1. Learning Journal #2 –
Humanitarianism and Professionalism in Relation to
Experiential Learning
By Jenna Pilgrim
Submitted to Cammie Jacquays
Monday, March 10th
, 2014
ADMN-3870H

2. Learning Journal #2 – By Jenna Pilgrim 0521240
As my experiential learning experience has now passed the halfway point, I have
had time to reflect on all this internship has done for me so far. I have learned to
function in the real world, with real world times and deadlines, and real world
consequences. Professionalismis a big part of the work I do, and I pride myself on my
ability to read and comprehend situations that may be out of my control. As a learning
experience, this has been an invaluable one. I have learned things that cannot be taught
in a classroom, like the fact that no one is “too good” to move furniture or take out the
trash. I have learned humility, and most of all I have become a better learner. In the
learning organization model, I have seen how Aria Nightclub follows each building block
in the process, and how they fit everything in to achieve the desired result. The evolving
market in which we exist has been a difficult one to figure out. Even if I were to study
trends for years with unlimited resources, I still would not be able to put my finger on
what makes our business run and how to manipulate it to achieve exactly the desired
outcome. Humanitarianism was a big part of this second section with Aria, and I will
refer to this in later pages. I have learned the importance of giving back, and how much I
have in comparison to others. From a business perspective, I have seen the gain that
comes from participating in humanitarian activities; and how this intertwines with deep
business strategy and public image. When speaking of Corporate Social Responsibility, it
is the duty of the business to make an impact on the community it is a part of, not just
existing within the current infrastructure.
Professionalismis learning when to hold your tongue and when to speak your
mind. There are times to act and times to stay quiet, and this is a major part of working
in a team scenario. Through Aria I have learned that others have great ideas too, and
you must think completely through your idea before you share it. Being professional is
not only being productive, it is utilizing the time you have because you realize that time
is the one thing that is truly invaluable to your success. In the Fifth Discipline, they speak
of shared visions, and how when you harness everyone’s ideas, they become a fuller &
impressive idea. It becomes a moldable and malleable concept, rather than the abstract
that it was within everyone’s minds. People who work together to accomplish a
common goal really understand what it means to be part of a cohesive group. Learning
to be humble and never thinking that any job is “beneath” you is one thing that I had to
learn since starting at Aria. My generation has grown up in a society where most things
have been done for them, and this provides a sense of entitlement and an “I’m better
than you” attitude, which is completely unacceptable in everyday life. I am as much able
to take out the garbage as anyone else, and when you are at the bottom of the totem
pole, this is your job. The totem pole is simply a motivation tool for achieving higher
education.
Learning organizations are really the basis of what makes a business adaptable.
Having gateways in place so that employees have the ability to be creative within their
parameters helps the business to flourish within itself. In this manner it does not lose its
core principles, it uses them as a benchmark for future decisions and changes. As long as

