The Summer Times - July 27, 2017

THE SUMMER TIMES ‘The Summer Newspaper of Phillips Exeter Academy’

Vol. XLI, Number 4

Read us online at peasummertimes.com

Thursday, July 27, 2017

As the World Burns, Rivals Bond Here

By KLINE DICKENS

Summer Times Staff Writer

“We’re all people. We’re equal,” said Alexander Unesikhin, a Russian student, when asked about his views of Ukrainian students at Exeter Summer. “Some people like Ukraine, some people don’t care about it. I don’t care.”

Alexander’s views reflect how many students at Exeter feel. The people just two generations before us lived in a world of racism, war, and fear. Today, many kids our age accept everyone as equal members of a global community. World conflicts don’t carry over to the campus

– a noteworthy lesson.

“By my Ukrainian friends and family members, Russia is viewed rather negatively than positively,“ said Rostyslav Rozhok, a Ukrainian student. Russia is currently in an armed conflict with Ukraine that has killed over 9,000 people since 2014.

Although tensions between Russia and Ukraine are high, Rostyslav doesn’t see Russians as personal enemies.

“I have really good relationships with several Russians,” he said. “Two girls that live in London, my close friend lives in Ukraine, and See FRENEMIES, page 3

Students Work Phones and Eureka! A Winner!

By KAITLYN GOSAKTI Summer Times Staff Writer

If you end up conversing with an affable woman and find yourself being constantly called “sweetie-pie”, despite however short the conversation was, you would most likely be talking to Jackie Weatherspoon, one of the most captivating, intelligent and politically active faculty members at Phillips Exeter Academy.

That is how three dozen Access Exeter and Upper School students received an unforgettable lesson in grassroots Ameri-

can politics last weekend.

Mrs. Weatherspoon first got involved in politics in Brooklyn when she was 14. She took part in the Council for a Better East New York “and part of that campaign was to make sure people had jobs during the Summer.”

She then joined her first demonstration which took place in City Hall. She claims that it was this event that taught her “how important being active was, especially advocating for young people.”

See PHONE BANK, page 8

Ralph Blumenthal and Alec Greaney / The Summmer Times Staff

International Day

On-stage and in the specially-decorated d-hall, students from around the world Wednesday celebrated their cultural and culinary heritage.

For more pictures and a sypnopsis of the festivities, see page 8.

It's a Bird, It's a Plane–no it's...

By ERIKA PETERSEN

Summer Times Staff Writer

Erika Petersen / The Summmer Times Staff

The Communication Department's drone hovers low over Exeter's lawn, preparing to take off for the sky.

...It’s the communication department’s Drone! This high-tech piece of equipment can be seen drifting through the sky, seemingly of its own volition.

Do not be fooled, however: this white, soaring beast is welltamed by Christian Harrison, a member of the department at Phillips Exeter Academy. The Phantom 4 DGI is a $1,500 drone released in 2016, and has helped the communications department grow their marketing strategies. “[The Phantom four DGI]

Opens up a whole new realm for us to see things and observe things,” said Patrick Garrity, the only other member in the communications department capable of flying the drone.

As the drone lifts off the ground, its propellers become a blur, defying the laws of gravity.

Groups of people walking by stop to stare at the high flying tech.

Students smile and wave, knowing all too well that they are on camera. “As soon as it is in the air you're the most important person around,” said Harrison.

Even though drones have become something of a trend in the pre-

ceding years, they still manage to rile up excitement.

The communications department runs Exeter’s website and YouTube channel, as well as a school magazine. The drone provides new and creative vantage points from which to take photos and video to add to these media platforms.

“Its funny because there’s all kinds of projects that you wouldn't think about,” said Mr. Harrison. One of the projects includes taking photographs of the forest’s canopy to show the See DRONE, page 3

Lockdown Drill Reveals Flaws Plagiarism Brings 1st Discipline Case

By MARC MA

Summer Times Staff Writer

There have been fewer safety problems this summer than the last few years, Exeter Summer’s Safety Director Paul Gravel told The Summer Times this week.

Recently, PEA’s Campus Safety held a lockdown drill on campus. Unfortunately, students did not handle the drill well, Mr. Gravel said.

He emphasized that the

lockdown drill is important since students have to know what to do in event of a violent incident or another emergency.

While some students were in class doing what they were supposed to do when the drill was going on, some were still lingering on campus. The safety department also had the Exeter police force observing the drill.

In general, according to Mr. Gravel, the result was unsatisfactory.

Another important campus

Ralph Blumenthal / The Summer Times Staff

measure is the fire drill. He mentioned that all fires drills were handled relatively well although some students did not leave the room immediately after the alarm went off. Moreover, some students left the room without waking up their roommates who were still sleeping.

Mr. Gravel also emphasized that it’s a state law to have everyone evacuated when the fire alarm goes on. As far as See SAFETY, page 3

By SUMMER TIMES STAFF Exeter Summer had its first Disciplinary Case of the 2017 session last week.

An Upper School student was found to have taken uncredited material from the internet for an English Department assignment on the essay. The material was incorporated wholesale into the student's work without

Alec Greaney / The Summer Times Staff

Masked Mauraders

One-Acts Arrive

Students from Davis Moore's course "Transform the World" paraded to the Library Saturday to show how disguises offer different perspectives.

Exeter's One-Act plays begin tonight in Fisher Theater and continue Friday. Get a free ticket at the Student Activities office today! See page 2 for showtimes.

acknowledgment, the definition of plagiarism.

Students are strongly warned against plagiarism on many occasions in the summer program.

This year for the first time there is no formal Disciplinary Committee but the infraction was handled by the faculty and deans.

The student received three days of probation with restriction on activities and early check in.

Ralph Blumenthal / The Summer Times Staff

Mystery, Part II Can you identify this part of campus?

Check back next week for the answer!

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OP-ED

THE SUMMER TIMES

THE SUMMER TIMES Summer Times Staff Reporters A Format: Jimena Alamo Tindakay Cherif Isabela Gonzalez Nirvana Khan Cole Otley Julian Palencia Erika Petersen Sabrina Saboya Claudette Wilson

B Format: Julie Alsweilem Frederick Alworth Alice Cai Kline Dickens Kaitlyn Ge Kaitlyn Gosakti Marc Ma Kait Martinez Anna Morales Justice Wysinger Blane Zhu

Summer Times Layout Editors Michaela Streep

Faculty Advisors

Ralph Blumenthal Alec Greaney

The Summer Times is written and edited by Mr. Blumenthal and Mr. Greaney's A and B format Journalism classes and contributing writers throughout Exeter Summer.

It is produced by Alec Greaney, PEA '14, and Michaela Streep, PEA '16.

The Summer Times welcomes Letters to the Editor, which can be sent via email to thesummertimes17@gmail. com. The editors reserve the right to print Letters to the Editor in a timely fashion and to edit them for content and clarity.

Correction Last week's edition gave an incorrect first name for the faculty member leading the first Zumba outdoor Assembly. She is Courtney D. Marshall, not Carolyn. We apologize for the error.

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Venezuela: From Bad to Worse

By ANNA MORALES

Summer Times Staff Writer

After more than 120 days in the streets, the Venezuelan opposition continues to fight for freedom and democracy. In the past four months, the number of Venezuelans murdered by the government´s orders exceeds 100, there are more than 400 political detainees, and 3,000 arrested and almost 1,500 injured people.

Currently, Venezuela is suffering the worst crisis in its history. There is no food, no medicine and no education.

Children are dying of hunger, and the widespread impoverishment of the country is affecting every part of it. Caracas is the most violent city in the world, with the highest homicide rate.

As Venezuelan, I have no idea what is like to live in complete freedom. The year before I was born (1999), Hugo Chavez started his first presidential term. Since then, the media has been censored, freedom of expression has been punished, insecurity has increased daily and living with comforts has become more and more difficult.

His government lasted until 2013, because of his death, and Nicolas Maduro was chosen as his successor after what many people consider fraudulent elections. Since that moment, the opportunities of improving Venezuelans’ quality of life have not only worsened, but become almost impossible.

Although there have been

many uprisings by the opposition in the past 18 years, none of them had the strength of these 120 days of protests. Mr. Maduro has called an assembly for the drafting of a new Constitution -to strengthen his dictatorship- and protests have become more violent.

In these months going to the streets looks like a war: young people behind shields trying to protect themselves from the military guards of the Guardia Nacional Bolivariana (Bolivarian National Guard), until they attack civilians with tear gas, strong water cannons blasts, rubber bullets and buckshot.

The opposition called popular elections and they were held on July 16. The voters had to choose between three yes or no questions to clarify: whether citizens approved or not the constitutional assembly, whether they demand or not the National Guard, whether other public officials defend the actual Constitution, and whether they wanted elections to pick a new National Unity Government. The response to this call was historic. More than 7 million Venezuelans voted in the tw-week plebiscite, with 5 times fewer places for voting and 30,000 fewer polling stations. We got more votes than Nicolas Maduro in 2013.

Nowadays, after everything that happened, there is no fear anymore. People are not only fighting for liberty

and the Constitution´s respect, but also for food, health services, security, education and quality of life. As Neomar Lander, a 17-year-old teenager murdered in protests, said ¨The fight of few, is worth the future of many.¨ Due to the current situation of the country, everyone is trying to help the way they can. Medical students have created medical assistance and first aid groups for the protests, journalists and photographers are dedicated to reporting without fear of punishment, people are making food to distribute in the streets, and the youth is studying to prepare themselves for Venezuela´s future.

Nevertheless, plenty of people have migrated in search of better opportunities and the Nacional Airport has become a place for goodbyes.

Over the years, Venezuelans had to see how our country is destroyed. We have said goodbye to our friends and family. We have left behind a country that has given us everything: beautiful landscapes, delicious food, unique experiences and amazing people. I still have hope that together in some years we will be able to rebuild the Venezuela we dream of; that the same airport that today lets thousands of Venezuelans go, will see them come back; and that all the people who have suffered, hopefully will have a smile on their faces.

From Fenway to Faneuil Hall: A Beantown Diary

By COLE OTLEY

Summer Times Staff Writer

Driving into the city through twisted and congested highways and seeing the tall buildings so far up in the sky is something a person from a rural area, like myself, doesn’t experience very often. Being from Vermont, Boston is the closest big city to my home so I have become pretty familiar with the beautiful city.

Being from such a rural area in Vermont, it was especially exciting the first time I saw the big city. When I travel to Boston now, the same sensation is still there. The big city has something about it, and I don’t feel this way about any other cities I have visited.

Normally, when I visit

Boston, I like to go to Boston Harbor — the most beautiful and scenic part of the city. As you get closer and closer to the harbor, the aroma of the fresh seafood, and the sound of seagulls flying overhead becomes overwhelming. The commotion of all of the tourists taking pictures by the water, and buying souvenirs in little pop up shops around the city gives you a joyful feeling.

