Aqueducts and You (Intern Edition)
How do you feel about aqueducts? When you see that word, what comes up for you? Likely you find yourself imagining a remnant of the Roman Empire with its beautiful stone arches traversing a gulley. Maybe you found yourself thinking of a large reservoir where they go? Discover with us a new view of these unique watercourses.
Tunnel Vision
At its peak, the Roman aqueduct systems – 11 in all – stretched nearly 500 miles. The Aqueduct of Valens was the longest spanning all the way to Istanbul and was completed in 373 A.D. How much of the Roman aqueducts were high above ground? Only about 30 miles worth. Yet that is what we typically envision. Interesting, yes?
Today, much of our aqueducts are below ground in pipes and tunnels. The longest in the U.S. – the California Aqueduct – extends 705 miles and uses a combination of canals, tunnels, and pipelines. Did you know New York City gets half its water from an 85-mile long tunnel called the Delaware Aqueduct? It is the world’s longest continuous tunnel. Picture that aqueduct part!
Particular Synecdoches
Synecdoche is a captivating figure of speech. A word that’s part of something refers to the whole. Instead of saying “aqueduct,” you might say “the pipes.” Instead of saying “intern,” you might say “the fresh eyes” or “the extra hands.” Refer to a banker as “a suit” and you might convey something more in particular.
So, maybe language is a different kind of aqueduct? It delivers our thoughts and feelings to others. Via this aqueduct called language we say things that move countless miles above ground to places too far to see. Consider being particular in this medium.
Meanwhile, we are a part of a whole called the human race. Every one of us is a human flowing through time and being. An intern is the same, except their origins are clearer and their waters are perhaps less disturbed (or contaminated) than us elders.
Roman Channels
Whether we think of aqueducts, language, human beings, or interns, there is something to get. The greatest system in the world is only as good as what’s flowing inside it. Run premium whiskey through a barrel and watch the wood’s value go up. An investment bank is worth its deal flow. Great interns in, excellent internship program comes out. We could go on and on.
But…that same magnificent aqueduct that has drinking water traversing miles can easily do the same for wastewater. What you put in is mostly what you get out. Linguistically, choose your words wisely. As for your intern program, ask who are you putting in (students, managers, mentors) and what are you getting out?
We are all a part of a whole. Stay above ground and channel that Roman watercourse.Here's to you and your awesome future.
Until then, keep your feet on the board and keep riding your wave!
Robert J. Khoury
CEO Agile Rainmakers