pink, cupcakes and guest editing....

Lauren Granger is a journ student at Rhodes and was the lucky one to be picked as the guest editor for 17 Academy - check out her work in the September issue on sale now!

Week 1:
Monday
I arrived at seventeen early, super proud of myself for navigating Cape Town traffic in my uncle’s ’97 Corsa bakkie (power steering, oh how I miss thee).
At our first production meeting, I was kinda glad for my year and a half of journo lectures and pracs (yes, even those media history ones) back at Rhodes, because I actually knew what a byline was! Liza (managing ed) went through the sections and content for the September issue with us and I realised this whole magazine is a lot more work than I thought. I’ve been given a Life Guide to write… I’m still shocked! It’ll be my biggest byline so far (and if you’re wondering, a byline is a line that says who wrote the article!).
After the meeting, I flipped through the July issue and then Fazlin (another 17 Academy editorial intern) and I helped Khwezi with the entry submissions for the Media 24 Excellence Awards. I also signed up to help out at the Tyger Valley Expo.

seventeen HQ!

Tuesday
This morning I pitched my Life Guide ideas to Khwezi and Liza. I had four, and they really liked two of them (how awesome is that?!). Khwezi said if I have time, I can write both – one for the September issue and the other for a future issue. Greatness! I spent most of the morning doing research for my Life Guide. Then I started my first draft… It took me like 10 minutes to think of the perfect opening sentence – that little blinking cursor is pretty intimidating! After lunch I sat in on an advertorial meeting. Once again, everything is a lot more complicated than it seems. When I tried to print my first draft for Khwezi, the paper ran out in the machine and I felt like such a nerd standing there trying to figure it out. But hey, I did it!

Loving the job!

Wednesday
I’m going home in half an hour and this is the only time I’ve had to update my blog… that should tell you something! This morning, Liza and Khwezi gave me feedback on my draft… they seem pretty keen on it, so the harsh, critical commentary I was expecting didn’t come (it’s tought being edited, people. Especially if you worked hard on it, and the editors don’t like it. It’s like putting your heart on a chopping board and handing your editor one of those knives that can cut through tin cans. Ok, that’s gross... I’ll think of a better example). But their comments really helped – my piece looks soo much better after the rewrite. I had to call an electrician to get a quote for how to wire a plug for my article – I felt like such a dumb blonde, and I’m a brunette. I think they thought I was prank calling…
We had another production meeting, then Fazlin and I flicked through some overseas mags for inspiration and started working on a quiz we’re putting together. After that we were asked to do some book and CD reviews… I saw the pile of books and envisioned entertainment for many rainy weekends. Too amazing. Later on, Liza and I went to Hi-Q to interview a mechanic for my article and take a few pics… We asked the guy what his tips were for girls who wanted to change a tyre, and the first thing he said was, “Get a guy to do it.” Nice. In the afternoon we had a meeting about the Tyger Valley Expo – I’m going to be helping out there on Sunday. I think I’ll go shopping before and after. Hehe.

Weekend reading anyone?

Thursday
The electrician still hadn’t got back to me… I gave up on him and searched the yellow pages for another. I tried three different companies and couldn’t get through to anyone… but finally the fourth gave me a decent quote! I’m also getting some quotes from UrbanScouts. Fazlin and I finished our quiz and then I went back to working on my Life Guides. Phew, busy!

This is where all the hard work happens...

Friday
I can’t believe my first week is over already… it’s completely insane. We had a breakfast this morning with all sorts of fabulous stuff – chocolate croissants, fruit salad, giant muffins… wow. I’m going to read a bit of one of the books I’m reviewing today – I’m not going to have much time this weekend, and I can’t go any further with the Life Guides until I hear from the Scouts. We have to re-do the quiz – it’s so weird, I had this feeling there was something wrong with it and Khwezi picked it out and put it into words. After reworking the quiz, I went downstairs to help the marketing and fashion interns who were packing envelopes to send sunglasses to the Scouts… It. Took. Ages.

Yummy brekkies

Week 2:
Monday
Got in this morning and realised I’d left my book and CD reviews I did over the weekend on a flash disk next to my bed. Oh well. I rewrote most of them from memory (quite scary, where’s this amazing remembering super-power during exams?) and handed them to Delené (entertainment ed). Later I tried to call some Scouts to chase them for their quotes but I think it was still too early for all those teens on holiday sleeping till 3pm (Jealous? Me?). I had to write the copy for the Clean & Clear advertorial – I felt like one of those corporate elites who tells us what to wear/eat/look like that the hippie girls protest about… It felt too “advert-y” and I needed some guidance from Liza.
Tuesday
Today I wrote some more advertorials, did some more research for my second Life Guide (you’ll have to wait and see what it’s about!). I found out that Khwezi and I are having our ed’s portrait shot on Thursday – it got me more stressed… I’m SO fussy when it comes to pictures of me. My friends have stopped letting me look at the photos they take, because if I get my hands on the camera I delete the ones I don’t like! And this photo won’t just go in a Facebook album or a frame in a friend’s res room. It’ll be seen by thousands of readers around the country! I’m going to go faint now. Natasha (the new 17 Academy intern) and I went guy-spotting… for the Guys Talk page. Yoh, such a tough day at the office! We got kinda lost on the way to the Waterfront (which, embarrassingly, is like three blocks away) but eventually got down to the serious business of stalki, I mean, finding and looking at guys to see if they were worthy enough to grace the pages of seventeen.
Wednesday
Today we had a production meeting, and Liza and Khwezi gave me feedback on my Life Guide which went okay… seventeen has such a specific style! We bid farewell to Chloe (fashion intern), Demi-Sue (fashion intern) and Nancy (our PR meisiekind). It was so sad. They’re really awesome. So we had a mini partytjie with cupcakes, chips and gift bags. Photo shoot tomorrow… eek!