Close to the Harbor is Quincy Market, a large shopping complex with all kinds of stores. These large, strip mall stores surround Faneuil Hall, a large building that is packed with small food shops. When I think of Boston, I think of Faneuil Hall and the electric and chaotic atmosphere. The market is jammed-packed with enthusi-

Leadership Events The People of Exeter What: Tell us a story of who you are or what your culture means to you so we may share it with the rest of campus anonymously or otherwise.

Where: Stories will be on display in the Grill, newspaper, or at Open Mic. Submit Stories or Questions at: ThePeopleOfExeter@gmail.com Embracing Diversity What: The showing of an original video with the theme of embracing culture.

When: International Assembly Day Questions: Contact Shane Better at sbetter@exeter.edu Discrimination and Prejudice Awareness What: A game with prizes centered on racial equality, and women’s rights.

When: Thursday, July 27th at 7:00PM Where: Forum, 3rd Floor of the Academy Center Questions: Email kjenkins@exeter.edu Hunger Fight and Banquet What: A simulation about resource disparity throughout the world.

When: Friday, July 28th at 5:00PM

Where: Elm Street Dining Questions: Twitter @hungerfightpea or email lbenzimra@exeter.edu Toiletries Drive What: To help those in need through donations of used or unused toiletries which will be given to a local nonprofit.

When: Monday, July 24th to Thursday, August 3rd Where: Laundry Pickup in your Dorm Questions: Contact Ayleen Cameron at acameron@exeter.edu Dorm Clean Out What: To increase the sustainability of Exeter Summer and help those in need through the donation of used goods.

When: Thursday, August 3rd from 1:30PM to 4:30PM Where: Your Dorm!

Questions/Volunteers: Contact Sarah Chatter at chattersarah9@ gmail.com Exeter Summer Scholarship Soccer Game What: A set of soccer games to raise money for the Exeter Summer scholarship fund for Karam House.

Questions: Email bbentsi@exeter. edu, nmazzucchelli@exeter.edu, or auner@exeter.edu

astic tourists and shoppers. On weekends, shoppers come out to Quincy Market and storm into Faneuil Hall for all sorts of food, ranging from Chinese food, to the best Boston clam chowder you will ever taste.

Once everybody is finished getting their Boston merchandise from the market, I usually move inwards toward the center of the city. The next popular place to stop is an entire street. Newbury Street is a very popular shopping spot. When you walk down Newbury Street, the feeling of the real city life comes out. Car horns and people calling for taxis make up a lot of the noise on Newbury Street. The street is littered with shops, some bigger than others. You may find your favorite store to be a small

jewelry store down a flight of stairs that takes you under the sidewalk. Or you may be like me, and never run out of things to do in a huge store such as Nike Town.

The last very notable thing that I always notice when I go to Boston is the pride the people have for their professional sports teams. You may never go to another city that is more passionate about Major League Baseball team in your life. Everywhere you go you will see gear from the Red Sox, the professional baseball team, the Boston Bruins, the professional hockey team, the Celtics, the professional basketball team, and the New England Patriots, the professional football team.

I am fortunate enough to

have attended two Celtics games, which take place in TD Garden, a large sports arena in Boston.

The energy you get when you go into the arena is contagious.

Even if you aren’t a big sports fan, it’s a thrilling atmosphere.

When a team goes on a run and the entire stadium starts going crazy, it is one of the best feelings I’ve experienced because you feel like you are representing the whole city in that moment.

Regardless of if you are aren’t a sports fan or if you absolutely can’t stand shopping for more than 30 minutes, Boston has so much to offer that I promise you will enjoy your experience there. If you haven’t visited the beautiful city before, I highly suggest you stop by and experience it for yourself.

THE SUMMER TIMES

NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

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A Summer Alum Relives 1964, Paving Way for Granddaughter

By ALICE CAI

Summer Times Staff Writer

Truth be told, Assembly is one of the hardest events to keep track of. People often go blank during the meeting, especially after two heavy-loaded classes with five minutes break in between.

However, the students from both Access Exeter and Upper school seemed to be considerably engaged in our last Friday’s assembly. The speaker this time was an Exeter Summer “graduate” from 53 years ago, which can be traced back to 1964 when the citizens were still fighting for civil rights in the nation.

Not only is he an alum, but also had he another surprise connection to Exeter. (Stay tuned.)

Why was the history back then so important for this Assembly? Well, let me tell you a little bit about the speaker’s background.

Wendell J. Knox Sr. is an African-American from the state of Louisiana, which is in the Deep South with a terrible history of segregation between people of different colors.

Having grown up in a neigh-

borhood with people of the same race, Mr. Knox had no experience of friendship with any lighter color kids. “I have never interacted with people of other races because I attended black schools”, said Mr. Knox.

This was also one of the reasons why he would come back after 53 years sharing his time spent here, which pushed him to take the first step of breaking the racial barrier.

“I got my first white friend ever in Exeter Summer,” said Mr. Knox. (Although we might not be able to recall the same exact thing as Mr. Knox, we are clearly feeling in similar ways. For me it is “I got my first German friend ever,” for others it might be Chinese or Spanish or French. Exeter summer for sure is bringing students diversity no matter how long the time has passed.)

Mr. Knox also shared his inner feelings going back to before he came to Exeter’s summer program. Like a lot of us, and even more than many of us, Mr. Knox was worried about academics and making friends in a different environment. It was later proved from Mr. Knox’s personal experience

Alec Greaney / The Summmer Times Staff

Mr. Wendell Knox poses with his granddaughter, Veronica Knox, a current student at Exeter Summer.

that these concerns don't exist at Exeter at all.

The Harkness method made him realize his own value, and that he too had something to contribute to the class and he too had the right to challenge a teacher.

The campus was breath-taking for Mr. Knox and was so vast that it seemed like a college campus.

And for the first time in life, Mr. Knox got his own room.

All of these factors made Mr. Knox realize that there are no stereotypes at Exeter. “I got to know that not all the white kids are rich,” said Mr. Knox, “that black and brown people can be smart too, and that I have the freedom to do whatever I want too.”

The experience in summer 1964 benefited Mr. Knox through Harvard University and the capability that he gained that summer even helped him later on along his career.

Mr. Knox called his Exeter summer experience “life changing”. “It opened my eyes, mind and heart, and made me realize the significance of hard work and kindness,” said Mr. Knox.

And his surprise connection to Exeter?

His granddaughter Veronica Knox from Alabama is a student here this summer.

--------Wendell J. Knox was President and Chief Executive Officer of Abt Associates from 1992 until 2009. He joined Abt Associates in 1969 while a student at Harvard University. His research has included work in urban and regional economic development, minority business expansion, and employment and workforce development. His commercial consulting activities have focused on strategic planning, marketing, and quality measurement assignments in the financial services, healthcare, and automotive industries.

Safety Director Assesses Session SAFETY, continued from page 1 he’s concerned, there will not be any more drills going on in the next following weeks. Still, students have to react to drills with precaution and handle them seriously. The department expects students to know what to do when a real incident happens.

There was also a lack of water in several dorms towards the end of last week, Mr. Gravel said. He explained that the town of Exeter was working on water pipes, and thus some of the dorms were affected. The water

in one dorm, Webster, appeared white for a couple days over the weekend, but was from a build-up of air that was fixed by facilities, according to Elena Gosalvez-Blanco, the director of Exeter Summer.

The crosswalks have not been a problem for the safety department this summer, he said.

Furthermore, last week, some students’ bags were missing but they all ended up being found. Mr. Gravel remarked that some bags have the same appearance, and thus it is easy to be confused. Therefore, he recommended that students should check carefully when grabbing a

bag at the dining hall, especially, and make sure that it belongs to him or her.

Last Monday, Seacoast team played against Exeter high school at the stadium. However, according Mr. Gravel, the team wasn’t not performing at its best in terms of sportsmanship. He’s still reading the report from the department.

As he said: “As we get into the last week, it’s important for students to know that they represent Exeter and always be professional when interacting with people of the town and on the field, to portray a professional image.”

Erika Petersen / The Summmer Times Staff

Up, Up, and Away!

DRONE, continued from page 1 foresters at PEA how the terrain is changing over the years.

With all the construction that is underway on campus, the drone provides a simple method of seeing the progress of the new buildings. Before drones were invented these strange projects would’ve required a much more expensive route to be taken: helicopters according to Mr. Harrison.

Aside from the glossy white drone there is a glossy white controller used to navigate the skies. An app downloaded onto

any phone enables the person controlling the device to see what is being captured on the camera connected to the drone. The equipment may seem daunting, but it’s quite easy to learn to use according to Mr. Harrison. He practices with the drone by flying it in the shape of a figure eight.

Because of the popularity of drones and the ease of which it is to obtain and use one, they have been promptly banned from the school campus. So next time you look up into the sky and ask the most cliche of questions, know that it is neither bird nor plane, remember that that tiny object in the sky is the Phantom four DGI.

Dining Hall Lament: Hold That Line!

By JUSTICE WYSINGER Summer Times Staff Writer

Almost everyone can relate to the interminable wait in the lines at Elm Street Dining Hall. Every day, students rush to eat after their classes, which tends to be the busiest time. After strenuous sports students are eager to refuel at dinner.

The lines for breakfast aren’t very long because students come in at more spread out intervals. Yet, the same thing cannot be said about the lines during lunch and dinner.

When lunch starts there is a minimal number of people. Some students wear a look of drowsiness on their face due to just finishing their classes.

The wait in the lines aren’t very long, and when students finish C Format at 12:00 p.m. and don’t have D Format the lines are a little longer, but there are still plenty of open seats available.

At lunch, it becomes congested at 1 p.m. because students who have D Format are getting out of class, and it’s the last hour the dining hall is open.

Students dressed in athletic clothes, eating before they attend their sport, permeate the cafeteria.

The line tends to stretch until it reaches the dish drop off area. It is often hard to find seats if students plan on sitting as a group of four

or more.

Students had many unhappy comments about the wait in the lunch lines. “It’s annoying and unnecessarily long,” said Noor Malik.

“I think it’s outrageous,” said Jacinda Duesbury, “I get tired and I get hungry you know.”

Marvin Dominguez had a similar opinion: “It’s ridiculous, it’s way too long; I could compare it to an amusement park, they should have a quicker way to get food.”

One student had a suggestion for a solution to the issue. “I think it would be more efficient if they serve in more than two lines,” said Tory Wooten.

During dinner, the busiest time is 6 p.m., and it's hard to find seats then. “It’s extremely annoying and frustrating,” said Baaba Bentsi-Enchill.

The dining hall serves a variety of food that some students enjoy, which is why the lines are so long. Students are so eager to eat, that they cannot stand the wait.

“It’s sometimes way too long,” said Rene Chen.

One of the managers of Elm Street Dining Hall, Heidi Brousseau, spoke about the best time to come for a meal. “It depends on your class schedule,” she said. She also mentioned that it’s not very crowded during the early hours.

War, Hate, Conflict – Not Here at Exeter FRENEMIES continued from page 1 another friend lives in Moscow but has more of Armenian ancestry. All of them have Russian passports and consider themselves Russian.”

