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 brekkiesWeek 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 TaugheedahThursday
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.
HeavenFriday
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?