Chloe and Demi-Sue with Taugheedah

Thursday
Had a mini fit this morning trying to decide what to wear for the shoot – I first thought I looked too emo, then too formal, then too childish. Arrgh! Eventually just gave up and brought it all with so I can change if I need to. The shoot was really cool – although I prefer watching to taking part in the whole hair/make-up/pose/snap thing. I watched the professional models beforehand, and they’re amazing so I was freaking nervous. The photographer was great, but she made me do all these really uncomfortable things that looked great in the photos, but were physically painful. Ow. This is hardcore stuff, people! The photos should be here in the next couple of days… Hopefully I didn’t look too retarded. I smell like hairspray. Spent the rest of the day fixing my Life Guide. I’m actually getting some stats for the page, yesss! Also contacted all the Scouts whose quotes I’m using, so they can send their pics to me.

Khwezi striking a pose at the shoot - she's a natural!

Friday
Two Scouts sent me their pics, so that’s going well (if slowly). Phoned a few suppliers for hi-res pics for my Life Guide – they are such nice people. Really. I only had to phone once, then be told to phone another number four times, then email a woman who never emailed me back. So sweet of them! I’m seriously concerned Media 24 is going to send me the phone bill and my parents are going to have to pull me out of varsity to pay for it. Did some last-minute fact checking on my Life Guide and made sure all my research was correct. Then spoke to Delené about doing some reviews and maybe even some band interviews for Scene. It’s the best stuff to write, so I’m keen!

Week 3:
Monday
I’ve only got five days left and I seem to have a myriad outstanding emails and loose ends. I think I need to start bugging people. We had a production meeting, then I finished up last-minute stuff on my Life Guide so it could be sent to layout… eeeee! Later I did some research on SA bands to interview for upcoming Scene features – which is problematic, because they have to be quite well known to be in the magazine, but I’m a media/music junkie, so they all seem famous to me? Hunted around in a pile of like 100 books sent to Delené for reviews to find any that interested me. I found 20 books that I thought looked cool – I have no clue when I’m going to read them all! Or how I’m going to get them all back home on the plane.

Bag of books...

Tuesday
I’ve spent the day researching SA bands to interview, helping Ishreen (this weeks 17 Academy intern) sort out the international editions of seventeen and perving at the beauty cupboard. Today there was a school tour in the office and Khwezi showed them around all the different departments and even asked me to say something. I was like: ‘Um. Ok...’ I’d just come back from lunch with Ishreen (I had the brilliant idea to go to Long Street. The clouds had the brilliant idea to burst and drown us) so I was a bit shell shocked at the huge group of kids staring at me!

Kids galore... yikes!

Wednesday
Eeeeee! I am just too excited now… just saw my Life Guide which has now been made beautiful by our oh-so-amazing designers… it looks too wicked for words! The “by Lauren Granger” is the bestest thing ever. I’m happy now. Later I went with Khwezi to the launch of this teen mountain biking league (Spur is a sponsor, so we got free food!), which was really interesting on the whole business/networking/PR side of things. She’s hoping to do a My Life piece on one of the female SA champs. When we got back I met with Delene to discuss the bands I’d found to interview. I’ll hopefully be interviewing Gonzo Republic before I leave, and doing another book review. Now I’ve got to write my editor’s letter!

Thursday
I started off today meeting with Khwezi, who gave me feedback on my second Life Guide. Spent the rest of the morning making the changes, adding extra information and speaking to Leanne (marketing manager) about getting stats. Then I photocopied some US seventeen pages that we might use as story ideas. And then… it was beauty sale time! Basically, the beauty department sells all the samples they get sent from suppliers who want their products featured in the mag. So most of the stuff just piles up, brand new and unused, and is finally sold to the staff. The stuff is super cheap and amazing – Dior mascara for R10, anyone? I got some Clinique cream for R5 that usually goes for R250. Hehehe.

Heaven

Friday
I had to listen to my “happy music” playlist on my iPod this morning to keep my spirits up – that’s how sad I got when I realised today was my last day. I can’t imagine going back to lectures, dining hall food and varsity essays after all this awesomeness! I wrote my editor’s letter last night after a sudden flash of inspiration, so when I came in this morning I sent Khwezi a copy. Then I emailed some Scouts to get pictures for my second Life Guide, phoned more suppliers for prices for my September Life Guide and worked on my questions for my Louise Day Band interview this afternoon. Keen! The interview went really well – Louise was really chatty and had pretty awesome answers. So I typed that all up and started doing last-minute checks on my other work. Eugh, they’re having our farewell party now and I don’t want to get up from my desk because that means I’m leaving! This has been the most amazing experience ever. Can’t I come back again?

17 Academy - PR Department

Estea Venter, 22, ventured from the small town of Riversdale for her 17 Academy PR internship! She's currently in her third year of Public Relations management. Estea loves life, can't live without her friends and family and, of course, Gossip Girl :-)

29 June 2009
I thought I’d start my blog with these words by Lucas Scott, “Because it’s only when you’re tested that you truly discover who you are. And it’s only when you’re tested that you discover who you can be. The person that you want to be does exist, somewhere on the other side of hard work and faith, and belief and beyond the heartache and fear of what life has.”

When I arrived at seventeen that first day, I felt nervous and excited. But all my worrying was soon to be forgotten when I met the other 17 Academy interns and we got to know each other. Liza (managing ed) welcomed us to the seventeen team. They’re a great bunch and Khwezi (editor) is such a friendly, warm person. I was shadowing Lisel Daniels (PR executive) – she really made me feel at home and as she told me about the exciting world of magazines and media I started to wonder if I was ready for my future – there was so much to learn! My first task was to call some contacts to confirm information for NG Kids magazine. Then I helped Lisel set up a time schedule for seventeen staffers to help out at the Tyger Valley Matric Dance Expo. It was a fun and exciting first day – this is definitely going to be an experience I’ll never forget.

Lisel briefing me on one of my many tasks!

30 June 2009
Today, Nancy (the marketing intern) and I had to pack the goodie bags for the Tyger Valley Expo – such great goodies in the bag! I also helped Lisel organise the NG Kids birthday parties they were having in Cape Town, Durban and Jo’burg – NG Kids are five years old. I love chatting to people and organising things! Went out for lunch with three other interns and as we were walking the streets of busy Cape Town chatting about our lives back home and our boyfriends, it felt like we were in Sex and the City. Back at work, I got a ton of emails from Lisel asking me to help her with loads of things – it really felt like I was working at seventeen! I had to print some info for the monthly publicity list – all the articles and online advertising they do each month – and it was quite difficult, but that’s why I’m here… to learn!