At Exeter Summer, Rostyslav has met other Russians who have reinforced his beliefs. “I know Alexander, who is from Moscow, and Sofia, who lives in California,” he said. “Interacting with them didn't change my perspective in any way.”

Exeter Summer is one of the few places in the world where students from 53 countries across the globe come to one school.

The diversity on our campus is a privilege that few will experience.

Students on campus from countries in conflict can interact in a way that they otherwise could not at home.

The Middle East, for example, has been the center of attention in American news for the past few years. U.S.-based media have produced fear-provoking, sensational stories about the Middle East, creating a climate of suspicion and distrust of Muslims in the U.S..

“On my first week, in my global security class we were talking about terrorism and refugees,” said Derin Akdurak, a student from Turkey.

“And there was only me and this other kid who were Muslim, and— without meaning to—the American kids, kind of attacked Islam.”

“Of course I tell them it’s not true, but it’s not because they actually think that it is, they are made to believe that that’s actually the truth,” said Derin, who thinks it is possible to show people the truth about her faith and culture. “It’s because of ignorance, and how the media represents it. It’s not their fault, I understand that.”

Although it is hard to overcome cultural barriers, Derin still enjoys spending time on campus meeting people from around the world.

“I love it here,” she said. “I mean sometimes my classes get boring, but the friends I make here… I usually hang out with people from other countries, because I don’t want to speak Turkish all the time. And I think it has been a very big impact on myself.”

More than 40 years after the Vietnam war ended, many Vietnamese have a positive view of their former enemy, said Kap Nguyen, a Vietnamese student. Many want to travel to America.

“They want to go there, because the American Dream is still living in Vietnam,” Kap said. “Because

the South and the North are normal now. When you ask most of them where they want to go, they want to go to the U.S. They don’t hate the U.S. or anything. Isn’t that weird? I don’t know why they don’t mention the war. My grandparents are just normal about it.”

But often the younger generation has to resist the enmities of their elders.

“I saw my dad’s perspective on the Chinese, he’s quite racist against the Chinese,” Kap said. “Like on how they take our islands, and how they’re dirty and everything. “ China .and Vietnam have been in a territorial dispute over islands in the South China Sea. “One of our islands in the north got taken by China, so we started hating China from then on,” Kap said. “It’s one of our lands, taking our land is like taking our honor.”

“But asked if he was as involved in politics as his father, Kap said, “No.” Simon Cai, a student from China, is aware of his country’s clashes with Japan.

“We have a lot of conflicts about Japan because of the history problems like Japan invading China in the Second World War,” said Simon. Japan and China have had

a long history of conflict, stretching back far before World War II. “When I'm here I feel quite equal, especially when we’re having class. Maybe I can talk to them and exchange where we’re from, and exchange ideas about each other’s countries,” said Simon, who isn’t part of a diverse community back home. ” In China I don’t have such opportunities to get to know so many people from different countries, different continents. There’s really quite a cultural distance between me and other people from different countries.”

Sharon Cheng is aware of the conflict between Taiwan, her home country, and China. “Of course I want Taiwan to be recognized as a country but I know that at the same time if you want to do that it means that we would lose a lot of resources, a lot of businesses, and ties with China,” she said. “So I’m not that extreme.”

Many countries don’t recognize Taiwan as a country separate from China, and there is social conflict between some Taiwanese and Chinese people. Sharon tries to keep home politics separated from her interactions with other students on campus.

Before coming to Exeter Summer, Sharon said she held some negative ideas about the Chinese. “We all do have some stereotypes,” she said. “We all say that the Chinese are so loud, they cut in line, but actually sometimes we do too. I think it’s not good, but we still say that.”

Albert Yao, another Taiwanese student, talked about a time at Exeter when it was hard to separate someone from their stereotype. “I think there are still some people here that are stereotypical. Like a kid from my class, he said that he thinks that it’s good for the Chinese government to censor the media.”

Albert doesn’t think that the social conflicts between the Taiwanese and Chinese get in the way of interaction between people from the two cultures. “If you know Chinese individuals, you don’t hate them.”

Walking around campus, one can see and hear the many accents, people, languages, and cultures that come from around the world. Few campuses have as many students from different nations as there are here. Exeter Summer is an incredible reminder that no matter how far the distance, or strong the conflict, or nasty the prejudice, people from across the globe can still live in one global community.

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THE SUMMER TIMES

NEWS

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

From Gelato to Sushi: A Downtown Odyssey

By BLANE ZHU

Summer Times Staff Writer

Students have been having a blast at Exeter Summer, whether it’s during Harkness Discussions, sport sessions or fun activities.

The vast campus of Phillips Exeter Academy allows plenty of space for students to explore, but the summer experience isn’t just limited to what’s on-campus.

Being in close proximity to the downtown area of Exeter, NH, which is filled with shops, restaurants and points of interest, the Academy allows students to fully embrace the beauty of this small but intricate town.

As one walks eastbound along Main. St. towards Water St., the view of red-brick houses and the colorful storefronts of shops and cafes instantly greets the eye. These streets are probably one of the most visited places in town, as rows of neatly aligned cars are often seen along the sidewalk. The William G. Saltonstall boathouse, a prominent building

dressed in white, red and brown, can be seen next to the bordering Swasey Parkway.

Once past the boathouse, one can hardly ignore a small shop with the prominent sign “Stillwells Riverwalk Ice Cream” on its white facade. There always seems to be a line of ice-cream cravers lined up in front of the shop and on the sidewalk. This little shop has also attracted many Exeter Summer students and is one of the most, if not the most, popular destinations downtown.

“I go to the ice-cream store [often], it’s really famous,” remarked Eric Amyot, an Upper School student who likes to visit downtown Exeter. He also referred to the serving portions at this ice-cream shop, which seem to be comically huge: A “small” serving here will get you three scoops of ice cream, which is pretty much a “large” serving at a typical ice cream shop.

Walk past the ice-cream store and you immediately realize

that there is still so much to explore. Both sides of Water Street and High Street are lined with stores of all different sizes and functions. Among them are some standout restaurants and cafes: D squared Java, a coffee shop; The Green Bean, a sandwich shop that also specializes in soup; and Asian- inspired restaurants such as Penang & Tokyo and Szechuan Taste. These restaurants have been popular spots for students to hang out, eat or just chill during their free time. If you’re not looking to grab a bite to eat, there are also plenty of boutiques, music stores and even a bookstore along the same street.

Keep walking along Water Street to High Street, then turning northbound onto Portsmouth Ave., and you will arrive at Walgreens Pharmacy in a few minutes. The convenient location of the store provides Exeter students a place to shop for daily needs such as beauty products and stationery.

Even a short walk downtown

will introduce you to the smalltown charm of Exeter that is certainly hard to resist.

The red-bricked New England style buildings manage to give a welcoming and intimate feel to even the most bustling streets of the town. A perfect example of such building is the Exeter Town Hall, which is visible from Water Street thanks to its delicately-shaped dome, perched atop the building. Trees and beautiful shrubbery dotted among the neighborhood adds to the overall aesthetics of the town.

And of course, the town is enlivened by the Squamscott River, which flows directly parallel to Water Street in downtown Exeter. The riverside is easily accessible to the public, and you can walk along the docks or sit on a bench as you admire the view of the river. If you thought eating ice-cream was good, then eating ice-cream WHILE watching the sunset by the river is definitely an experience like no other.

If you decide to explore the

West side of town, just walk westbound along Main St. and turn southbound on Lincoln St. You will be able to find a Laundromat, a couple of cafes and restaurants, and the Exeter Train Station. Despite being modest in appearance, the station is directly serviced by Amtrak’s Downeaster line, which runs directly to Boston’s North Station. This is yet another opportunity for Exeter Students, allowing them to visit and explore Boston over the weekends at their own will (but you will need an out-of-town, of course).

The town of Exeter, NH is not only the location of Phillips Exeter Academy, one of the best private high schools in the states, but is also a great place to dine, hang out and just have fun. As Exeter Summer quickly nears its final week, the students will hopefully seize the varied opportunities offered by this small town, and use these opportunities to cultivate memorable experiences.

Sweet Charity: PEA Students Are the Best, Bar None

By CLAUDETTE WILSON Summer Times Staff Writer

The ‘Raise the Bar’ fundraiser took place yesterday. Its purpose was to raise funds to cater for the financial needs of applicants for next year’s summer program.

These funds will go towards accommodation, travel and books of students who otherwise would not be able to attend.

“Exeter Summer is a lifechanging experience that every child should have a chance to attend, regardless of whether or not they can afford the close to $9,000 cost,” said Elena Gosalvez-Blanco, the director of Exeter Summer.

For the first time ever, funds were solicited from Exeter Summer parents, in an effort that Ms. Gosalvez-Blanco describes as an experiment. She believes that the parents will be more inclined to give after hearing the glowing

testimonies from their children about Exeter Summer.

In order to commemorate Exeter Summer’s 99th birthday, the goal of the fundraiser is to receive 99 donations. According to Ms. Gosalvez-Blanco, however, there is no monetary goal for the fundraiser and even the smallest donations are encouraged.

“Any amount will help,” she said. “You can even donate $10, because if at the end of the day if five people donate

$10, that’s already $50 and that can cover the cost of about two books for a student.”

It is in everyone’s best interest that this goal is met. Not only will numerous children from every corner of the world get the opportunity of a lifetime, but every current summer student here on campus will receive an Exeter Bar — a delicious brownie treat — today in their mailbox.

“Everybody loves them, they’re a classic,” Ms. Gos-

alvez-Blanco said.

Students are eager for the results of the fundraiser, which will determine whether or not they will receive the scrumptious Exeter Bar. “I’m really excited for the Exeter Bar because I’ve never had one before and it sounds delicious.” said Minie Yuan, a 13-year-old Access student from China. Other students described using the Exeter Bar as an incentive as a cool way to grab people’s attention and motivate

Courtesy of Exeter Summer

them to donate.

However, the bars aren’t the only thing that delight the students. Students are very pleased about the fundraiser because it’s an opportunity to help others in need. “I think it’s a great idea, we should even have more than 99 donors,” said Nina Sandoval, Colombian 15-year-old Upper School student. “It’s good that we realized that we are super privileged and we have way more than we need, so we can give the extra to those who don’t have at all.”

The fundraiser received a lot of support especially from students here who are recipients the financial aid Exeter offers.

Kaitlyn Staley, 14-year-old Access student from North Carolina said, “I’m here on financial aid myself and I think it’d be really cool to give others the opportunity to experience Exeter cause it’s really great here.”

Regular Session All-Gender Dorm Stars in Their Eyes Sparks Summer Talk With Deans

By FREDERICK ALWORTH Summer Times Staff Writer

By NIRVANA KHAN

Summer Times Staff Writer

It's almost impossible to imagine a time when it hasn't been this way: the world is split into boys and girls. There is no mix or overlap, and under professional, academic, or conservative circumstances, the two do not meet.

