Welcome to Rochester, New York.
purty
Chances are you haven’t heard of it. If you have, maybe you’ve never visited. If you have visited, you know that it’s a gem in many ways. Bustling nightlife, scenic beauty, parks and beaches a bike ride away…it’s a great place to be.
I count myself fortunate that I’m not only living here for the summer, but interning for an organization that played a big role in my childhood. I’m talking about my internship with the Rochester Red Wings professional baseball team.
Some of you are probably trying hard to remember a Major League Baseball team by that name. Don’t worry, the MLB hasn’t expanded since you last checked. The Red Wings are a Triple-A minor league baseball team. Minor League Baseball is basically what the Major League teams use to keep developing players fresh. As my friend Gagan described it, it’s a way to keep the “bench” players fresh in case they need to be called up to the majors.
“So why care about the reserve players?” you may be asking. Well, for me, as well as many individuals who called Western New York home for the majority of their lives, the Red Wings are a huge part of my childhood. Countless birthday parties were celebrated there, fireworks lighting up the sky above Frontier Field every Friday and Saturday night. Not to mention the fact that soon-to-be Major League baseball players (in the Red Wings’ case, soon-to-be Minnesota Twins) took the field during the games. In my lifetime, I’ve seen Joe Mauer, Miguel Tejada, Brian Roberts, and Justin Morneau spend their summers training with the Red Wings, getting ready for eventual stardom.
So imagine my excitement when I was offered a Video Production internship with the Red Wings. Made possible by a generous $2,000 stipend from Lafayette, I’m now contributing to television and scoreboard production during the games, living with two high school buddies in a house in the city. It’s a dream come true.
I will go into the details of the internship in another post, as soon as I figure out how to get my pictures onto my computer. It shouldn’t be as difficult as it is, honestly. But for now, just know that the internship is amazing. As a Red Wings intern, I have access to many parts of the stadium, the coolest of which is the clubhouse. Besides the TV and graphic production before and during the game, I also participate/conduct post-game interviews with the manager and players. But again, I want pictures to go with the stories.
For now, just know that my internship has brought me into contact with not only pro ballplayers such as Danny Valencia and Wilkin Ramirez (my personal favorite), but celebrities such as WWF Hall of Famer George “the Animal” Steele and pop sensations Karmin and Carly Rae Jepsen.
I’ll be back soon. Excelsior.