1 July 2009
Today was really busy, but I loved it! I spent the day phoning more people and helping arrange the birthday parties for NG Kids, I even had to find a good magician in Jo’burg. Finally booked Johan Yssel – he’s famous on TV for making the huge Voortrekker Monument disappear, so the kids really are going to enjoy the birthday party! We then had a meeting about the Tyger Valley Expo and Nancy and I helped pack more of the goodie bags and made final arrangements for the Expo – taking in all this info put me in my element!

8 July 2009As you can see by the date, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to write a daily update for my blog. The days pass so quickly you won’t believe it! Nancy and I helped out at the Tyger Valley Expo selling subscriptions – 130 subscriptions were sold in total and I won a Fossil watch for selling the most – thanks seventeen!! The NG Kids parties in Durban and Jo’burg went really well, what a relief. Nancy and I started wrapping sunnies for the UrbanScouts – wow, there are so many, it’s going to take us a while. Go to www.seventeen.co.za to sign up as an UrbanScout, so you can stand a chance of getting great prizes like sunnies! We also helped Leanne (marketing manager) sort out the store room – it’s like a different world in there, so many accessories, chocolates, magazines… I’m going to end today’s blog with the following words by Henry Ford, “The only time that you will fail at something, is that moment when you stop trying.” So girls, don’t ever give up on your dream or think you’re a failure.

Packing sunnies!

9 July 2009
Today we had a meeting to organise the Neutrogena workshop for 30 readers in Cape Town. It’s going to be the coolest workshop… I have to find and book an astrologer, a yoga studio and yoga instructor, a colour therapist as well as organise décor and food… so there’s lots to do! Work is so much fun when you’re doing something you love. One of my mottos in life: “If you do something that you love, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

10 July 2009
This week has just flown by! The thing that’s so great here at seventeen is that you don’t feel like an intern. I actually felt like I’m working here. They really trust me and treat me well. Thank you so much you guys.

13 July 2009
Lisel is on leave this week and when I opened up my email this morning, I had over 36 emails in my inbox – mostly from Lisel as I have a lot of things to do while she is away! Luckily Donna, another marketing intern who’s been here six months already, is here to help so I didn’t stress. We spent the day phoning parents to confirm they’ll be attending the NG Kids party in Cape Town tomorrow with their children. We also packed goodie bags for all the kids who’ll be at the party. I then called the trade media about seventeen’s Top Teen Achiever Awards. You have to enter Top Teens... Go to www.seventeen.co.za now to find out more! I’ve never spoken so much on the phone in my life as this past week. Sometimes I just sit back in my chair and look around me thinking I’m a really lucky girl to get a chance to intern at seventeen. It’s really any girl’s dream job! If you ever got the chance to intern here, you really should. I’ve already gained so much experience and lots of memories!

Doing what I do best - talking on the phone!

14 July 2009
Today was the NG Kids birthday party – I arrived at the office at 8am and Donna and I packed all the goodie bags and banners into our car and off we went to Panarotti’s in Claremont. We got a bit lost on the way but eventually found it. By 10am all the kids had arrived – 45 of them – so cute! They really enjoyed the magician and then they made their own pizzas. While they were eating and drinking we handed out prizes and some of the kids had their pictures taken with Fiona, the NG Kids editor. Donna and I got totally lost on the way back to the office and after driving for 40 minutes finally found our way! I spent the rest of the afternoon organising the Neutrogena workshop for seventeen and before I knew it, it was 5pm.

15 July 2009
Today was pouring with rain but in the office it was warm and the sweet smell of coffee filled the air. I got some emails from parents thanking us for the party yesterday – I was so glad they all had fun. Then I had to call trade media and was a bit nervous because they’re all very important, busy people but in the end they turned out so nice. I find that if you treat people with respect and just be yourself, then you’ll be treated the same way. I also spent more time organising the Neutrogena workshop and working out the budget.

16 July 2009
“Life should be a journey. Everything that you do in life you must always give your best, and don’t ever do something that you don’t feel comfortable doing!” Another one of my mottos – I’m a strong believer in hanging out with people you feel comfortable with and who let you be yourself – and that’s how I feel here at seventeen. I don’t have to pretend to be someone else. When I walked into the office this morning, Donna couldn’t wait to tell me that today was beauty sale day! That means a room full of beauty products like shampoo, make-up, perfume, hair products and more... but the most fabulous part about it is that everything goes for like R10! I was so excited! But before the beauty sale, Donna and I had to get going on the Powerpoint presentation for Leanne for the Best of Beauty Awards from seventeen’s September issue (it's on sale now, so check it out!). I also followed up on our press release for Top Teens, and we called up a few schools to arrange for Khwezi to visit and talk to them about Top Teens. Then it was time for the beauty sale… OMW!!! The entire table was stacked with awesome products. I walked out with stuff worth over R1 000 and it only cost me R200. Now that’s fabulous!

Beauty products galore - divine hey?

17 July 2009
Today’s my last day as part of 17 Academy… so sad. I finished the Powerpoint presentation, sent a few emails, packed a goodie bag, helped answer the phone at the front desk and had my final goodbye chat to everyone. I feel that I need to start making some important decisions for where I want to work and live. More words of wisdom that I enjoy by Brooke Davis: “Now is the time for us to shine, the time when our dreams are in reach and possibilities vast. Now is the time for all of us to become the people we always dreamt of being. This is your world. You're here. You matter. The world is waiting.”

If I look at the person I was three weeks ago, I can see how much I’ve grown and how much information and experience I’ve gained. Thank you seventeen for giving me this opportunity, you’ve opened my eyes to a lot of things and given me an experience I’ll cherish forever.

Me with some of the other 17 Academy girls (we got awesome farewell goodie bags!)

17 Academy - Natasha Ellman

Natasha Ellman, 15, worked in the editorial department during 17 Academy. When she finishes matric, Natasha wants to study journalism (she also likes swimming and ice skating!)