But with modern times come modern values. On Monday night, a panel composed of Ms. Courtney Marshall, a future head of one of the the all-gender dorms coming to Phillips Exeter’s regular session this fall, Ms. Viviana Santos, Ms. Elena Gosálvez-Blanco and Dr. Jeffrey Ward assembled in front of the Gender Sexuality Alliance (GSA) to answer questions about piloting this all-gender dorm. Around 40 international students of different sexualities, gender identities, races, and religions gathered around the table.

The all-gender houses will be nonbinary living spaces without conventional gender labels, where genderqueer students can feel at home and many different identities can interact.

After much deliberation, two all-gender dorms are being opened for returning students in the fall.

“We're doing this to serve these students who need to feel comfortable,” Ms. GosálvezBlanco said.

She described the school’s efforts as “ahead of the game” and “revolutionary.” Exeter and Phillips Academy Andover are the first schools in their age group to attempt something like this, making it a daunting task.

The act of agreeing on the

creation of the all-gender dorm was no small feat. Dr. Ward said that a vote by majority of the entire 150-member regular session faculty had to be taken, while Ms. Michelle Soucy, adviser of the GSA, noted that “it took an entire year to convince parent and trustees” to try it.

Part of the process to live in the dorms will include an application and parent permission process, according to Ms. Gosálvez-Blanco.

“We're going up against centuries of school custom,” Ms. Marshall said.

A main question that arose at the meeting was why Exeter Summer couldn't also have an all-gender dorm. Ms. GosálvezBlanco was open to the idea, saying that “it's a little early to jump for it,” but that they would “see how it goes.”

Ms. Santos jumped in later to add that there is an issue of programming. “Nine months is a much better time,” she said.

Some students were still uneasy. They asked why it wouldn’t be easier to do a “trial run,” so to speak, of the all-gender dorm during the summer?

But Ms. Gosálvez-Blanco explained the school’s decision.

“During regular session, the dorm is your permanent home.

It should be a place to feel safe and welcome.” In contrast, she refers to the summer living situation as “temporary.”

Syl Gibson took the opportunity to speak about personal experience as a non-binary person. “Exeter is an opportunity to meet new people, people who only know me as who I am, unlike those at home who see who I used to be ... but there's probably a kid right now, being put

in the wrong dorm. Do you fully realize that you're essentially outing them?”

Ms. Marshall comforted them, saying that this is a story the administration has heard repeatedly. “Your humanity is not up for debate. My humanity is not up for debate. No devil's advocate, no opposing viewpoints—that doesn't fly.

However, as the panel explained, no situation is the same, and it's difficult to coordinate a solution for all of them.

Some genderqueer students might not even feel comfortable with the all gender dorm or “don't want to be segregated,” Ms. Gosálvez-Blanco said.

Access student Lucy Watson raised a different, but important question: “How will you deal with discrimination against students in the ‘gay dorm’?”

“Our number one rule is to make every student feel safe and secure,” Dr. Ward said. “If a student does something to challenge that, we are swift and decisive. Nothing changes with the all-gender dorm.”

Other issues brought up at the meeting included the limited visitation opportunities offered to boys and girls, especially for gay students with mainly female friends. Ms. GosálvezBlanco explained that the allgender dorm was a solution to issues like that as well.

“We don't want you to feel like the issues you raise aren't key, fruitful questions,” assured Ms. Marshall during the meeting.

“I'm not here to be tolerated and I don't think you're here to be tolerated,” she addressed the GSA.“You're here to be celebrated.”

After two weeks of unstable weather conditions, the astrophysics and astronomy classes could finally observe the planets and stars thanks to a clear sky. The students were very excited when at 8 p.m. they received the confirmation via email that they would go to the observatory.

The check-in at 9 p.m. upsets many students. Only on very few occasions are exceptions made.

One of them is the visit to the observatory by the astronomy and astrophysics classes. Last week the astrophysics and astronomy classes finally went to the Grainger observatory.

About 25 young men and women marched after check-in with red torches through the dark campus. Why red torches?

Where they planning some kind of close alien interaction? Well, unfortunately not. The reason is very simple: when using torches that emit white light, the pupils expand, making it difficult for the young astronomers to see the stars. With red light, the effect is not as great.

The Observatory is located close to the soccer field next to the lake. It takes about 10 minutes to get there from the Dining Hall.

At night, many mosquitos fly around which forced everybody to wear long trousers and to use a lot of bug spray.

The Grainger Observatory is formed by three domed observatories and a class building. This is divided into a classroom with a Harkness table, a small kitchen and a big room filled with various telescopes, each one having an individual use.

The first night Dr. Jerry LaSala and Nathaniel Peters guided us through the sky. They showed us for instance where the different

planets are located and which stars we find in the different constellations. We got familiar with several constellations such as the Big and the Little Dipper, the Northern Cross or the Summer Triangle.

The weather was so good that at a certain point several students started a challenge: who could find the most satellites flying through the skies? We returned to our dorms at 11 p.m.

The following night we visited the observatory again. This time though, we used the telescopes. The telescope inside the domed observatory can track a certain star or planet and follow it depending on the rotation of the earth. On that night, it was pointing towards Saturn and we were all able to see the rings.

“I was so excited when I saw Saturn,” said Joly Bercow from the Modern Astrophysics course, “I had never looked through a telescope before.” Afterwards it was pointed towards double stars.

The location of the observatory is excellent, since it is not surrounded by any buildings, except for some high trees in the west that impeded the view of Jupiter from the doomed observatory.

Therefore, the teachers gave us one of the portable telescopes to observe Jupiter and its moons.

Recently NASA sent up a satellite that is orbiting Jupiter now and taking close-ups of the surface of the planet. Since we had looked at the pictures of the space mission in class, many students were keen on seeing the planet with their own eyes.

Not many high schools can offer such an experience to their students; this makes Exeter and the courses unique.

All in all, many students describe the nights at the observatory as one of the highpoints of their courses because they finally get to see what they talked about in class.

SUMMER LIFE

THE SUMMER TIMES

Dancing the Night Away

By KAITLYN GOSAKTI & MARC MA Summer Times Staff Writer

The annual Exeter Summer Upper School dance took place in Grainger Auditorium last Saturday.

Most of the gentlemen were dressed up in collared shirts and long pants. Meanwhile, the ladies wore flowy summer dresses and adorned themselves in simple jewelry. Passionate students, however, were decked out in formal attire; the young men complete with ties and jackets, hand in hand with their glamorous dates in detailed gowns.

The preparation for the dance was very vigorous, especially for the females. Spa Day at Merrill Hall was strategically scheduled one day before the dance to ensure that the girls were perfectly coiffed for the special night.

Nail polish bottles, face masks, and lotion were spread across the Common Room. Girls lay on their stomachs, drawing henna on each other’s palms, and painting another’s nails. Others relaxed with cucumbers resting on the wells of their eyes.

By 8:30 p.m., huge groups of friends were flocking to the venue, excited to dance their night away. The dance started gradually, but as more people showed up, the energy quickly intensified throughout the room. The majority seemed to agree.

“It is cool but it takes time,” said Eric Amyot. “It’s awkward at the beginning but it takes time to adjust to it.”

Mason Otley had similar things to say about it. “It’s a slow start. But as more kids showed up, it got more fun.”

People agree that Owen Seiner’s remark practically summed up the

Courtesy of Alex Braille

Pulsating lights energize students at Access Dance.

dance: “There was just those who liked the dance, and people who did not. There was really no in between.”

For most, the biggest disappointment was the DJ. This is evident as many of the complaints seemed to circle around the quality and choice of music. The song Despasito by Luis Fonsi was played around three times at the dance. Although the song Sandstorm, a classic EDM song, was played at the beginning of the dance to increase the level of energy in the room, no other desired EDM songs were played.

“The DJ was decent,” said Shane Better. "He tried." Nevertheless, the songs were in fact nice to dance to.

Andy Chang later mentioned, “The DJ was creating vibrancy through the dance and the music was easy to dance to.”

Because Exeter Summer is packed with students from all over the world with contrasting backgrounds, there were various reactions to the dance. “This is the most different dance I’ve seen,” said Francesca McAllister. “Because in Colombia, the dances are much more pumped.”

In spite of the different perspectives, many students stayed until the last song, proving that they were indeed enjoying their time. As the night grew later, people certainly became

5

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Courtesy of Kaitlyn Gosakti

Before the Upper School dance, students beautifed each other with henna tattoos. more enlivened. More than halfway Vivid Swedish Fishes swam inside through the night, Zaleik commented: the neutral colored bowls, tempting “I think’s getting lit. It’s a good envi- hungry Upper Schoolers. ronment to meet more people.”

Across from the food were Socializing seemed to be a huge huge plastic barrels containing drinks element of the event. People danced which seemed to do a good job in huge groups, not minding the heat quenching people’s thirst. “They had buildup. Sweaty bodies flipped and really good drinks,” recalled Alicia jumped around the dance floor, gal- Wheeler. “Ice tea and like, Gatorade. loping to the beat.

That was really good.”

“The dance is a very memorable Even though many protested experience,” said Andy Chang. “And against the selection of music, the was a great way to socialize.” Kayla environment was filled with an overall Core seemed to agree. “It was an positive and energetic spirit. Sparked interesting experience, due to a lot with energy, the majority had fun of people weren’t dancing. But once while making new friends. With new you find that group that dances with and fun memories piling atop one you, it completely changes your another, the last two weeks of Exeter perspective.”

Summer will certainly pass by in a Aside from the dance itself, the breeze. snacks also appeared to be satisfac“I can’t believe how quickly time tory. The colorful packaging of Air- flew by in three weeks,” said Andy heads and Jolly Ranchers brightened Chang, “These last two weeks will the tables outside the auditorium. be the most momentous.”

Learn to Paint Tis Better to Give In Downtown Exeter

By SABRINA SABOYA

Summer Times Staff Writer

Cindy Frederico Giusti is the owner of the Offbeat Owl Paint Gallery downtown and she has a great passion for painting. Her passion began at a young age. She would spend all night painting in her parents’ basement as a little girl. Throughout her teenage years, her passion continued and eventually led her to apply for the Art Institute of Pittsburgh.

From there, she started her own business as a graphic designer, but always dreamed of having her own art gallery where kids could paint and they could“express themselves through art.”

“I quickly fell in love with the atmosphere and charm of downtown Exeter, NH,” she said.. “I realized that this beautiful town was where I wanted to bring my dream to life.”

This is exactly what Ms. Giusti did. On August 1, 2015, she opened the Offbeat Owl Paint Studio and all

her dreams and hopes came to life.

Kids enter the art studio every day and paint what they feel. Ms. Giusti sometimes gives painting classes to these kids after school or on the weekends.

“It’s simple really," she said. “I just want people to have a chance to experience this beautiful passion of mine and to create memories that will last a lifetime.”

Ms. Giusti’s favorite painting does not have a specific name. She painted it when she was 18 years old, and it’s a gorgeous canvas. She went to a specific place and copied what she saw. It took her two weeks to finish the painting and she had to go there only a couple of times, but sadly she does not remember where it is.

