Elise Hardcastle

When I started my sophomore year at Siena Heights University (SHU), I had no plans for the summer. I was really just worried about classes and making money for my December choir trip to Italy. Obtaining an internship for summer 2013 was pretty much the last thing on my mind and I definitely had no intention of even doing that. I figured I would end up working somewhere moderately close to home, like Cedar Point; something not so out of the norm. I ended up in Medora, North Dakota.

In the past, I’ve really only traveled to the east coast and Florida. I’ve never been west, and honestly, North Dakota has never been on my list of states to visit. I found the website for Medora, North Dakota on accident. I stumbled across the link on a list of random internships, very late in the school year, and I submitted a form at about 3:35 a.m. They responded to me very quickly and immediately the ball was in my court. I had to decide whether I wanted to spend the summer 20 hours away from my family and friends or try to work closer to home. After a lot of thought, I decided to throw caution to the wind and just accept the position of night auditor.

Medora, North Dakota in itself is a fascinating place. It was founded in 1883 by Frenchman Marquis de Mores. De Mores named the town after his wife Medora von Hoffman. They started the town and built a meat packing plant, which is now almost gone, and the Chateau de Mores which is now a museum. Around the same time, Theodore Roosevelt too fell in love with the Badlands. “Old Four Eyes” worked hard to be respected by the cowboys and was eventually accepted as one of their own. He spared the bear cub and created the teddy bear and worked hard to understand and appreciate nature. He owned ranching land around Medora and was inspired to start the conservation efforts. If Roosevelt hadn’t spent time in the Badlands he might have never been president.

Harold Schafer was the next person to be impacted by Medora. Harold Schafer was the founder of the Gold Seal Company. He made products such as Mr. Bubble, Snowy Bleach and Glass Wax. He was a fantastic salesman and he believed in hard work. Shaffer bought up all of Medora around 1962. He bought the Joe Ferris Store and the Rough Riders Hotel, both still there today, and invested in the town. He eventually came up with the idea of the Medora Musical. With the help of Sheila (pronounced Shy-la) Shafer, the First Lady of Medora who still lives there today, he put on a musical variety show in an outdoor amphitheatre called the Medora Musical, which still draws in thousands of people every summer, 7 days a week. He also started the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation (TRMF) in 1986 to help keep the towns’ history intact. Harold Schafer left a lasting legacy in Medora, one that still burns today.

This past summer was not what I was expecting. In Medora, I was able to work with so many wonderful people from all over the world. I experienced something completely different from what I’m used to. Working in a tourist town can be tedious. Sometimes it seems like everything is the same, but it isn’t really. Everyone’s experience is different. I worked in the historic Rough Riders Hotel, where Roosevelt supposedly stayed, and at the Medora Musical. I had the privilege of interacting with a plethora of fascinating people whether it was at the hotel, or working concessions, or driving folks around in golf carts at the musical.

My main job was night auditor. The name reeks of math, my least favorite subject in school, so I was nervous about what my job would entail. I had no clue what a night auditor even did, but boy, do I know now. It was my responsibility to man the front desk of either the Rough Rider Hotel or the Badlands Motel from 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. I also ran the audit, which essentially reset the system for the next day, and took record of everything. Did I mention that the audit was for all of TRMF properties? I even had to send my reports to all of the higher ups. From day one, I was emailing my work straight to the bosses. This made me nervous for a very long time, especially since the other night auditor was studying accounting but I managed. I gained a new kind of confidence in Medora by doing something that I never would have had the chance to do close to home. If I learned anything from this summer and from those who were in Medora before me, it was to always be bold and work hard. Bully!

Visit Medora’s website:  www.medora.com