6 July
I jumped out of bed when my alarm went off, a rush of cold air ran down my spine and reality struck… today would be the start of my 17 Academy internship! It felt like the first day of school, all those emotions came rushing back and I was more nervous than ever. I arrived super early but later when I was settled at my desk I was immediately put to work writing the copy for the must-haves in the September issue. The seventeen team were really busy today!

7 July
Today was totally awesome! Lauren (guest editor) and I went to the V&A Waterfront to scout some cute guys for the Guys Talk page – we needed their thoughts on dating and relationships. It took a while to find some hot guys but eventually we found a few… Lauren and I had totally different definitions on what’s hot! It felt so cool to say, “Hi, we’re from seventeen.” I felt like a real journalist. I’m still in school so it’s going to take quite some time before I’m actually living that dream. But for now I’m going to enjoy my fairytale while I can and hopefully leave a good impression. You'll have to wait for the September issue to see what the guys said, but in the meantime you can get your hotties fix at www.seventeen.co.za

8 July
Although my morning started off quite rough – my alarm didn’t go off – I still managed to get to work early. I’ve been busy researching and writing the Digi Diva story for the September issue. I took a whole load of photos of the office today to show my friends and family. In the afternoon I gave Liza (managing ed) my first draft for the Digi Diva story and while she was checking it, I took a break to look at pics of Chace Crawford on the web – YUM. I drank so much water today – guess I’ll be super healthy when I finish here. I could get used to this lifestyle!
















hard at work

9 July
Today’s my second last day here at seventeen (weep weep). Yesterday we had cupcakes, doughnuts and chips to say cheers to some of the 17 Academy girls who were finished their internships. Everyone got these awesome goodie bags filled with hot chocolate, earrings, perfume and all sorts of fun stuff. I got mine early (yay!) because I’ll be the only one leaving tomorrow. Life here is soo not like the movies where people are ordering you around all the time – everyone is chilled and so awesome – seventeen is the best magazine ever!! You haven’t lived unless you’ve worked here… I’m the luckiest girl in the world. I spent the afternoon recycling the dummy book for the August issue – and I took a sneak peek at some of the articles. It’s amazing and it’s on sale on 29 July so go out and get it! I really don’t want to leave, I just got used to the team and now it’s nearly time to say goodbye.
















my awesome goodies - thanks guys!

10 July
It’s exactly two months until my sweet 16 – I’m so excited, I’ve been waiting forever!
Today is the last day of the awesomeness at seventeen – soo sad. Although I’m glad I can sleep late tomorrow… I don’t even get up this early for school so it’s all kinda new to me. But sacrificing sleep was definitely worth it and after today it’ll be back to reality. Aww man! I was so close to tears when I got my 17 Academy certificate. Thanks a bunch seventeen I’m going to miss you all so much, you guys have taught me so much and the memories I have I’ll cherish forever! Thank you for giving a girl like me the opportunity to live my dream.


















I love you seventeen!

17 Academy - Fashion Department

Chloe Elliott, 19, is in matric at Edgemead High School in Cape Town. She assisted seventeen’s Fashion & Promotions Coordinator, Taugheedah.

29 June 2009
My first day was full of excitement and meeting new people, from the amazing staff members and super cool interns! Taugheedah is helpful and friendly and I can see myself missing her when I leave. My first little mission was to sort out clothing for the shoot on Thursday – it’s a budget buys story so you can only imagine how Demi-Sue (my fashion intern buddy) and I felt in a storeroom full of beautiful clothes… and they were cheap! After lunch, we packed away clothing to be sent off to the suppliers, checked the style codes and that everything was correct – it took some time! During the day I went downstairs to the marketing interns, Nancy and Estea, to see what they were up to and I signed up as an UrbanScout, how cool am I? The seventeen website is so nifty, just like the mag!



















Sorting out the storeroom!

30 June 2009
Our main mission today was to go sourcing – this means we go out to certain stores and pick out specific clothing for our shoot. Just picture Taugeedah, Demi and I walking around the mall looking for clothes and at ALL the sales, bags, shoes, earrings, you name it! Some of us got slightly distracted while others did their jobs, all in all it was a fun shopping spree and the best part of it all… we didn’t have to pay for it! (Although we do have to send it all back once the shoot is done, big sob).

1 July 2009
Today I helped Lisa and Roxanne (the digital team) scout for cool, urban and chic girls for seventeen’s Street Style page. I met some really spectacular girls from all over the country and world, like China and Australia! While Lisa and Roxanne were scouting out boys for 17TV I walked around looking for more cool girls and shopped a little… shh don’t tell anyone ;) Back at the office I went down to the storeroom to help with the final packing of all the clothes for tomorrow’s shoot!

2 July 2009
Shoot day! What a completely new experience– I’ve never been on a professional shoot before. The model, Lily, was beautiful. She comes from California and is so down to earth. She modelled all the pieces for the budget buys spread that will appear in the September issue (on sale 26 August). I helped Lily change all her outfits and after her shoot, it was time for the Real Girls shoot. They were so cute, especially Demi! Just think ladies… MAC make-up, all the best budget-friendly and trendy clothes, shoes and accessories you can think of… I was in heaven! I helped style Demi’s outfit which was so great. Today was really fun yet hard work!

Striking a pose at the shoot!



















Getting the outfits ready for the models

3 July 2009
We started off our morning with an amaaazing continental style breakfast and believe me I did not hold back, I had the most divine chocolate croissant with OJ and a choc chip muffin which I shared with Nancy and Estea – you can imagine how big it was! We all sat chatting and said goodbye to intern’s Fazlin and Michelle. After breakfast we went down to the storeroom and packed up all the clothes to send back to the suppliers. The whole time Demi and I were saying, “If you had to choose, what would you pick?” Lol! Then I helped Nancy and Estea put together the gifts for all the UrbanScouts – free Jaxxy sunnies, how cool! Writing out all 600 addresses… not so cool. But as usual we made it fun!