Ms. Giusti says that this is her favorite art work because she had an exceedingly fun time working on it. She was alone the days she was painting it. “There were no friends of mine fooling around me; I was alone

and it was so peaceful,” she said.

Ms. Giusti’s second favorite painting also has no name, and is also a wonderful canvas. This canvas is not a real place. She came up with it on her own and it is a much smaller painting compared to her first favorite. She painted this one in the winter, in December, with a pallet knife.

There was no process to painting it.

She did not draw anything first. She just grabbed a pallet knife and started painting the landscape.

“Kinda like Bob Ross used to do-no drawing allowed,” she says.

It only took two hours for her to finish it.

Phillips Exeter Academy kids can go downtown and learn to paint with this extremely talented woman.

She has many students every day entering her gallery ready to learn.

She accepts anybody and there is no judgment as to whether you are a good or bad artist; she just wants to make kids and teens feel happy and share her passion with others.

Global Warming Threatens Doom

By AMELIA STEVENS, ELLIE VASSILIOU & KYLIE TOEHE Contributing Writers

One of the major global issues nowadays which is threatening to us and our environment is global warming. Global warming is the increase of earth’s average atmospheric temperature.

This increase is caused by greenhouse gases being emitted in vast amounts into our planet’s atmosphere because of human activities. The two main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane.

Did you know that the sea level rises by 1.7 millimeters a year and that slowly our homes are being buried underwater? Did you know that greenhouse gases are emitted even when we are driving as we burn oil? Did you know that recycling a ton of paper saves 17 trees, which absorb carbon dioxide, from being cut down?

Imagine how much better the world we live in would be if we drove electric cars, rode bicycles or walked small distances, recycled paper and planted more trees! Earth would have no pollution and we would have much healthier, thus happier, lives. To create a better world we believe that every person who can, should change their lifestyle to prevent global warming from aggravating.

The world should alter their daily lives to stop global warming because environmental and threatening issues are created when people are oblivious. To start off, people need a sustainable environment to survive. In the Washington

Post, it says: “Sea-level rise is inevitable; the best we could do is slow it by a few years.”

Sea-levels are rising in places such as Florida, and the Gulf of Mexico. The New York Times states “seabirds that spend the majority of their lives at sea and rarely venture to the shore, traverse various regions and climates, are affected by extreme weather patterns.”

Many animals have been starving and negatively affected because of climate change. Furthermore, global warming can cause harsh weather conditions that can be catastrophic for the human race. The National Geographic Channel claims that “by the 2060s…250 million people could be experiencing 33°C at least once a year.”

High temperatures can cause conditions that can be lethal, so people must change their routines to avert global warming. Hence, you might be thinking: how can we help solve these problems? It’s simple; there are four easy steps to success.

Firstly, people can switch to a plant-based diet because this way the emission of greenhouse gasses will be reduced. Secondly meat production produces about the same amount of greenhouse gases as power plants. Thirdly, wasting less food is better than composting what is wasted. As stated by the New York Times, “40 percent of all food is lost, according to the Natural Resources Defence Council.”

Taking small portions of food instead of full portions is profitable. Furthermore, according to

By AYLEEN CAMERON Contributing Writer

While many of you Exeter students are having the times of your lives, we in the Charles Hamm Leadership Program are extending an offer to increase the fun! Students in the Leadership Program spend our class time learning how to be better leaders and hone our abilities.

For our class, a couple of classmates and I are organizing a supply drive for a local shelter.

We’re donating to Seacoast Family Promise, a local shelter that serves homeless families and battered women.

Here’s where you can help!

Seacoast currently needs sunscreen, shampoo, bar soap, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.

They accept slightly used products, for example, a quarterempty shampoo bottle may be donated. To raise the stakes,

Dancing with the Stars

By JIMENA ALAMO

Summer Times Staff Writer

Courtesy of Google Images

the New York Times, “If most light bulbs were switched to LEDs, we could save about 10 times as much energy as if 90 percent of all roofs were either green or cool.” Buying a LED light and switching it with the typical light bulb is going to benefit the environment.

Last but not least, purchasing an electric vehicle is much more environmental than carpooling.

So to prevent any environmental issues people ought to change their lifestyles. We might be living in a bubble for the time being, yet we only have one world, so let's start with action, let’s start changing our lifestyles!

We should work as hard as we can to try and save our planet and prevent global warming. It damages many plants, animals, and in general, life itself. Some people may not think it is a crisis that should be solved but they are wrong, as it can change the next generation. The simplest things we do can affect the world in many ways. Even with taking a small portion of food instead of a full piece can make this place so much better and healthier. We have one planet, high population, and countless questions. We can make a difference; a little goes a long way.

there will be a competition among the dorms to see who can donate the most supplies.

The competition began on Monday, July 24, and will end on the last day of the session, Friday, August 4. My classmates and I will place boxes in your dorm lounges where you should put your donations.

On the last day of the session we will collect and count the number of donations. The winners of this competition will be awarded that evening with the fantastic prize of a dorm ice cream party! This is a fun, rewarding opportunity that we encourage you all to participate in. Your actions will have a greatly positive impact on families in need, and we invite you all to join us in making a difference! If you have any questions, email Ayleen Cameron at acameron@exeter.edu.

“I allowed myself to stop thinking and just began to dance.”

Lal Derin, a 15-year-old student from Istanbul, Turkey, feels her eyes filling with emotion as she describes her favorite thing in the world: dance.

“I was always in love with music,” Lal said. “I just found a way to feel it with my body.”

She began dancing at the age of 6. She had never taken any lessons, learning how to dance on her own.

According to Lal, dancing was not a common hobby for people to pursue in Turkey, and she didn’t dance to Turkish music. What Lal enjoyed to dance to the most, and still does, is pop and electronic music, mostly in English.

Lal’s role model has always been her dad, a well-known race car driver in Turkey, and a champion since 2014. “He’s my role model and my everything,” Lal said. As an only child, she enjoyed doing several things with her father, like kitesurfing.

Lal has always enjoyed nonchoreographed dance, which is why she never thought about joining an academy. In 2014, while she was dancing at a club with her father, the owner of a dance academy in Turkey saw her. In that moment, he offered her a full scholarship to the academy.

She rejected the offer. Lal felt dance as a “link to soul,” which choreographies did not allow. However, the director had told her that the door was still open if she ever changed her mind. Almost three months later, after thoughtful discussion with her parents, Lal finally agreed to study in the academy.

Having successfully finished two years in the academy already, Lal has to study for three more years if she wants to achieve a position as an assistant instructor. This was all a part of the original offer. To her relief, she has solo dance parts in the academy, which allow her to convey emotions in her most cherished way: dancing freely.

Though dance is such an important part of her life, she does not aspire to become a professional dancer., she wants to be an architect.

But that doesn’t mean she plans to give up dancing. “I want to still do dance on the side as much as possible,” Lal said.

Lal is constantly trying to learn new styles of dance. Taking full advantage of Exeter’s rich cultural environment, she has learned about all the different cultural dances that she can, such as Latin American, Spanish, and American dance.

At Exeter, she is planning on participating in the Talent Show. She is not preparing a choreography, so people will see her true talents live.

“I lose control, I don’t think about anything but dance,” she said.

Courtesy of Jimena Alamo

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THE SUMMER TIMES

COMMENTARIES

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

Too Much Homework? Here's How to Cope

by JINNY CHUNG, LISA JIANG & SHILOH LIU Contributing Writers

You can get a lot of homework in Exeter Summer. It's a place where you are expected to work hard but still enjoy the various activities.

How do you study efficiently? We first interviewed some of the students of their study strategies, then interviewed the teachers about how students should ideally prepare for Harkness discussions. Let’s hear some students’ and teachers’ opinions and great study tips which include the most efficient strategies that you can continue using!

Four questions for the Summer students: 1) Do you think that there is too much homework sometimes and you cannot finish all of it?

2) So far, how do you feel about the Harkness table discussion method?

3) What are some study methods you use? Do you have any tips to share?

4) Do you hang out with your friends during your free time?

Catherine Small: 1) “Not really” 2) “I am able to handle Harkness” 3) “ Definitely take notes and write down the main points first when you write a summary. This helps me expand my thoughts.

Actually I don’t review my notes, it is just a way for me to concentrate more. And definitely take breaks.

For example, if you have 3 hours of homework, take breaks between the 3 hours.”

4) “Yes, but most of the time I do my homework.”

Izzy Reyes: 1) “Yes” 2) “I like Harkness a lot and I am able to handle that. It is very different from my own school.”

3) “Study tips? I don’t really use any tips, just spend some of your free time doing homework. I use my E and F format.”

4) “I spend my free time both doing my homework and hanging out with my friends.”

Jinny Chung: 1) “No, not really, it uses up about three hours a day.”

2) “At first, I thought the Harkness method was a little awkward because I was more used to raising my hand, and I didn't know the cue to voice my opinion.”

3) “Sleep a lot and concentrate hard when you're working especially during class time. You don’t have to speak too much but listening carefully is definitely important. If you think that there is an important sentence highlight it or put a star next to it, then you can talk about it in class.

You can also listen to classical music to relax.”

4) “I usually hang out with my friends if I finish homework.”

Israel Byrant: 1) “Sometimes.”

2) “ I like the Harkness discussion, and I’m able to handle that.”

3) “I don’t really take notes when I am reading because I feel like it would distract me, so I just concentrate very hard. Definitely take breaks.”

4) “I spend my free time for both doing my homework and hanging out with my friends.”

Shiloh liu: 1) “I think there is a lot of homework because I have a lot of additional classes that I need to deal with, like SSAT prep and my cello lessons. They take up a lot of my free time.

2) “I am able to handle that.”

3) “If you can’t finish your homework, it is better to wake up early than stay up late. Also when there is suddenly a sentence that

strikes me very strongly I put a star beside it. When a question pops up in my head, I jot it down so I can clarify in class. Putting down the page number is very useful for referencing later. These notes help me during the discussion because I can introduce a new topic whenever there is an awkward silence.”

Lisa Jiang: Study tips: “Do some research before the Harkness discussion. For example for the topic of ocean acidification, one good strategy is to break the topic down to several detailed questions and do research to answer them. What is it? How does it form?

What are its effects? What are they doing about it? I find this strategy help prevent doing research blindly, it improves both the quality, which it's more organized, and the quantity. It helps me in the Harkness discussion tremendously.”

We also asked the teachers for their opinion on the questions below.

1) What is your expectation of your students?

2) Do you think that your students are prepared for Harkness discussions?

3) Do you have some study tips for students, like how they can do their homework more efficiently?

Ms. Pettis: 1) “I expect that my homework would take about 45 to 60 minutes” 2) I think the first day when they do the Harkness, they are still not very familiar with it. But over time, they practice and they watched the Harkness demo, they learn and improve. Harkness is a very gradual thing.”

