The deluge of back-to-school commercials is in full swing. We’ve heard crickets chirping at night. And daylight appears to be vanishing much quicker, with sunset now coming before 8 pm each evening.
Summer is slipping away, and so are our summer interns.
We’ve had a great batch this year, all contributing in their own ways to helping us capture the character and qualities of this Island.
They’ve all demonstrated a willingness to jump in, with great curiosity, diligence, and the ability to listen, learn, and grow. They’ve had triumphs of taking on new challenges and succeeding.
This is no get-the-boss-coffee internship. Our interns hit the ground running, and can even find themselves chasing down a fire in a remote section of Tisbury, or following a tip that a certain former president of the United States is coming back to M.V. for a vacation.
Bella Bennett is the first to leave us this year. Bella, who has joined us each summer since she was a senior in high school, is always a welcome addition. If she did nothing else but bring her smile and bright personality to work, it would be enough. But she also brings a passion for science that’s led to some terrific reporting about stinging, clinging jellyfish, shellfishing, and how scientists have figured out where fish live by tracking their DNA.
Then there’s Sophia McCarron. She already carries herself with the maturity and grace of someone twice her age. Willing to tackle big topics like the Island’s opioid crisis and write with hilarious self-deprecation about making her father a cake for Father’s Day, Sophia made an immediate impact as an intern. She’s a tribute to Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, having just graduated in June.
Lily Cowper is another young intern wise beyond her years. While she’s done some writing and photography for The Times this summer, she’s also jumped in to help out with production of some of our seasonal publications, and has even helped out with our classified section. Last week, when we learned at the last minute that contractors had begun taking down part of the old Marine Hospital to begin renovations for the new Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Lily jumped right on it and got us a breaking news brief and photograph to chronicle the moment.
Amanda Lucidi came to our news staff as a recent journalism graduate, with some excellent recommendations. She made an impression even before joining the intern staff by approaching Times editor Jamie Stringfellow at a conference in March to see what opportunities might be available. At The Times, she has demonstrated the ability to fearlessly and eagerly take on a variety of assignments thrown her way, from covering the weekly selectmen’s meetings in Edgartown to the ongoing H2-B visa crisis, to getting the inside scoop on the Island’s latest food truck. She’s also stepped in to cover one of the biggest stories this summer, spending a day at an ongoing hearing that involved assistant district attorney Laura Marshard in Boston. Her photography skills have also been a welcome addition to the Times this summer.
Technically, Brittany Bowker isn’t an intern, but that’s how she started at The Times. Britt is another member of the staff willing to dive in and tackle whatever assignment comes up. Whether it’s covering the beach scene and the Island’s lifeguards or her account of goat yoga in Chilmark, Britt has helped bring the Vineyard culture to life for our readers. It’s good to know her work will continue, even as some of our other interns head back to school or to new adventures.
Naomi Pallas, as she has in the past, has been a steady go-to person, pinch-hitting for reporters on vacation, stepping up to cover municipal meetings, and providing a readable account of town business. Naomi is quiet and unassuming, but her work shows that she is engaged and focused.
Maddy Moore didn’t have much time with us before she headed off to China for a college assignment, but she’ll be back soon. While she was at The Times, she traipsed through the woods to find and take photos of firefighters extinguishing a fire. She showed good instincts in seeing the smoke as she drove into the office, asking questions as soon as she arrived, and jumping into a car with another reporter to bring readers the breaking news.
So as we say goodbye to our young charges, we’ll laugh, we’ll cry, and we’ll find comfort in the fact that the future of journalism and our democracy looks bright from our view here at The Times.
