The usual hustle and bustle of an airport will never change, however, the friendliness of the people of Sint Maarten hits you as soon as you touch down. From customs to the cab drivers, everyone welcomes you with open arms. The citizens of Sint Maarten are great, but nothing can top the breathtaking views and the pristine weather. After a few excursions within the first week of our being here, I have more or less gotten a lay of the land and a read on the people and communities inhabiting the island. After getting our bearings and acclimating to being out of the country, we were pointed in the direction of some good restaurants in the immediate area so that we didn’t have to get a cab in order to go out to eat, which brought our first day to a close.
In Doctor VanDyke’s first class, we began a discussion of what we have noticed so far on the island and how we can apply it to public relations. At that time, I remembered how on our second excursion we saw buildings pop up in the more run down parts of town that looked as if they had been teleported from America. Most of the structures were of small stature, not surpassing roughly fifteen feet in height, and had a beachy inclination within the architecture. Yet, the bigger stores were looming over the nearby shops and had a vastly different architectural style. Another topic that came up within class was how advertising is carried out on the island. Not many of us noticed it, but a majority of the advertising on the island is done by word of mouth. For example, our tour guide, Gregory, told us about the work that his brother, friends, and even dad do on the island as we drove by. That wasn’t all though, as he also recommended nearby restaurants and stores. Also, a general rule of thumb here is that there are little driving regulations. Which of course results in some close encounters, but to my surprise I have yet to see a car accident. The streets are small, and the cars fast, but locals seem indifferent to it, so I can only assume it’s the norm. Even if that norm led to out driver reversing up the side of a mountain on a street with no guard rail. I wasn’t too enthused at the time, but I was able to snap a nice picture of the scenery due to it.
As for class, I can’t say with full confidence that I was going to be able to keep up. Luckily, both the professors are easing into things, and my group members are a big help. What I wasn’t expecting was to be as excited as I am to begin working. This is my first real look at public relation in action, and I already feel a step ahead the rest of my graduating class since I am getting this opportunity so early on. I may be the youngest on the trip, but I still feel as if I can and will contribute in major ways. My first week on the island started better than I could’ve asked for, and I can’t help but look forward to the next three.
--Skylar Deavers
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