Ms. Glennon: 1) “I expect my students to take notes and reread the assignment also they can get a better picture of it” 2) “Pretty well. This year’s Harkness is strong. After a Harkness discussion, You might change your

opinion completely, or you might strengthen your point even more.”

3) For study tips, I think you should take notes both at home and during the discussion. And I recommend my students to jot down 5 ideas or questions before class to focus on your thoughts because sometimes simply underlining doesn't help you focus on your ideas that much. And that's also why I give my students 3 to 4 minutes in the very beginning of class to review their ideas.”

Now let’s move on to some study tips that we can suggest!

1) Reading and Note taking This was mentioned before in some of the interviews, but here are some facts to boost your study efficiency even more!

Albert Einstein once said, “education isn’t the learning of the facts, but the training of the mind to think.”

When we’re doing research/reading, we’re not only absorbing the writer’s thoughts, but more in making connections and drawing conclusions that can be applied to real life. In many schools, the method of A-CT-I-V-E reading is commonly used, which stand for ask, connect, think, infer, visualize, eureka (synthesize), respectively (in my school it does).

It engages us more during reading.

We read many books, but we can only remember little of them after we finish. One way to prevent it is to record an appropriate amount of notes when reading. According to Ao Ye Xuan Zhi, a popular Japanese publisher and writer, his book How to Effectively Read a Book demonstrates innovative ways to effectively “pick books”, “buy books”, “read books”, “record”, and “apply”, and every step involves note-taking, for example to create a book list for the first step. The one that I find the most significant is taking notes while reading. Not only Ao Ye Xuan Zhi is an advocator of note-taking while

reading, but also Shigeru Kashima, a French literature specialist. He says “We should always strive to leave an impression of the books we read. Even if we only write down the book’s name, author, or copy down some dialogues, as long as we persevere and constantly note-take, this is the most efficient strategy of reading.”

2) Listening to classical music There’s always that moment when we feel just not in the right mood to do Homework but we don’t have a choice as forced by life. At that time, one tip is to listen to classical music. When you listen to classical music, multiple areas of your brain are lighting up at once as they process the sound, take it apart to understand elements like melody and rhythm and then put it all back together into unified musical experience. And our brains do all this work in a split second between when we first hear the music and when our feet start to tap along. A number of academic studies recently zeroed in on classical music, showing that listening benefits the brain, sleep patterns, the immune system and stress levels — all helpful when facing those all-important end-of-semester tests. (Novak Djokovic Foundation) 3) recommended reliable sources that can be used to do research 1) The CIA World Factbook http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/ factbook/. Info about every nation.

2) United Nations http://www. un.org/english/ “one of the largest intergovernmental Internet sources available”. There are the news center, publications, peace and security, economic and social development,etc.

3) www.facingthefuture.org provides examples of the numerous nonprofit and nongovernmentll organizations of all types and sizes that provide essential services and information around global issue.

Look Ma, No Hands: AVote for Capital Punishment Self-Driving Cars

by DAWSON CHEN Contributing Writer

Each day, countless accidents occur on the streets, from causes ranging from failure to watch out at pedestrian crossings to drunk drivers. In fact, an average of 33,000 people die each year from simply their own or someone else’s sheer irresponsibility, according to the auto insurance center website.

Despite all the various laws created to protect drivers and passengers from accidents, the government and community really cannot prevent people from ordering another beer at the counter or dozing off in the driver’s seat. So how can we minimize the accidents happening while still trusting everyone with their own vehicle?

We believe that an all-around excellent solution to this issue is self-driving cars. Integrating these groundbreaking vehicles into societies all around the world would mean a safer way to commute, a more convenient experience, and plenty of new business opportunities for companies like Uber or Lyft.

Unlike regular humans, selfdriving cars will never grow tired after driving for a while, like on a road trip. The system will remain strong as long as there is still gas, and a self-driving car will never forget to go to the gas station.

Also, never will the passengers in the car have to worry about navigation or programming the GPS. Basically, a self-driving car can handle everything needed to operate a vehicle except hundreds of times faster and with perfect accuracy.

Of course, you might be thinking that robots are never designed perfectly and often cause catastrophes, too. However, according to James Anderson, a behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation writing in The Washington Post, the AI’s inside driverless cars will efficiently navigate so that less gas is consumed and that the traffic will be immensely reduced. This way, the entire community will be able to commute to their destinations quicker while simultaneously helping the environment.

Currently, when you want

to drive somewhere such as the airport or a place with difficult opportunities for parking, you might order an Uber or Lyft. In a few minutes, a stranger will pick you up from your location and drop you off at your destination.

This current system works quite well; however, the introduction of self-driving cars will present many new, more efficient possibilities for transportation on demand. Uber and Lyft can stop hiring new drivers; instead, they can simply use AI's to operate their cars.

There will no longer be an awkward old man constantly glaring into your soul from the mirror.

You will be able to communicate with the car itself whenever you require any assistance.

Lots of people may question the safety regarding self-driving cars. However, according to Dr. Alexander Hars and his autoindustry research team, every mile that a self-driving car travels, there is a 0.0000010273% of an accident.

There are a lot of people who live in this world disabled mentally or physically. Developing this car will help those who need to get somewhere alone without the help of another person. Now it is most likely easier for the disabled person to travel to his destination without the fear of an accident since 81% of car accidents have been all human mistakes.

In all these prototypes of cars so far, Google is the only one that has created something leading toward handicapped people. The second prototype of this Google car was not built with brakes, which is ideal for disabled people because they cannot really do anything to stop the car under emergencies. Yet these cars are all prototypes and we cannot guess how well and safe the finished product will be.

Self-driving cars are bringing a new era of transportation that is much more efficient for everyone and will create many new businesses on the market.

Soon, this affordable, monumental new vehicle will be parked in everyone’s garage and be driving on every city street.

by LEONIDES A. CIGARROA & LU CHEN Contributing Writers

Courtesy of Google Images

Capital punishment, or the death penalty, is a punishment for the worst offenders who come to court. Many people view it as a violation of the basic human rights we are all entitled to, but others view it as a proper sentence for murderers. I believe that the death penalty is correct in the circumstances where someone has murdered another human being intentionally.

Firstly, the death penalty is justified because it increases the amount of money and space in prisons.

Prisons cost taxpayers a grand total of $32 billion every year. Most of that money is being used to care for the prisoners. On average, the money spent on one inmate amounts to $22,000 a year. The cost to take care of an inmate with a life sentence can cost as much as $1.5 million while

the cost of a single lethal injection is only $1,300.

If a lethal injection was used on a life sentence prisoner, it would save the state over $1.4 million. The money saved from the lethal injection would allow states to spend more on education or healthcare rather than taking care of prisoners who will spend their entire lives behind bars.

Many people suffering from diseases, hunger, or lack of education could be helped with this money.

In addition, the death of a murderer by lethal injection deters others from committing violent crimes.

Texas, a state that supports capital punishment, has a crime rate of 4.12 violent criminals/1000 citizens, which is much safer than Alaska, a state that doesn’t support capital punishment, which has a staggering 7.30/1000. These violent crimes happen mostly because of poverty in the state, which the death penalty could also help fix with its cost effectiveness. This displays how much capital punishment could reduce crime just by being allowed.

Lastly, many human rights activists will say that the death penalty is against ethics and morals, but, to their disbelief, capital punishment is in accordance with the “Golden Rule” of morals. This rule is stated in

countless moral, ethics and religious books.

Jesus Christ is believed to have said, “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” In Judaism’s Torah, there is a quote that reads, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself.” Also, Muhammad is believed to have said, “As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don't do to them.”

There are so many more examples, but they all boil down to treat others how you would like to be treated. This rule supports a murderer being killed for his awful deed. It makes sense as it is equal treatment. Ted Bundy was killed for all the murders he committed because that is simply fair treatment. Killers deserve this ironic end for wanting to end others’ lives.

In conclusion, capital punishment comes down to pros and cons.

The pros clearly outweigh the cons.

It is a more practical economical choice, it reduces violent crimes, and it abides by moral values from a vast selection of religions. Although the death penalty may seem to be against human rights, it actually goes in accordance with them and does much more good than most would think.

Transgender: A Plea for Acceptance This is my second year at Exeter Summer. Both sessions, I have found it to be a place of tolerance and acceptance- most of the time.

When I first applied to Exeter Summer a year and a half ago, I was struck with the realization that I would have to be in a girls' dorm because I was born female.

Although I identify as nonbinary- neither a boy or a girl- I would be forced into a binary dorm. When I was accepted, my happiness overrode that feeling, and I didn't think about it until I showed up on campus and was sent to Webster (an Upper School girls' dorm last year). Although the other people in my dorm were nice, every dorm meeting made me realize how out of place I felt.

The advisors tried their best, but every "Listen up, ladies!" was

by SYL GIBSON

Contributing Writer

Courtesy of Google Images

another blow to my confidence and comfort.

This year, the lack of a roommate and friends across the hall has made me feel more comfortable in my dorm. However, it's still

hard to tell other people that I live in Dunbar, because to me that's a confirmation that I am a girl after all, and my identity is a lie.

I understand that it is hard to meet everybody's needs in an incredibly diverse and large student body. But the lack of public gender-neutral bathrooms, the birth-gender confining visiting rules, and the insistence on birth names on IDs, Canvas, and logins makes it hard for trans and nonbinary people to feel comfortable.

By looking at my friend group, it is easy to see that Exeter Summer welcomes certain types of diversity with open arms. Other typesdiversity in gender and sexuality, in particular- is an area Exeter Summer needs to work on.

THE SUMMER TIMES

SUMMER LIFE

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

7

I Am Robot, Love Me, Love Me, Love Me, I'm A Liberal Hear Me Roar

By MALCOLM JOHNS & WILLIAM OWENS Contributing Writers

Month after month, year after year, we rave at the mention of the electronic assistants Watson, Siri, and Alexa, marvel whenever their electronic voices become just a little bit more comforting, and cheer when they start doing voicecommanded jobs that we should be able to do ourselves.

Our digital friends help with

Courtesy of Googla Images

all sorts of things throughout the day, making our lives easier with every new upgrade created by companies like Apple, Intel, and AMD. Yet, continued advancement of the creations of our computer companions could bring more dangers than advantages, leading to something much more sinister than a computerized assistant.

As we continue to develop more advanced machines such as Siri, we are setting up the path to creating machines that are more effective and efficient than humans. While this may lead to convenience, we cannot help but wonder what will happen to the human race.

Humans are limited by factors such as how much we eat, sleep, or drink each day, while A.I. machines will not have to worry about these varied factors because electric power is the only factor that restrains them. This poses a problem to the humans because A.I. machines have consistent performance unlike humans and therefore could become too powerful to control effectively.

For example, a human doctor might be ready to cure Tuberculosis, but subpar at addressing a Hernia loop. However, for an A.I. that can access the internet, both of these treatments can be done with ease. A.I. machines are dangerous because they are more efficient than humans and have fewer limitations.