4 July 2009
What a day. I helped Anusha (digital associate publisher) at the seventeen stand at the Tyger Valley Centre Matric Dance Expo. We had to sell subscriptions and it was hectic. So many people wanting to sign up and get the free goodie bag – which looked very tempting. I bought a subscription for my best friend Lauren and when I gave her the goodie bag she was over the moon with joy! It was all good fun and something new to experience… I felt like Father Christmas showing all the girls what was in the goodie bag!

6 July 2009
Demi and I sorted out part of the storeroom and packed up more clothes… Geez, how many more clothes are there?! Later we joined Taugheedah on a casting for an advertorial shoot. In the afternoon, we went to help on the stills shoot – this means all the clothes, bags, shoes and accessories needed for the fashion pages without a model wearing them. I enjoyed it because it was more hands on, I helped the photographer position the clothes and style them, I enjoyed that. After the shoot, we have to drop off the clothing and shoe samples that we used – OMW, shoe heaven of note ladies. All the shoes you can think of and they’re not even out in the shops!



















Helping style the stills for the fashion pages

7 July 2009
Sad to know that tomorrow is my last day yet very grateful that I managed to see what the world of media is like ☺ The day started off with packing up all the clothes one final time and making sure that they were sent off to the right people – the storeroom has never seen such open space and clean floors, lol! I spent most of the day helping out Nancy and Estea with UrbanScouts prizes to be posted off… 636 I tell you! Us girls mostly spoke nonsense and laughed the whole way through. The coolest part of today was when Leanne (marketing manager) gave me a free Alice band!

8 July 2009
My last day ☹ … Well what can I say? This experience was a one in a million and I’m so thankful to everyone who gave me the chance to intern here, you have made me realise that my dreams can come true and that they are just a step away. Today was so busy with mostly packing up the storeroom… I’m going to miss that room, lol!
We had an awesome party afterwards to celebrate our work and being here. I’m really going to miss you guys from the bottom of my heart ☹ and thank you for giving me this opportunity to find out what life in media and fashion is really like = fun, fulfilling and something new!!















Demi, Taugheedah and me – I miss you girls already!

17 Academy - Marketing Department

Nancy Williams is in grade 12 at Hillcrest High School in Durban. She’s passionate about life and believes in the four L’s – love, laugh, learn and live!

29 June
As I stand in front of a big white building, the Cape Town wind blows through my self-ironed, still-crinkly jacket and my knees start to shake a little from excitement, nerves and fear. When I open the door to the seventeen offices, I can already feel the fresh vibe pulsing through the air. The staff are very much like the mag – fresh, hip and easy to relate to. Khwezi’s smile is real and not some pageant party trick. My mentors are Lisel and Leanne who are in the PR and Marketing department, but their jobs include many other duties like event planning, negotiating, packaging etc. They helped me understand the exciting stuff marketing is made of! This space is my mind (often empty or travelling somewhere far from my maths book) and it’s now filled with the hum of meetings around the white table, Google homepages, make-up, magazines and clothes. Read on as the fun and madness continues…

First day with Leanne - showing us the ropes!

30 June
I'm only a toddler in this big media world and although I find myself stumbling and feeling a bit of teething pain, every day gets more exciting. I was able to experience “admin”… cue the dum dum daaaa (and gain new-found respect for our school receptionist!). At lunch time I went for a walk with four other interns – my new heels were killing me but that’s punishment for having one too many pairs of shoes. We walked down the side pavement and like a South African version of Sex & The City our hair blew in the wind, taxis hooted at each other and we walked and chatted about boys and swapped intern stories. In the seventeen office, they have separate bins for glass, plastic, paper and other – I thought this was a really great idea. If we all went a little greener it would really make a difference, simple things like having separate bins, not leaving your cell charger plugged in and planting your own veggies. So the thought for the day is: GO GREEN GIRLIES!!

1 July
What a day! We were very busy today getting ready for the Tyger Valley Matric Dance Expo that happened on 2-5 July – we packed loads of goodie bags. I’m getting quite computer savvy too, daring even to open two Internet pages at the same time! After sitting at the computer for nearly five hours, I needed some fresh air so Estea (my marketing intern buddy) and I went for a walk in the sunshine. I came back fresh and ready to get down to work again. Thought for today: when you’ve been studying or working for hours, go outside and do something active. It really helps!

Going cross eyed!

2 July
Style does come at a price! Today we worked at the Tyger Valley Expo selling seventeen subscriptions and after four and a half hours of standing, my feet were aching! Those beautiful black ankle boots that my daddy dearest had been completely manipulated into buying were now getting the best of me. Although I had so much fun laughing, joking, making friends and selling subscriptions that I only realised how sore my feet were afterwards. After our promo work, we were allowed to have a break so I committed a huge girl crime… instead of shopping I snuck into a change room with two tops and a pair of jeans and just flopped down to relax! Those boring but super comfy pumps back in my room were now looking like fluffy pillows. Thought for today: style does not have to come at a price, you can be funky and fresh and still be able to walk on two feet.

The gorgeous seventeen stand at the Tyger Valley Matric Dance Expo

3 July
Today was a wow busy day. We packed boxes and phoned half our little (HUGE) black book! He he! We had so much to do in the marketing department and things were just buzzing. Estea and I did not know how we were going to finish it all… Yes, we love you UrbanScouts but you made us pack 636 pairs of sunnies for all of you who’ve scored points. Scary movie music began to play in my mind as we began unwrapping glasses, repacking them in cases and doing the admin for 636 envelopes! Boxes began piling up and we hadn’t even hit a hundred yet. Chloe and Demi-Sue (fashion interns) and Lauren (editorial intern) came to help us so in the end we had loads of fun laughing and sorting out all these sunnies. Our new friends really did help us out and kept the upbeat atmosphere alive. If you're interested in becoming an UrbanScout and getting access to all sorts of events plus getting cool goodies (like sunnies!), then hit www.seventeen.co.za and apply today. Thought for today: many hands make light work!

6 & 7 July
These two days have been a blur – I’ve never seen so many sunnies since the Mr Price Pro! Yes, we're still busy with the sunnies but we also had to make sure other events were running smoothly. I got to phone the lucky ladies who won the Diesel watches from the Tyger Valley Expo – it was awesome to hear girls jumping with excitement. Memories of my amazing weekend were being pushed away with each new envelope for sunglasses. I was slowly running out of steam. Demi and Chloe came back later to help and Demi was so full of energy that she motivated the thought for today… things do get a little tough, a little tedious and a little long but sometimes you need to just get down, get focused and get going!

