is surprisingly difficult
• Parking tickets in Ferndale are much cheaper than parking tickets in Detroit
• Slows is kind of overrated, but Dutch Girl Donuts is not
• Don’t piss off large dogs when delivering flyers
• Detroit is changing everyday- but is it all for the better?
• Some people can accomplish more with no money than with all the money in the world
• Never try to order a Washington Apple at The Old Miami
• J Dilla’s uncle is a very nice man
• The modern shopping mall is said to have been based on the Fisher building
• I should never go into acting
• Understanding the history of an area is extremely important for understanding its current state
• The East Side is extremely different than Midtown, Downtown, New Center, even Southwest- but just as important
• Working at a nonprofit can be an uphill battle, but an incredibly rewarding one

…amongst so many other things. Thanks for another great summer, Detroit. Until next time.