Even now, the effects of ma-

chines and programs are already visible - thousands of jobs on assembly lines have been replaced by precise, cost effective machines that don’t ask for raises or vacations, yet.

Today, the main factors for recruiting people in jobs are efficiency, effectiveness, and the credentials of the people you are employing. A.I. machines are optimized specifically for effectiveness and efficiency, so the more we advance these programs, the more jobs A.I. will steal from our people.

To us, this idea of giving up our lives to mechanical babysitters gets rid of our own autonomy as human beings, and might be inevitable as time progresses.

Philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said: “if a lion could speak, we could not understand him,” which is supposed to be about how the gasic thinking of a human being is on a much different level than that of an animal. If we were to tell a lion to find a pleasant smell, we might be revolted, since they would soon come back with a sample of their own waste, to them, such things are pleasant.

It would be the same with an artificial intelligence created to think and learn; its being isn’t made up of a familiar human brain, it lives amongst numbers and equations, always trying to find the fastest and most efficient solution to every problem.

This leads many experts to believe that A.I, with its somewhat narrow way of looking at problems, could cause harm, even with the best of intentions. It isn’t hard to visualize something being told to “end world hunger” and begin force feeding the entire population, or being told to “bring about peace on earth” and putting us all into comas; to us, that seems like a horrible outcome, some kind of brutal miscalculation, but to the programs, it will be as though they completed their tasks with maximum efficiency.

The world is advancing more quickly than ever before; every day we can open up the supercomputers in our pockets and see the miniature scientific breakthroughs of the day in mere minutes.

A.I. machines are portrayed as efficient robots that will provide convenience in the daily life. Yet, as great as some things A.I. can accomplish seem to be, we should always take the time to be just a little bit skeptical of what’s being shown off at this year’s tech expos.

By DIMITRIS BEIS Contributing Writer

People don’t like to be told what to say and what not to say.

Every time I make an awful pun or joke, my friends ask that I show them some mercy and shut up. Needless to say, I never do.

I just enjoy observing their contorted faces as I describe how my coach resembles an angry baby hippopotamus. It’s a huge part of why I have a very limited number of friends, but also happens to be partly why Donald Trump is currently US President.

When slavery ended in the U.S. and it became perpetually less acceptable to be openly racist, rich white families needed a new way to express their racist angst.

So, much like hormone-filled stupid teenagers, they decided they couldn’t just get over the fact that human rights had to be upheld, and decided to direct their anger over losing their cotton monopolies towards the now-free black minority.

So they turned to politics to pass legislation that made it actively harder to live as a person of color.

Today, more than a century later, the same discriminatory undertones dominate politics. It is evident simply from the fact that the KKK openly has meet-

ings in public libraries that White America is still a thing. Even if you don’t have that many people openly admitting racism, they still try to disguise their regressive views as “conservative views.”

So when a guy comes along and essentially says it’s ok to be a racist bigot you can only imagine the warmth it brings to racists across the U.S. It basically feels like a license to be openly racist.

Similarly, when a progressive liberal comes along and tells you “hey, you can’t say that”, your natural reaction is to shout out some slur or cop out, rather than argue. When a person sees Trump running for arguably the most powerful position in the Western world, expressing the views that they were continuously told are not acceptable by civil rights activists, they receive some kind of validation that allows them to now shut off someone telling them they’re being stupid (even if they are).

Essentially, the biggest mistake liberals made was assuming that every voter was reasonable and agreed on certain “objective” values, such as gender equality or the right to bodily autonomy. Liberals thought there was a common goal of equality and the two parties

just had different views on solving the problem. They basically took too many things for granted. They spent too much time telling Trump supporters why his policy won’t bring equality and not enough telling them why equality matters.

The assumption that the average Trump supporter cares enough about immigrants or healthcare for example just shows how naive liberals were in fighting a radical right-wing platform.

As a result, a combination of reverse psychology and people going into defense mode other than actually arguing led to the lefties losing due to things such as the demonization of Hillary and Bernie, or generally cheap blows instead of actual argumentation. The liberal stance of getting “triggered” every time someone says something very, very stupid (again, regardless of how stupid it was) effectively allowed less educated, less socially conscious generations to act like adult babies and shut themselves off from political debate, pleading allegiance with the candidate that best reflected their views. Even if we criticize such individuals, we must acknowledge our fault in fighting hate with hate, and driving some voters to electing Donald Trump.

From Star Island to Art Mystery

By LUCY WATSON Contributing Writer

The Exeter Summer 2017 CSI cluster trip was definitely full of laughs and good times for all involved. We began our day on a small ferry headed to Star Island (one of a cluster of small islands known as the Isles of Shoals), just off the New Hampshire coast.

As we got to the island, the fog began to clear, revealing the kind of landscape that you would imagine an indie teenage love story to be set on. White houses, a clear blue sky, stony beaches, and long grass that swayed in the wind. The entire class was given 50 minutes to begin planning their homework for the night, which was to write a murder mystery story set on a Star Island-like world.

After lunch, we all went our separate ways. Some explored the hotel, the island’s main building, to get a greater sense of island life. Some went

down to the beach to take pictures, and some went tidepooling. The ones who went tidepooling found many different types of crabs, snails, and water bugs in the puddles in the rocks that were left when the tide receded. Those who went to the hotel learned about how the island has to conserve energy and water in order to survive.

CSI student Nina Webber (age 13, from Newton, MA) spent half the afternoon tidepooling and half in the hotel and said that the trip “was educational” and that “there was a lot of inspiration for our stories.”

Overall she found the trip “very enjoyable.”

After a wonderful afternoon of exploring, we all boarded the ferry back. After dinner, we had the extraordinary opportunity to sit down with Anthony Amore, Director of Security at the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum in Boston. Like an art detective, he is currently chas-

ing the paintings stolen from the museum in 1990, over 27 years ago, and still the biggest art theft in the world.

He gave us an inside look into the chase for half a billion dollars worth of art. The nuances of his job are more complex than one might think, Mr. Amore has been chasing these paintings for about 20 years. He knows every single detail of the heist backwards, forwards, and inside out. We were also offered the opportunity to ask him some questions, and it is easy to tell that Mr. Amore does not take his job lightly. Everybody in the cluster was in awe of him. CSI student Phelps Tin (13, from Hong Kong, China) describes Mr. Amore as, “Very respectful. Even though we weren't as important as him, he treated us as young adults. [He was] fantastic!.”

To sum it up, the day was educational, inspiring, and most importantly, incredibly fun.

The Real Wonder Women of Today

By ISABEL SIEH

Contributing Writer

I am sure many of you have seen the box-office breaking movie called “Wonder Woman.” Although this was a huge step for women’s equality, there is still a lack of acknowledgment towards women leaders today. Take the field of technology: Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, and Bill Gates are very well known, but you probably don't recognize the name Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube. So I've decided to help you, the reader, out by listing the wonder women of today whom I have found through research and through people here at Exeter this summer.

Ameenah Gurib-Fakim: This woman studied biodiversity, and learned how a plant’s function connects to human health. She believes that plants are crucial to the growth of human health and the earth.

With her forward thinking, she became the first woman president of Mauritius and is working towards developing the science and technology departments in Africa.

Elizabeth Warren: "She inspires me because she is so strongwilled," said Allison Kim, an Access Exeter student. Since she became Senator of Massachusetts in 2013, Elizabeth Warren has established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and continuously fights back against the racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms

of discrimination that shadow over the diversity of America.

Cholita Climbers: Mountains in Bolivia just got more colorful.

Cooks of mountaineers, 11 women, all aged 42-50 decided to scale up their mountain gear. But there's a twist: these women take pride in their country and, so they wear their

one. She served the United States as First Lady, Senator for 8 years, Secretary of State and most recently ran for president. She preaches that no matter our differences, anyone can be whoever they want to be.

Brenda Chapman: Many of us have seen the animations “Cinderella”, “Snow White” or “Sleeping

animated feature film, “Brave”, she went above and beyond: Merida, the main character, was relatable, but most importantly stood up for herself. Brenda Champna has truly inspired young girls through her movies.

Megan Rapinoe: She competes in the National Women's Soccer

Courtesy of Google Images

indigenous bright skirts and shiny jewelry. With each step they take, they get closer to overcoming the sexism in climbing.

Hillary Clinton: "She is a fighter for women's rights and equal rights overall. I really respect her,” said Avery Fratto, an Access Exeter Student. Hillary Clinton wants all of us to know that "no one gets through life alone." This saying stuck with her throughout her life as she helped out in multiple charities by touching the lives of people in need one by

Beauty”, and have realized that despite the beautiful art, they all give the same message: a princess should wait for her prince to save her.

However, when Brenda Chapman pursued a job as an animation artist, she and her coworkers decided to make princesses the strong 21st Century women they should be.

That is why Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” was a go-getter, and Belle was smart and fearless. Not only that but, when Brenda Chapman got to direct the Oscar winning

League for the team Seattle Reign FC. Her unique style helped the US Women's National Soccer team, win gold in the 2012 Olympics and the 2015 FIFA World Cup. Additionally, Rapinoe won ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Player of the Year and was the first player in the Olympics to ever score an Olympic Goal, directly off a corner kick without contact by another player. But most importantly, Megan Rapinoe is a strong advocate for LGBT rights and continues to

support the LGBT community by giving it shelter and the resources they need.

Manal Al-Sharif: After she discovered that there is no law against driving in Saudi Arabia, Manal Al-Sharif decided to join a group of activists in Saudi Arabia who believe that women should not conform to this "forbidden rule." To raise awareness about an upcoming event where women in Saudi-Arabia test the driving ban, she took a video of herself driving. After posting her video, she received many threats and was arrested two days later. This raised awareness, and on June 17, 2011, hundreds of women including herself drove in cars and broke the taboo. Manal al-Sharif continues to advocate for women in Saudi Arabia and is willing to do whatever it takes.

The last "Wonder Woman" is not one but many women. Whether it's moms, protestors, teachers, these people on the sidelines take time out of their lives to inspire young girls in the little ways that they can. From taking a stand in the streets, to just teaching a little girl good morals, can really go a long way.

Well, with that all said, I hope you can remember these names and their efforts to empower girls through their truly inspirational stories. And the next time you hit a rough spot, whatever gender you are, remember these Wonder Women and keep going strong.

8

SUMMER LIFE

THE SUMMER TIMES

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2017

International Day: Feeding the Soul

By KAITLYN GE & KAIT MARTINEZ Summer Times Staff Writers

Ralph Blumenthal and Alec Greaney / The Summer Times Staff

Yesterday was International day.

At the Assembly, starting at 11:10, students from 7 groups performed dances, sang songs, read poems and gave lectures regarding their unique cultural backgrounds.

“I especially like the amount of talent these students show,” said the show’s director, Viviana Santos. “With only three days of practice, they can

present such amazing talents.”

The main purpose of International Day is to let people learn other cultures that they haven’t really thought about.

It is the time for people to celebrate the differences of their cultures, and appreciate what they have grown up with. The arts allow people to bond to each other. Even if people don’t understand each other’s languages, they can still feel the emotion that came from a variety of art forms.