8 July
I was up at 5am packing my bags and thinking about what to wear for my last day as a seventeen intern. A bit of black to mourn no more intern friends, no more awesome mentors Lisel and Leanne, no more seventeen email address, no more personal desk and computer A bit of white to complement the office, some yellow for the jewels of wisdom I’d learnt and would be taking with me and pink… for seventeen, the hope of the future, the experience of the past and the joy of the present. My last day was bitter sweet – I loved spending time with my intern friends and enjoyed my KFC Avalanche and chips (not together) but I’ll miss everyone so much! Thank you seventeen.

Estea and I - marketing buddies!

Our lovely mentors - Leanne (left) and Lisel (second left)

All my amazing intern friends!

17 Academy - Editorial Department

Fazlin Terblanche, 19, is a 2nd year BA student at UCT. She’s passionate about the media, our beautiful country, politics and Country Road handbags!

29 June
After waiting three agonising weeks, my 17 Academy internship had finally begun! Entering the seventeen building, five of the Academy winners and I were greeted by Khwezi, Liza and the rest of the seventeam. I was both excited and nervous, not knowing what to expect and whether I’d be able to cope with what was thrown my way. But the seventeen staff were warm, welcoming and constantly cracking jokes! We started off with a production meeting around “The Table” and received scary-looking coloured schedules mapping out the contents of the September issue with all the deadlines and stuff. With Liza’s help, we quickly figured them out. Once we were settled at our workstations, we were given copies of the July issue and asked to give our honest opinions. Later I was tasked to write the Voice Out for September and to pitch three ideas. The task looked daunting, but I reckon I’ve made some progress (NOT) lol. Lauren (17 Academy’s official guest editor!) and I were also asked to choose the seventeen feature to be entered into the Media24 Excellence Awards – we eventually decided to go with “IOU” from the June issue - it's really good!

30 June
Today I sorted the entire seventeen library out. This was fun as I relish in organising things! Then I thought more about my Voice Out and what topic to choose. While I was struggling to find an appropriate topic, I practiced and mastered the swivel chair and was moving back and forth to bother Lauren every now and again ☺ In the afternoon, we attended the advertorial briefing meeting – this is where the editorial team get briefed by the traffic manager for all advertorials, comps etc in the mag. I was surprised at how much work goes into these – the digital, fashion, marketing and editorial teams all have to work together to produce and satisfy the needs of the client! I learnt a lot and was ready to get cracking on my Voice Out, FINALLY!

Just checking out the intern blog before I start my Voice Out!

1 July
I arrived early today to get going with my Voice Out. Once I was well on my way, we attended another production meeting for the September issue to make sure everything was going as planned. Delene, the entertainment editor, gave us some books and CDs to review – can’t wait to do that. And Lauren and I were asked to write a quiz as well – about any topic! You’ll have to wait for the September issue to see what we chose. Today was fun and I was starting to feel like I was part of the team!

Lauren and I discussing our book and CD reviews for Delene

2 July
It was a quiet day so I used the time to carry on with my Voice Out. Lauren and I walked to Woolies during lunch time but it was so far – never again! I can’t believe that tomorrow’s my last day, bleak!

3 July
This week has gone by so fast! We had a farewell breakfast in the morning for the Academy girls that were leaving and we were given cool gift bags filled with sunnies, notepads and more! I had a great week and gained invaluable experience. My time was short, but I learnt a lot about the ins and outs of magazine production. I also met some great people, from both the staff and other interns! I would recommend for every girl that enjoys reading magazines, to apply for a seventeen internship even if it’s not something you want to go into ☺

Me with my awesome goodie bag!

17 Academy is flying by!

Last week 17 Academy kicked off with a bang and seventeen HQ was buzzing with interns in every department. Take a look at what went down. We'll be updating every day so keep coming back to see the latest news!

THE ART DEPARTMENT
Michelle Hoch, 21, is a third year Graphic Design Student at NMMU, Port Elizabeth. She loves people, marketing, art in all forms and music.

29 June 2009
In November 2003, I bought the very first issue of seventeen magazine South Africa, and today I’m sitting in the office where it was created. Back then the most exciting thing was entering the competitions every month, writing letters and hoping to hear something, anything from seventeen. I remember winning this fantastic hamper and thinking it was the best thing in the world. Although it came pretty close, it wasn’t… this is. I arrived this morning completely uncertain of what to expect. I was still tying my laces at the front desk when I got swooped into a production meeting for the September issue. The ideas and the excitement of all these young women blew me away, I had no idea this sort of passion existed. During the course of the day I learnt a lot of interesting things and even designed a page for the August issue (on sale 29 July - check out page 45!) One thing I know for certain is that I have a lot of E! News to go home and watch (I realised I’m not as up to date as I thought I was), and a long rest… because if tomorrow is anything like today has been, I’m going to need it!

30 June 2009
Usually I dread waking up to an early morning and loads of work but I was so excited to come back to this wonderfully vibrant environment. First I had to help Ashleigh (the designer) source images and make changes to the page I designed yesterday. By lunchtime I found out where I can get coffee and delicious gourmet sarmies! This afternoon I had lots of fun designing a MXit splash for the July Dance issue, which was rather tricky. There was so much information to fit in such a small space, it’s definitely like nothing I’ve done before. Add seventeen's MXit contact today! Back in PE I study Graphic Design where I work on adverts, packaging, direct mail, web etc. Publishing is a whole new area of design, which I was rather afraid to explore. Every day I become more comfortable with the idea of a career in publishing. After all, like most teenagers, magazines have been my favourite thing for years!

Sitting with Ashleigh going over my work

1 July 2009
This morning I got straight into things and was given the Reebok training program to design for www.seventeen.co.za. It took a lot longer than I expected because, once again, I’m not used to having so much information to fit onto one page! Once I finished that, I had to make changes to the copy in the MXit splash that I designed yesterday. I must say, I’m quite overwhelmed by the amount that gets done in this office by these few dedicated ladies. In each issue there are plenty of articles, specials, fashion shoots and more… and for each one to take place it takes hours of work and brainstorming. I realised today that nothing just falls into place!