3. these core ideas are in place, all of the employees will “enroll” in the idea of the success
of the business. If you have to convince employees to “buy in” to a new concept, they
will not perform at their best. Creating something yourself makes you proud of what
you’ve made, and therefore you care more about it. The inaugurator of an idea cares
about its success, and will do anything they can to keep it sustainable. This is the first
building block of the Learning organization. Allowing management to reinforce the core
concepts and encourage creativity allows the employees to think that it was their idea
all along. I have seen this time and time again at Aria, as we often consult our staff on
new marketing ideas and methods of getting people to come out each weekend. As Aria
is only open twice a week (Friday and Saturday nights) they have the whole week to
plan their set & their promotions. Everything is planned to a T when Friday night rolls
around. They have a relatively good systemin place, but what they really need are ideas
from the target market. They have done a lot of things right so far, as all of their staff
are from the target market and care about the success of the business. But, there is
always room for improvement. This is my project in the next phase of my internship.
Charity in Business is a whole other ball game. Humanitarianism in Organizations
influences the Triple Bottom Line idea: Social, Environmental & Economic sustainability,
and a companies’ duty within society to give back. These past few weeks I have been
working on a project entitled “Aria Cares” which is a proposal program for student
groups at Trent and Fleming that further a humanitarian cause. Project 10K was my first
endeavour, and upon its immense success I started this new proposal. This is basically a
partnership package targeted at students, and the money goes to a credible
organization to help people in need. Project 10K’s funds went to Free the Children to
help build schools in Kenya, and they raised just over $8,000 in one day. Aria was the
main sponsor, donating T-shirts and free cover bracelets as well as hosting the official
after party as the location sponsor. Next we sponsored the Relay for Life team to create
an event at Shots to further their cause to help the Canadian Cancer Society. Our next
project is Friends of Honduran Children, who are doing a fundraiser night at Shots with
after party at Aria to follow. I have been in constant communication with the organizers
of all these events, and this has taught me professionalismand extreme communication
skills. It is fine line being a sponsor, as you never know how much to offer and how
much to pull back and “reward” the clients with upon the success of the event. Raising
awareness for Aria Cares has not been difficult, as there are many students striving to
make a difference at Trent and in the larger community. Forbes magazine speaks of
giving back: “With enough time and consistency, a company’s charitable ethos can
become part of the consumer’s buying experience”. Using our current connections in
the entertainment industry of Peterborough, it is easy to give it a “humanitarian twist”; I
mean who doesn’t want to drink if “hey, its for the kids”. We chose to market this
specifically to Trent & Fleming students because this is our target market. If people see
that we as an organization are supporting their peers, they are more likely to support us
too. They are now also “enrolled” in our cause, bringing in more revenue for the
company and more awareness for the specific campaign. Using our promotional reach

4. can also immensely help little-known clubs, as we have a facebook follower base of over
5,500 people.
Using the Triple Bottom Line as our model, I have created a strategic plan for the
future of the Aria Cares Foundation. This new venture is very exciting for the
corporation, as it will bring us to the next level in the eyes of the general public. This will
also create an even stronger partnership with Trent and Fleming, one that we would kill
to have. Bringing Corporate Social Responsibility into our business is a great way to
differentiate ourselves from the other nightclubs and businesses in town, and really
create the culture and connection that students are craving. We have made ourselves a
name, not simply a place where they come to spend money on the weekends. We have
used the large scale of Aria and the cozier atmosphere of Shots to create that small-
town feel that everyone has been craving since Splice closed its doors.
Overall, I have learned so much in my internship so far. I cannot wait to see Aria
Cares through to its completion, and to actually see Trent using this unique partnership
to help others in need. I love the direction in which Aria is going, and I’m excited to see
how it unfolds while I am a part of it. Professionalismis a skill I will carry with me
through all of my future jobs, it will always be my first taste of “the real world”. I have
learned all about giving back, and how fortunate I am to live in the society that I do. CSR
is something that Trent prides itself on teaching to its students: it has prepared me to
think of people other than myself, and to manage my time effectively. Unpaid
internships are paid in experience, and in my opinion I am being paid top dollar.
1. Garvin, D.A., Edmonson, A.C. & Gino, F. (2008). Is yours a Learning Organization?
Harvard Business Review, March, 109–116.
2. Kolb, A. Y., & Kolb, D. A. (2005). Learning styles and learning spaces: Enhancing
experiential learning in higher education. Academy of Management Learning and
Education, 4(2), 193-212.
3. Parrish, Steve. (2013). Give Thanks and Give Back: How Your Business Can Do Both.
Forbes Online: Retrieved March 6th, 2014.
(http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveparrish/2013/11/26/give-thanks-and-give-back-
how-your-business-can-do-both)
4. Slaper, Timothy F. PhD; Hall, Tanya. (2011). The Triple Bottom Line: What it is and
How it Works. The Indiana Business Review. Retrieved March 5th, 2014.
(http://www.ibrc.indiana.edu/ibr/2011/spring/article2.html)

5. Aria in an evolving society & evolving market
Aria’s commitment to humanitarianism & why it is
important
Experiential learning and humanitarianism – in relation
to volunteering for experience (no $$ gain)
Triple bottom line, emphasis on Trent and diversity &
social impact