Family & Friends Night

Every summer we like to have a family and friends night at the Aquarium as a way to invite the families and friends of the interns to see what the interns have been doing during the summer. Really, it's a night for the interns to 'show off' what they've learned during the internship.

The part of the evening the interns like best, is handling the animals for their friends and family to see. Here are a couple pictures from the evening. Keep in mind that some of the interns are in regular clothes, so they may be difficult to spot :) - Jaime

Hillary's Funny Story

This story is from the first time I got to take the sea turtles up to the roof with Erin, Jeremy and Caitlin. Once we got up there we sat down the watch them and Jeremy, Caitlin and I decided we were going to hug a sea turtle. So, we each grabbed their containers and gave our sea turtle a big hug!

There wwas another time when I first met penguin 138 (Squirt). I have to say, he is the funniest animal I have ever met. He spins around while he eats and makes noises that sound like he's yelling, "WHOA"!

Lastly, my weirdest experience would have to be then I witnessed 2 blue crabs eating another crab. It was definetly disgusting, but facinating at the same time. I remember I had no idea what to do. All these boys were saying, "Look! It's dead! They killed it!" I just thought, "Oh my goodness, I need a radio so I can call for help."

- Hillary Evans

(A picture of Caitlin, Jeremy and Hillary giving their turtles a "hug")

Jeremy's Funny Story

It was Hillary, Erin, Caitlin and I who all met in one of the classrooms. We were in there to try on the penguin costume. It was funny because I have never had the chance to put on a body costume and when I did, it was most definitely satisfying. Yes, it is hot, but walking around in it was pretty funny. The best part is seeing someone else it it, especially when they jump around and dance. It looks so awkward. Putting pn that penguin suit was the highlight of my day!

-Jeremy Kitzmann

(Jeremy is the intern in the costume. Others in the picture are Caitlin, Hillary and Erin.)

Jalonna's Funny Story

Wow...an exciting story from this summer woulf have to be "the Orville incident". It was quite terrifying atually. I was learning about the different snakes and decided to get to know a 'ne" one. Well, he wasn't really new, but I had never held him before. So...I got Orville out of his exhibit and he seemed calm, cool and collected at the time. But, little did I know he likes to move around A LOT. While I was holding him he started mixxing up a lot. Next thing I know he seems to jump when I tried to move him and it scared me. When he jumped, I jumped and after that, Orville and I have yet to meet again. One day we will meet face to face, but until then we shall remain out of each other's sight (LOL)!!

I will never forget the day "the Orville incident" occured :)

- Jalonna Robinson

(This is Jalonna with Rosie, not Orville)

Erin's Funny Story

Sadly, I don't have an awesome stories to tell, but I have a bunch of small ones. One day while I was in the middle of bird rounds, Colby (a volunteer) came up to me and my partner Hillary. I was carrying a plate of fish for the salt marsh exhibit and I said, "Looks pretty yummy, huh?" Of course I was joking, but he saud, " You've got to try the foos before you feed it to the birds." Then he picked up a fish and swallowed it whole! For a second I didn't realize what he had done, but when I did all I could think for ten minutes was, "BLEEK!!" I think he should be on Fear Factor...

- Erin Peifer
(Erin is on the right in this picture. Hillary is on the left)

Caitlin's Funny Story

It's funny how all the visitors never see the albino alligator move cause I can name multiple mornings where Oddom and I have sat at the Trading Post and watched him move, trying to get the fish.

I won't forget about the guy that told me to let the small gator bite him so he could have gator teeth marks on his arm. Then throughout the whole day he brought it up when he would see me.

Just the other day, Ka'la and I were doing the turtle cart and a girl ran off with the turtle puppet to show her counselor and when she came back she leaned on the table and with a ditsy voice complained about having to go shopping. What girl doesn't enjoy spending money? :)

None of my stories are really funny, weird or interesting but they were worth remembering. I forgot...a sting ray bit me and a box turtle peed on me!

- Caitlin Smith

(Caitlin is on the left in the picture. The other intern is Kaitlyn. How confusing!)

Carlee's Funny Story

When I was doing the sea turtle cart one day, I was dressed in the sea turtle costume and everything. This girl came down the hall crying. She lost her grandparents so I called on the radio for help and while we waited for help, we gave her some free tattoos and stuff from the cart. When help came she was more excited about the stuff than the fact she couldn't find her grandparents!

- Carlee Hennemann

Angela's Funny Story

A vital part of every day working at the Aquarium is lunch time. A lot of us, being the teenagers that we are, are too lazy to pack a lunch. So, that leaves us two options, get lunch fom the sea turtles cafe (which requires walking up and down the stairs) or getting food out of the vending machine (upstairs). I think the choice here is obvious, but every time we put money in the machine expecting a delicious treat, it gets stuck! Every single time! On more than one occasion I've had a staff member walk by, notice my plight, and expertly shake the machine despite the very large "do not shake" sign posted on the side. I owe the staff here quite a lot for starving off hunger on these long days at the Aquarium.

- Angela Liu

(Angela as a sea turtle with Jeremy and Oddom at the Sea Turtles Cart)

Oddom's Funny Story

The first time I put on the otter costume. That's a story because all these little kids kept coming over wanting a hug and sometimes they are so excited that they run up to you and tackle you. Even the parents want a hug from the otter. Sometimes we have bad kids and the hit the otter. one time a kid punched me in the nose and eye. I still love being in the costume!

- Oddom Vong

This is Oddom in the Otter costume :) - Jaime

Kaitlyn's Funny Story

A funny story to me would be when Oddom and I were working in the Trading Post and he got burned by the microscope. He was putting it away and I guess he grabbed the wrong part, because when he picked it up, his his arm flew backwards and he tried really hard not to scream.

I guess that's not really funny. It was mean of me to laugh, but when we left the Trading Post I ended up tripping on the stairs, the foot wash and even my own feet. Oddom got to laugh at me too!

- Kaitlyn Servello

(Kaitlyn and Hilary in the Trading Post)

Ka'la's Funny Story

Attention Readers: Most of the events/stories that happened during this summer are inside jokes so you may not understand a word that I am talking about. Out of all the funny jokes, stories, events etc. that happened, I've narrowed it down to my top 3.

#3

Most of the interns were in the kitchen area and we were making fun of Jeremy because he doesn't know all of our names. He said, "yeah, I know all of your names." As he was calling our names out he is reading our name tages one by one :)

#2

My female sea turtle song that all the children love because it has the tune to the itsy bitsy spider, but they don't understand the meaning of the lyrics.

#1

The Aquarium Song. The college interns, Carly and Travis and high school intern Carlee and myself were talking about old time shows like Keenan and Kel and the Good Burger movie. We sat in the kitchen remixing the Good Burger song to "Welcome to the Aquarium. Home of the fishes. Can I show you to the Gata."

- Ka'la Drayton

(Ka'la at the Bird Cart with Oddom)