2 July 2009
Today I got to go along to the fashion shoot! When I arrived at the studio I wasn’t sure who I’d talk to or what I’d do all day because there was a professional photographer, a make-up artist, a model and the seventeen fashion team, but soon we were all chatting and I had a wonderful time. What I valued most about my experience in the studio was definitely how many hints I got about shooting models and basically how to get things running smoothly. Studying Graphic Design I often have to take photographs in the studio but things never run smoothly. Today I learnt what to do to make my shoots go according to plan. It was fantastic!

3 July 2009
When I got to work this morning, Stacey, the art director was back from her trip overseas, so I had a chance to meet her. We had a lovely farewell breakfast for those of us who are leaving today. I got given an adorable gift bag, it was so unexpected and really thoughtful. I love all my cute gifts… but who wouldn’t? When it was time to get back to work, Stacey and Ashleigh had a lot to go through and catch up on, so I went downstairs to explore and see if there was anything I could help with. I started by helping the marketing interns, Nancy and Estea, sort out the goodie bags for the Tyger Valley Expo happening on the weekend. It was nice to meet some new people and see what they do.

Me with Anja at the farewell breakfast

Look at all that yummy food!

Overall my experience has been absolutely wonderful. Not only did I learn more about design but I learnt a lot about working in publishing. The seventeen team have been so helpful and friendly, which made me realise what kind of world this vibrant industry is.

17 Academy girls with Khwezi - thank you seventeen!!

Yolandi Millard - 17 Academy Fashionista

Yolandi started 17 Academy early because we work so far in advance and we needed her for the September issue main fashion shoot! She's in her third and final year at the Elizabeth Galloway Academy of Fashion Design in Stellenbosch and here's the low-down on what her week entailed...

15 June 09
After sitting through an hour of traffic and stressing like crazy whether I was in the right lane, I finally stopped at the doors of seventeen feeling a tad exhausted and my day hadn’t even started yet! But I shoved it all aside, along with my fears that this could be a Devil Wears Prada rerun and walked inside. As I sat down at my desk I stared in awe at all the magazines – apparently they are subscribed to every teenage-girl mag in the world: Cosmo Girl, Teen Vogue, Bliss. And another thing that really struck me as totally awesome is the fact that everything was pink – and I mean everything! The Board wall, their Post-its, their stationery… oh and their business cards! And at that point I knew I was home. My first task was to call a few of the modelling agencies and ask for the Z cards of some models for a photo shoot that Taugheedah is planning.

Next up was a trip to the fashion closet. It’s not like Ugly Betty where the clothes take up the whole room, but they filled more than a few rails!


The main fashion shoot is in two days so I spent the rest of day in the closet unpacking boxes of clothes. Later, Anja took me with her to source some more clothes at the Waterfront. I have asked so many questions and learnt so many things on my first day! I’ve been so curious to know how it all works and what happens behind-the-scenes.

17 June 09
After a nice public holiday, it’s back to work! I was so excited to get back, I had an entire day to regurgitate all the info I was fed, and I was as ready as ever to start day two. The Beauty Awards was next on my list – all the entries had come in from the comp that seventeen ran in the June issue, and I had to start counting! It was a big insight into girls’ lives, and the products they voted for says so much about them. I had fun typing all this up and seeing which products were most popular. You can find out the results in the August issue, on sale 29 July!


One more day till shoot day so as we headed towards the end of today, it got really busy. More boxes arrived that we had to unpack, then we had to hang the clothing on the rails, phone all the parties involved in the shoot to confirm time and place. At about 4pm, Anja started styling all the clothes for the shoot and I watched her weave her magic… it made me really excited for tomorrow!

18 June 09
Today is the big day! We had to be at the office at 7am and I thought I would’ve fallen asleep on the highway, but I was so excited nothing could make me feel tired today. While the models were getting their hair and make-up done, I helped steam the clothes that were going to be used.


When everyone was ready, we set off to the location, which was a beautiful landscape near Boulders Beach in Simonstown, with bushes and vegetation growing on the hill, disappearing into the rocks and making way for the ocean… It was gorgeous! It was still really cold though and the wind was blowing – I felt sorry for the model who had to wear “spring” dresses!


The photographer had a laptop on location which he loaded the pics onto so Anja could see if her ideas were working with the story or not. It’s very intricate and so cool because if you’ve spent an entire scene on an idea, you can immediately see whether it’s going to work. Photographers really are one step ahead of the game. What a nifty trick! Each time the model changed outfits, it was my job to write down exactly what she was wearing and which store or label the clothes were from. This helps the art and editorial department when they choose the final pictures for layout and need to credit the clothes in the mag.

It turned out to be a lovely day (when the wind settled down!). Keep an eye out for the September issue – it’s on sale on 26 August!

Anja and I looking rather windswept!

19 June 09
Today all the clothing that was sent to us for the shoot had to be sent back to the suppliers as no clothes are allowed to be out on appro over weekends. All the invoices were taken downstairs and clothes were compared to descriptions… tags were all over the place, we were all over the place, everybody had to get everything into the right bag, send it to the right place and do all of that before 11am! Finally, after all that was done and sent out, we returned to our desks and relaxed a bit. For the rest of the afternoon, I typed up the rest of the entry details for the Beauty Awards.

What a week this has been! I’ve had a very exciting behind-the-scenes magazine experience and I have a feeling that this is only the beginning of greater things to come.
Ciao everybody! And good luck to all you other girls on pursuing your dreams. Don’t forget to have fun along the way! Mwah**

17 Academy!!

Keep checking the blog for updates, 17 Academy is in full swing!

nikita

Nikita is a journalism student at the University of Johannesburg. She took a road trip down to Cape Town to spend a week at seventeen HQ!