International Day brings happiness. Why? Every student from

Exeter celebrates, learns and teaches each other the passion they have for their culture.

After the performances came an International lunch with foods of many cultures. Smiles and laughter were shared. Food can bring happiness too.

“Exeter is the place to go if you want to experience something different,” said Cydela Malo. “Everyone is here is unique in their own way and I am so happy I had the opportunity to be a part of the Exeter Summer School Program.”

Students Ace A Lesson in Grassroots Politics PHONE, continued from page 1

In the regular session, Mrs. Weatherspoon teaches leadership (campaigning process), modeled on organizing students to meet influential political individuals. Her husband, Russell, is on the faculty too.

“The students here have even met Hillary!” she said. “In leadership, the top leaders for the Democratic club, we took them downtown, to this quiet area, where people didn’t know. You know that Water Street Bookstore downtown, that’s where she met the six students from leadership. By the time Hillary was leaving the building, the entire Main Street down Exeter was packed. People were standing on cars, screaming ‘Hillary!’, they made the papers, they made the national news. But those six students, they got to meet her personally and get individual pictures. So that’s how I thank students - get a picture, get a souvenir!”

The marvelous opportunities Mrs. Weatherspoon is able to offer her students stem from her wide and global social network. “I served in the [New Hampshire] House of Representatives for 6 years,” she said.

“My name is on the Martin Luther King Day Bill, I used to work for the US Civil Rights Commission, I served in 3 delegations with Hillary Clinton when she was first lady, I was in Beijing, China, in 1995 when she made her famous speech - “Women’s Rights and Human Rights.” I worked on her Africa policy.” The list of her achievements seemed to go on and on.

Aside from her work at PEA, Mrs. Weatherspoon is volunteering as the New Hampshire Democratic Party African-American Caucus Chair. “I help organize and I make sure they do what I want them to do,” she said. “So I made sure everyone met Donna Brazile this year, they met congressman John Lewis too, all these African-American citizens.”

Nevertheless, Mrs. Weatherspoon’s main focus is to politically train and develop Exeter students. She has been doing it for over two decades now and has loved it ever since. “I have been doing it 25 years here at Phillips Exeter, and I love it! I love it! I love working with the students.”

Last Saturday, Mrs. Weatherspoon took the summer students under her care and set up a phone bank for a Democratic campaign. In the alumni building on campus (near the D-hall), both Access and Upper School students were bustling around, ready to show their support for the Democratic State Senate candidate Kevin Cavanaugh. Mr. Cavanaugh, a Manchester Alderman, was running against Republican David Boutin to fill a Democratic seat left vacant by a Senator’s death.

“So, what we’re going to be doing today is training students how to do a real phone bank,” Mrs. Weatherspoon said. “The phone bank

we’re doing is to call those to get out the vote, it’s called the GOTV program, for a State Senate seat that the Democrats hope to win.” said Mrs. Weatherspoon.

Her goal was to help the Democratic race, as well as interest students to take part in similar processes back in their home state.

“This race will help us (Democrats) win back the majority in the House of Representatives of New Hampshire,” she said. “Also, students, after they leave here, they can volunteer at their home state, and say, ‘Yes, I worked for, on a campaign. I’ve done voter contact on a campaign, and I know how to use the software on the campaign.'

The software is called VoteBuilder.

Because campaigns are transitioning to electronic.”

Half an hour after noon, the room started to fill and Mrs. Weatherspoon began the phone bank. She explained the entire process.

“I’m going to give students a link,” she said. “This is what is called the virtual phone bank. That’s what we’re doing today. So, it’s called the Get Out the Vote calls.”

Mrs. Weatherspoon displayed the website on her laptop, the cursor hovering over people’s information.

“So, as you can see, the party or his campaign has purchased the list.

This is what we (the State) have on a candidate, we will be telling them today - where their polling station is, because they’ll say ‘Oh, I plan to go but I don’t know where to vote-’.

So, this program has that. We have the preferred number and the voting address up here. It does not say how many times they voted, it does not give their voting record.”

“So today the students will say, ‘Hello, is (example) Heather there?’ and then you say, ‘Hi Heather, my name-’. See, what we’re going do here today is to make sure to say ‘I’m a student’ because people don’t like, but they’ll talk to a student. Adults get embarrassed hanging up on kids.

Like, how do you tell your friend - ‘I hung up on a kid, oh this is bad.’

That’s why we do that.”

Omolade Mebude, nicknamed Omar, was the first to make a call.

“Hello, is Heather available?” he said.

The room was filled with giggles and enthusiastic faces, eager to hear what was happening on the other side of the line. “Tell them your name! And that you’re a student!” whispered Mrs. Weatherspoon. “This is Omar and I am a student at Phillips Exeter Academy. I’m calling to remind you for a special election for State Senate this Tuesday, July 25th—Okay, have a nice day.”

Omar put down the phone with a slightly disheartened expression. It was evident that he was cut off. “She said this was the third phone call she got today,” he said. “Now, I don’t know anything, and she got mad!

She was like ‘This is my third call!

I’m sorry honey!’”

The room roared with laughter

and Mrs. Weatherspoon reminded Omar that this was not uncommon.

“That’s why it’s important to call in a group,” said Mrs. Weatherspoon.

“So you have all that support, right?

You’re like ‘Oh my God! My first call I ever made to a candidate and like, he was pissed at me!’”

“Remember, people will be getting calls from now, until Tuesday!

People are also, while we’re doing calls, people are also knocking on doors. And New Hampshire, they get more calls because we’re called the first nation primary state. People will like get 7-8 calls and they’re like ‘If you call me one more time!

I’m not gonna vote!” Well yes, they will vote.”

Everyone went back to their own zones, engrossed in their new obligations. Squeals would sometimes pop

Kevin Cavanaugh!”

Because Mrs. Weatherspoon knew how much this opportunity meant to many students and was aware that many would want to write about it, she was thoughtful enough to lay out an outline of the meeting.

“The first thing you’re going to say when you write about your summer - you worked on a State Senate campaign. And you worked on Kevin Cavanaugh’s campaign. You were in the first nation primary state. So everyone who’s running for President of the United States, they all come to New Hampshire.”

“The next thing - you have worked on a system called VoteBuilder. You are working on an electronic system which is called a predictive dial. I tell you all of this because if you want to get a job on a campaign, you

Courtesy of Jackie Weatherspoon

up, students excited that they phoned Cavanaugh supporters. But at the same time, many voters would not disclose information about which candidate they were supporting.

“What do you think a voter means, when they are saying to you - ‘I’m looking into it.’?” asked Mrs. Weatherspoon. “They were not sure, they could be with the other person.

And the last thing is - they don’t want to give away their power of you knowing who they are going to vote for, because it is in the sanctity and the power of the vote that makes the democracy in the United States so exciting. No one can tell you how to vote for, because once you get in that booth, you can change your mind.”

A lot of the students were driven to participate in the phone bank because they heard that it would earn them a letter of recommendation.

Mrs. Weatherspoon realized the students’determination for the recommendation and ensured that as long as the students attempted to help the campaign, they would receive a letter.

“You can use this recommendation as an extra curricular, that you have done something during the Summer School. This is a real life activity. This is not a mock election.

No. This election is happening in real time, this coming Tuesday, July 25th.

So, this is some of the things that, we call this activity GOTV - so everyone say GOTV. And that means - Get Out the Vote. So you’re going to write, as one activity, that you’ve done this summer, is that you’ve gotten out the vote, for what’s our candidates name?

will be able to tell them, you worked for this race. If he wins or lose, you still worked. And what you did on the predictive dialogue, you did what is called voter contact.”

“And the last thing is, in this cycle of an election, because he’s run, he’s had a primary already, you are doing the GOTV program. You have been part of the GOTV for Kevin Cavanaugh. The first in the nation primary state, you worked on the program VoteBuilder, you’ve learnt how to do a predictive dialer, and you’ve done voter contact. This is all that you have accomplished today.

And this is so important.”

The majority of students stayed in the alumni building until the last few minutes before the phone bank was closed. They were glued on making calls as they found it almost addicting to attempt to convince voters to support Kevin Cavanaugh on Tuesday’s election. Some of the most engaging and humorous stories were those of Matthew Suri and Omolade Mebude (Omar).

“Most interesting call I’ve got was when I called someone, and it was the wrong number,” said Matthew. “But I still talked to this person anyways. So it was this guy, and another young guy, that I mistakenly called, and then, I talked to him about Kevin Cavanaugh and he was like ‘Oh I love Kevin Cavanaugh!’ and then, he called all his friends over, put me on speaker, yeah and it was a bunch of Kevin Cavanaugh fans and I just talked to them about voting, and yeah, it was really fun!”

Meanwhile, Omar’s story was slightly shorter, but had a strong and comical twist. “So, I called a man named Bryan, and Bryan informed [me] that her name was actually Joyce, and then she hung up on me.”

Mrs. Weatherspoon’s “Set-Up Team” consisted of two very important Summer students - Israel Bryant, an Access student who was often called ‘Izzie’, and Brian Seo, an Upper School student.

Izzie was very active and handson with the entire procedure of the phone bank. She was alert in assisting Mrs. Weatherspoon and keen to answer other students’ questions.

When asked whether she was interested in politics, she answered - “Not really, but I do like to help.” Izzie heard about the GOTV meeting at the Afro-Latino meeting just 2 days before. “My friends, which are all here, we all decided that we were going to pitch in.”

Brian, a Korean-born Upper School student who is currently living in Los Angeles, was mainly in charge for getting people to participate in the phone bank. Mrs. Weatherspoon approached him on the 11th of July, more than a week before the meeting.

“So, I was getting food, and then she saw me,” said Brian. “And then we made like, eye contact, and then I said, ‘Good morning!’ and she complimented my shoes. That’s how everything started. It was amazing!” he continued. “She was like ‘Hey, you know, this is a good opportunity that’s going to take place next week. Why don’t you bring your friends, and try it out?’ So, I brought my whole friends and yeah.”

Brian claimed that the best part of the entire experience was his chance to do something new, especially with people who made it worthwhile. “Honestly, I love the people and like, the fact that, this opportunity, I’ve never experienced it before, I find it cool that people actually are working together to call someone. And then, we’re all coming from a different background, but we’re taking up one same dream, one goal.”

The last few students stayed until all the lights at the alumni building were shut off, three and a half hours after the phone bank started. Mrs. Weatherspoon had to practically push them out. Everyone excitedly left with unparalleled experiences, all thanks to the determination of Jackie Weatherspoon.

“That’s how adults connect and work with kids.” said Mrs. Weatherspoon. “You guys aren’t going to forget this the rest of your lives, this is going to go with you. And that’s how you impact the lives of students.

You feed them, some pizza, ice pops, and you feed students, you give them experience, and they all get a letter of recommendation. And that’s how you engage students when they’re young.

You give them something.”

And yes, on Tuesday night, Kevin Cavanaugh won the election.