18 May
Waking up to an overcast chilly morning, the weather was competing with how I was feeling before I arrived at seventeen HQ. My nerves silenced my usual confident blabbermouth because I was stepping into the unknown. I was worried about what lay ahead for me because the only part I’ve ever played in a magazine is purchasing and reading! My day started off with a production meeting where I met all the lovely ladies of seventeen. Khwezi then assigned me to play with the latest digital camera, the Canon Digital IXUS 110is, to review for the Digi Diva page – check out page 50 of the July issue, on sale 1 July, to see my thoughts!

Playing with the camera!

19 May
I was super-excited today as I had a better grasp of what was happening. I started my research for Khwezi on an inspiring story that was discussed in yesterday’s features meeting – which I can say was filled with loads of jokes and laughter – but don’t worry the meeting was very successful with fabulous ideas for the August issue! In between the research, I phoned seventeeners for Pam and Liza (always nice to chat on the phone) and went to UCT with Liza to interview some boys for the Dance issue! UCT is a pretty varsity (yes, I said pretty) compared to UJ! The group of boys sure had a lot to say – check out page 47 in the July issue! I swear time here at seventeen HQ flys by! Before I knew it, it was another day gone. But I did have fun working here.

Showing Ayanda what I needed him to comment on

All the boys at UCT

20 May
I got loads of research done for the inspirational feature but I was getting worried if what I found wasn’t good enough! I helped Pam by phoning more people and correcting phone numbers for the stockists page – telling people I’m calling from seventeen sounds great to me. As my day ended, Liza gave me the checklist for the Digi Diva review page so I could start typing up my answers – wish I could keep the cameras!

21 May
This week definitely went by too fast… sigh. I’m ecstatic I came down to seventeen to find out what happens at a magazine, which I absolutely loved. Today I had more cameras to test (I’m not complaining) – I enjoyed trying to figure out the one camera that is so retro it reminds of my dad’s camera where you have to manually focus. Before seventeen is printed for you readers, a dummy (mock magazine) is put together so everything can be checked and edited into a flawless piece of art. Pam gave me the previous issues dummy to recycle the printed pages – every bit counts when it comes to erasing our carbon footprint on the environment. I also helped her put together the July Dance issue dummy which looks exciting – everybody loves to dress up and feel like a superstar.

Dummy time!

22 May
I can’t believe it’s already time for me to pack my bags and start my road trip back home, back to my pending varsity exams (Oh no!). My week at seventeen was an eye-opener that allowed me to see the amount of work, time and planning that goes into a magazine, which acts as a source of comfort, inspiration and entertainment for so many girls. So I completed my research for Khwezi and Liza, which they loved (thankfully!). As I said farewell to seventeen I felt privileged for the opportunity. Now tomorrow the road trip back to Jo’burg begins, where my friends are dying to hear of my past week as an “Ugly Betty” – a fun, carefree version!

it's fun at seventeen!

Margot Davies, 17, is in grade 11 at Camps Bay High School. Her fave TV show is 90210 and she's passionate about writing, scrapbooking, poetry, movies, her friends, family and life!

Tuesday 22 June 09
So the day I’d anticipated for months had finally arrived – the day I began my internship at seventeen! My hair was co-operating, my lunch was packed and I prayed my shoes wouldn’t be the death of me. I was filled with nervous excitement and couldn’t wipe the grin off my face. I arrived in the middle of one almighty downpour but luckily avoided getting soaked. Immediately I was shown to my very own office station complete with a "swivel chair" and an Apple Mac! Not going to lie though, it takes some getting used to compared to my trusty XP. I got to sit in on a features meeting for the September issue – the team were throwing around ideas and discussing details. Once the meeting finished, I was given the July issue to look at. As I began flicking through the pages, I became caught up in “dance fever” and couldn’t help envisioning my dream dress. The July issue is on sale 1 July!! Next, I had a personal lesson with Lisa (the digital editor) on how the cover girl wallpapers are set up. Check out www.seventeen.co.za to see more of what the digi team get up to every day.

Wednesday 23 June 09
Thankfully, the rain had subsided and I arrived warm and dry. My first task this morning was to create labels for the seventeen library. Khwezi, Lisa and Liza went to the Spring/Summer 2009 MAC launch. While they were out, I finished the labels and stuck them up, then I helped Ashleigh (the designer) make photocopies for job bags. In a moment of absentmindedness, I placed the magazines and finished photocopies on top of the machine, not realising that when I lifted the lid to make another photocopy, it would all go crashing down onto the people sitting downstairs! They reassured me that this happens “all the time”. After a quick lunch, I finished filing the seventeen library into order. Lisa (digi ed) then tasked me with writing two gossip stories for www.seventeen.co.za and I helped Pam (sub editor) to rearrange The Board – this is where they stick up mini versions of the magazine’s layout that they’re currently working on. It reminded me of a jigsaw puzzle!

Wow - this library has a lot of mags!

The Board!

Thursday 24 June 09
My first task today was to get a love quote for the one Guys story in the August issue – I called up one of my best friends, Alicia, to help me out and thankfully she could. Once I settled that, I moved onto updating the celebrity list, which is seventeen’s list of all the “it” celebs that us teenagers are interested in. Since the “Oh Boy!” section of www.seventeen.co.za went live today, I checked that out, too. Very cool! After lunch I set out with Liza (managing ed) on a boy hunt for the Guys Talk page in the August issue. We hit Long Street and after gallivanting around for an hour had managed to track down seven guys. Back at the office I set to work compiling the answers. You’ll have to wait for the August issue to find out what we asked them – it’s on sale on 29 July! I must say, I was very surprised with their answers and I’m sure you will be, too.

All the seventeen covers

Friday 25 June 09
Today I carried on with updating the celebrity list. It took me most of the day and in between that I had to fill out the intern questionnaire which helps the seventeen team know a bit more about us. Next thing I knew it was home time – my internship was over. How did that happen?! The days flew by so quickly. I had so much fun that it honestly didn’t feel like work. I met so many amazing people and learned so many great things about life, the world of print media and myself. I bid goodbye to everyone on the seventeen team, packed up my workspace and had one last swirl in my swivel chair. All this made for a truly unforgettable experience that I’ll be telling my grandkids about one day.

Me and Khwezi